Lemon Chilli Chicken

Lemon Chilli Chicken

Lemon Chilli Chicken — prep 25 min, cook 45 min, serves 4. View the full ingredients and method on SmartBites.

Prep time
25 min
Cook time
45 min
Total time
70 minutes
Servings
4

Recipe tags

  • Spicy
  • Dinner
  • Slow Sundays
  • Low Effort
  • Budget Friendly

Ingredients

  • 1750 g Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Pieces
  • 8 tsp Chopped Garlic
  • 4 items Lemons
  • 1 items Red Chilli
  • 2 tbsp Orange Blossom Honey
  • 4 tbsp Fresh Parsley
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 pinch Black Pepper

Method

  1. Preparation: Use approximately 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Halve and juice the lemons, reserving the squeezed lemon halves. Deseed and finely chop the chilli. Wash and chop the parsley, reserving a few sprigs for serving.
  2. Arrange the chicken in a shallow ovenproof dish. Mix the lemon juice, garlic, chopped chilli and honey, then pour over the chicken. Turn the pieces to coat and tuck the squeezed lemon halves around them.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning the chicken once or twice during marinating.
  4. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Turn the chicken skin-side up. Position the squeezed lemon halves cut-side down on top.
  5. Roast for approximately 40–45 minutes, until the chicken skin is golden brown and the meat is cooked through. Allow additional cooking time for larger pieces if needed.
  6. Stir the chopped parsley into the cooking juices around the chicken. Season with the salt and black pepper, garnish with the reserved parsley sprigs and serve.

Notes

  • Golden roasted chicken with a sticky honey glaze, sharp lemon and a gentle chilli kick. Whole garlic cloves soften in the cooking juices, making a flavoursome sauce to spoon over the chicken and your chosen sides.

Tips

  • Allow at least 2 hours for marinating, or prepare it the night before.
  • Choose chicken pieces of similar sizes so they cook more evenly.
  • Keep the chicken skin facing upwards during roasting to help it brown.
  • If the honey glaze starts to darken too quickly, cover the dish loosely with foil.
  • Serve with rice and peas, roasted potatoes or vegetables to make the most of the lemony juices.

Swaps and substitutes

  • Chicken Pieces: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks instead of mixed pieces. Adjust cooking time to suit their size.
  • Orange Blossom Honey: Use ordinary runny honey instead.
  • Red Chilli: Use a small pinch of dried chilli flakes instead, adjusting to taste, or leave it out for a milder dish.

Equipment and cleaning

  • Use a shallow ovenproof dish that holds the chicken comfortably in a single layer.

No-waste tips