Caramelized Lemon Chicken Recipe (2024)

Love lemon curd, at least mine, love roast chicken, slightly apprehensive about the sweetness. Looking forward to others experiences before trying.

I made this recipe using chicken legs only (I would have preferred to use thighs, only, except the market didn't have them). It's very easy to make, and the curd loses sweetness during cooking. The salt / pepper amount seemed like a good balance. I will play with this recipe further, perhaps adding red pepper flakes as someone else suggested, and maybe a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, too.

OK So all these haters who have never made this are saying they are *concerned* it’s too sweet. Let me tell you - I made it exactly like the recipe said and it was absurdly delicious. Perfect dish for Easter Dinner. Being extra generous with freshly ground black pepper will take your breath away.

Doesn’t really need the olive oil poured over it. Sweet and tangy from the lemon curd. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice instead of oil. What’s left in the pan makes a great gravy. A little corn starch in cold water and the gravy is amazing. Pour over chicken when serving. Wonderful over rice, potatoes or orzo.

Melissa Clark's recipe for lemon curd suggests that one can modify the sweetness. Might be worth a try. I was thinking that some heat in the form of red pepper flakes or ancho chili powder might offer a nice contrast.

Made this tonight, delicious, definitely needed to tent the bird. This was my first spatchco*ck attempt, pretty pleased with the results.

This was simple, fast and tasty. I made it with the thigh/leg combo. The meat comes out very moist, and if you don't put too much water in the pan, the skin is crispy. I think you could riff on this recipe - add ginger, grapes, or some dried fruits, or serve over rice with raisins in the rice.

Made this exactly as written & it was SUPERB. Moist, ultra flavorful, perfectly cooked. (Tip: Use thermometer as advised!) Made fresh lemon curd first, using Melissa Clark's Olive Oil Lemon Curd recipe with 3/4 sugar, and this supported the excellent flavor & well-balanced nature of this great dish. Next time we make this chicken, we'll use slightly less salt & slightly more black pepper, but otherwise this dish is a winner. Pan drippings are delish as a gravy, or swoop them up with crusty bread

As others suggested, add a few red pepper flakes. Or try Szechwan pepper in place of black pepper. Used bone in thighs only, and the meat as cooked at 30 mins, but the skin wasn't crispy. Should have run under broiler. Also, next time, wouldn't use water on sheet pan. Surprising, delicious flavor. Use less salt in curd. Served with farfalle, sauteed red peppers, feta and red pepper flakes. Both delicious and easy.

I am going to try this…but given the cost of an organic chicken, will have plenty of fresh lemon and herbs on hand in case it needs an adjustment. I usually also dry brine my bird in advance. This recipe made me want to do something with the jar of lemon curd in the pantry. I agree that a bit of heat might balance the sweet.

Very, very good!

This is great! I added about 6 cloves grated garlic to the curd before spreading on the chicken. It added a little more depth of flavor.

It’s a unicorn! The ingredients don’t sound like they’d work well but it turns out every time!

Made as written. Reduced salt on bird somewhat. Used quarter sheet pan. Made with Colu Henry’s cauliflower and black rice. Good, and simple to make

I made this tonight and it was delicious. I added 1T of gochujang to the lemon curd before smearing the bird. Skipped the olive oil drizzle and used the suggestion here of a little corn starch in cold water to make gravy with the pan drippings. It was perfectly spicy and sweet at the same time. Everyone loved it. It's a keeper for our family.

I’m not a fan of sweet food and this dish was not sweet at all. What it was was delectable and perfectly seasoned - I added cayenne to the seasoning otherwise followed the recipe as written. I used lemon curd my friend made and cooked the chicken about 1.25 hours using a foil tent at the end. I will be making this often!

This is a very disappointing recipe...it truly SOUNDED delicious. I prepared exactly as written. It was SO bland. A simple roast chicken is far more flavorful. I won't make this again.

Used bone-in chicken thighs and added a tablespoon of Gochuchang to the lemon curd. Gives a sweet/spicy combination that is absolutely delicious.

This is the second time I've made this chicken, and it is wonderful! (Unfortunately, my counter-surfing dog got most of it first time around, so my bird is safely ensconced in its oven home.) I used Trader Joe's lemon curd. As the jar was empty this time, I added water to it to soak up every bit of lemon and used this for the water in the pan. The drippings would make a great gravy, but I used them in a side dish of fried rice with onions, garlic, and peas. The family declared it a fave!

Just made this tonight and it was incredible. And it's a unicorn recipe for my family -- EVERYONE loved it, kids and adults equally. There is essentially no sweetness from the lemon curd after cooking, just tangy salty chickeny goodness and the pan sauce spooned over potatoes was amazing.

Lots of flavor!Very good! 1hr cook time.Subbed chicken stock for water.Tented to prevent scorching halfway.Making again tomorrow:Adding some red pepper flakes & rosemary. Maybe some dijon if I feel adventurous:)

I don’t like dark meat chicken so for me a whole chicken will be a waste. Has anyone tried this with split breast?

This was a very moist chicken but ultimately lackluster in terms of flavor. I expected a burst of lemon flavor and there was hardly any at all.

I made this recipe last night for dinner. I am a sucker for any roast chicken dish. While this was very easy to make and turned out extremely moist and juicy, it was a little too sweet for me. Maybe if you add some additional lemon juice with the additional salt and pepper it would help offset the sweetness of the curd. I don't think I would make this again as I prefer a more savory roast lemon chicken.

Cooked in my big sauté pan. At 40 minutes, turned on the broiler but it burned very quickly. I think next time, put on low broil and watch it carefully. Very good! I served with parsley. I think next time I would boil the sauce down and perhaps add a little lemon juice.