Lemon Sauce for Roasted Chicken
This lemon sauce for roasted chicken is the simple, old-fashioned pan sauce every home cook should know how to make. Made with preserved lemons, fresh thyme, and rich pan drippings, it’s bright, savory, and deeply flavorful without cream or butter. If you want a roast chicken dinner that feels special but is still practical for real life, this is it. Save this recipe and learn how to turn simple ingredients into a beautiful family meal.
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 504kcal
Cost: Varies
Equipment
- Dutch Oven Traditional or enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens work great.
- cutting board We love this innovative Epicurian cutting board.
- sharp knife
- Slotted spoon
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 5-6 pounds
- 2 large onions
- 1.5 Tablespoons salt
- .75 preserved lemon We love this preserved lemons recipe.
- 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme, divided
- water
Instructions
For the Roast Chicken
- Preheat Oven to 350°F.
- Wash chicken inside and outside and pat dry with paper towels.
- Cut onions into quarters and then cut again into eighths. Place the onion chunks in the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Place the whole chicken, breast side up, on top of the onions and sprinkle liberally with salt.
- Add enough water to the Dutch oven to cover the bottom of the chicken and onions. Don’t cover the entire chicken; just a couple of inches from the bottom will do.
- Place one sprig of fresh thyme into the water for flavor.
- Cover the chicken with the lid if you have one, and place it in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven temperature down to 275°F and cook for another 60 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes so the chicken browns up beautifully.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and place it on a platter. Homesteading Hack: Allowing the chicken to rest on a large platter for at least ten minutes ensures that the juices absorb back into the chicken, keeping it nice and moist.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the cooked onions from the Dutch oven and place them around the chicken.
For the Lemon Reduction Sauce
- Put the Dutch oven with chicken juices on your stovetop burner and turn to medium-high heat.
- Bring to a full rolling boil (not a simmer) for at least 10 -12 minutes until it’s reduced by half the volume.
- Reduce heat to medium and add chopped preserved lemon and one tablespoon fresh thyme or one teaspoon dried thyme.
- Use a whisk to help smooth out the reduction sauce. The pieces of lemon will break down slightly; this should take another 5-8 minutes.
- Reduce to low heat, add salt and pepper to taste, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon until ready to ladle over your roasted chicken and pasta or rice. It is absolutely delicious!
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- A full rolling boil is important for proper reduction. A simmer will not thicken the sauce enough.
- Preserved lemons soften as they cook, so give them time to break down.
- Taste before adding salt since preserved lemons already contain salt.
- To strip thyme leaves easily, hold the top of the sprig and pull backward toward the stem base.
- If you’re looking for a less “lemony” sauce, use half of the preserved chopped lemon instead of three-quarters. If you want a bigger punch, use the whole lemon for a more “lemony” flavor. It’s just that simple when using preserved lemons.
- Spoon generously over sliced roasted chicken
- Serve with rice, pasta, or this homemade egg noodles recipe
- Pair with green beans, broccoli salad, or creamed onions
- Use leftovers, warmed over fish or grains, for an easy second meal
Nutrition
Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 1468mg | Potassium: 494mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 401IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
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