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This is another dish that’s easy enough to throw together on a busy weeknight, yet pretty enough to make for dinner guests as well! I recently made this lemon roasted chicken and cauliflower recipe when my parents were in town (with a big salad on the side), and the serving platter was completely empty by the end of dinner. I absolutely love meals that are so much easier to make than they appear. :)
Also, don’t forget to make overnight chicken stock in your slow cooker with the leftover bones! When I purchased an organic whole chicken from the grocery store for this recipe I asked the butcher to cut it into parts for me, which he did at no charge. I was also left with some parts that we don’t typically eat so I threw those in the slow cooker (along with the cooked bones) for the stock as well.
So if you go this route, be sure you know what parts you are putting into the roasting pan before baking it. Your guests might be a little confused if you try to serve them roasted chicken back (eeek!). Okay, enough about that topic that frankly makes me a little uncomfortable!
That being said, don’t be afraid to try and butcher your whole chicken yourself, too. It’s a great skill to have in the kitchen!
Tips For Making This Lemon Roasted Chicken and Cauliflower Recipe
- If you have the time, pan sear the meat beforehand to lock in the juices before roasting
- If you use cast iron cookware, save dishes by browning the chicken in an oven safe pan that’s large enough to add the cauliflower to after
- Note: this recipe’s cooking time is based on a roasting pan; cooking time in cast iron pans may vary
- Fresh ingredients work best for this lemon roasted chicken and cauliflower recipe, but you can substitute with dry spices in a pinch
- For extra flavor, swap the water for chicken stock
- Serve on its own, or with a side dish like wild rice
How to Cook Lemon Chicken and Cauliflower in the Slow Cooker
Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t translate well to the slow cooker if you want both chicken and cauliflower cooked together. The cauliflower will probably come out mushy and lose that roasted taste and texture. That being said, you can definitely make the lemon chicken in your crock pot and prepare the cauliflower on its own!
To cook just the chicken in a slow cooker, cut the water down to ⅓ of a cup and add the cut chicken to the crock pot. Season, then cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Serve with roasted cauliflower or cauliflower gratin.
FAQs
Lemon Roasted Chicken and Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (cut into parts – ask the butcher at the grocery store to cut it for you)
- 1 head cauliflower (cut into florets with big stems removed)
- 1 lemon (thinly sliced with peel left on)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper (sold in spice aisle)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a large roasting pan arrange the raw chicken parts and cauliflower.
- Drizzle the olive oil over top and rest the two rosemary sprigs across the top.
- Add the lemon slices and then sprinkle the entire dish with the garlic, lemon pepper, and salt.
- Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Bake until the chicken breast registers an internal temperature between 170 to 175 degrees with a quick read thermometer, about 30 minutes.
What if I don’t have a roasting pan? Can I do it in a 9×9 glass dish? What are my other options? Thanks! :)
Yes, Kaci. A glass dish will work, too. ~Amy
I just pulled this out of the oven it smells amazing! I used drumsticks and thighs because that is what I had on hand. I can’t wait to dig in.
Do you place the chicken on a rack in the roasting pan?
I was just wondering the same thing.
I just found in the first page of comments it says the chicken sits in its juices, not on a rack.
Do you leave the skin on the chicken?
Hi Rachel. Lisa leaves the skin on. ~Amy
I’m just getting started trying to do real foods, and I’m not sure how the butcher at the grocery store works. I know, I’m 32 an never bought anything from the meat or cheese counter at the grocery! We have a Kroger here…so I just go to the refrigerator section and pick out a whole chicken, then take it to the butcher counter and they will cut it up for me? Or do I order the chicken at the butcher counter? Sorry, I know this sounds dumb!!
Hi Beth. Yes, you can find the chicken in the refrigerated section and the butcher is usually happy to to cut up the chicken for you. ~Amy
I have made this twice in the last three weeks and it is a HUGE hit. Even my picky seven year old asked for seconds. (And I stood over the pan scarfing cauliflower like an animal when I was supposed to be putting away leftovers. Is that bad?) My husband and I spend a lot of time comparing the flavor to effort ratio of our meals and this one is a winner. So much flavor for so little effort. Thanks very much for sharing this delicious recipe.
Have you ever made your slow cooker chicken broth with this chicken? Wondering if it would be good with the lemon flavor. I need stock so I am trying to decide if I should do this or just do the whole chicken in crock pot recipe?
Hi Sarah. You can make broth with this recipe but it will definitely have a different flavor than a traditional broth.
If using a whole chicken, and wanting it to be cut up, but already have the chicken frozen, any suggestions on how to cut it up yourself before putting it in the oven?
Hi Allison. You will need to thaw it first. This might help, too:http://www.marthastewart.com/920455/how-cut-chicken#225727. ~Amy
Made this tonight! It was delicious and everyone enjoyed it!
I made this using chicken breasts rather than a whole chicken and didn’t use rosemary because I’m not a big fan. It was simple, easy and healthy. A great combination!
This sounds really good! And Trader Joe’s has a lemon pepper seasoning with no extra stuff.
replace the rosemary & lemon pepper with paprika and this is the President Nixon’s BBQ Chicken recipe my grandparents use to make all the time when I was growing up. Now I am hungry, I think I will have to make me some of both recipes this weekend but on the grill.
I had a question about the lemon pepper. The 4 brands I found at the store had all kinds of extra stuff! What brand is recommended? I am going to try to make this, and use Lemon juice and pepper, rather than the lemon pepper. I will let you know how it goes.
Hi April. It can be difficult to find spices (blends, in particular) that do not add anti-caking ingredients as well as others. If you are interested, here is a recipe for making your own: http://www.therisingspoon.com/2014/03/homemade-lemon-pepper-seasoning-without.html. Let us know how yours turns out using lemon juice. ~Amy
Trader Joe’s has one.
Made this tonight and we loved it! But, I’m not sure what I did wrong! My pan was a little small, so the cauliflower had to sit on top of the crevices where the chicken pieces met. Baked for 30 minutes, and then had to bake it for another 30. Is that because I need a bigger pan where each piece of chicken and cauliflower have their own space? Thanks so much!! I love your site and recipes!! :)
I made this last night for my parents, husband and daughter. It was a big hit. I did use a little more seasoning and an extra sprig of rosemary – YUMMY!
Delicious dish! I’m using the leftover chicken tonight to make the white chicken lasagna. I also used the bones to make the overnight chicken stock in the slow cooker….brilliant! I wish I had known that trick years ago!
Tried it tonight- definite do-over! :) Thank you!
If you are making stock afterwards do you need to cook the parts you would not eat?
Thanks!
Hi Jen. I think I understand your question. You would be able to just allow them to cook as you are making the stock. ~Amy
@Courtney: a whole roasted chicken takes an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half at 375F. Not hard at all! I think I would bump the temp up to 425 for the last 25 min and throw the cauliflower in separately, tossed with olive oil and salt. Not that you were asking me. :)
Real question for Lisa: if you go from roasted chx to crockpot broth, do you collect the pan drippings and add to the crockpot? Add extra water to top up the slow cooker? I’m interested in the modifications you make. (Last time I tried this the broth didn’t come out as lovely as I would have liked.) thanks!
I would definitely give it a try. Considering that Organic chicken are way too packed with good stuff, added with cauliflower that are colon friendly, I’m pretty sure that this is going to be a blockbuster not only to my guests at home but to everyone who gets to reap all the benefits that it will do in the body. Thanks for sharing this.
Could you leave the chicken whole? I know it would need to cook for a few hours whole but just wondering. Thanks!
Hi Courtney. Christie B responded to you below:
@Courtney: a whole roasted chicken takes an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half at 375F. Not hard at all! I think I would bump the temp up to 425 for the last 25 min and throw the cauliflower in separately, tossed with olive oil and salt. Not that you were asking me. :)
I just made this tonight. I did not cook the chicken ahead of time, just put it all in the oven. It was so good and the cauliflower was so sweet. I gave my husband a bite of the cauliflower and he really liked it and he does not normally like cauliflower. It is a winner. Thank you
Hi there,
This is an unrelated question to the recipe you posted.
I am just starting to do a complete switch over to organic and less processed food.
I am a busy mom of three , ages 11,10 and 9. I stay very busy, as one child has type 1 diabetes , another has ADHD and my youngest has severe eczema. I am a stay at home mom , and although I am home during
The day , I’m busy around the house a lot. I like it clean and picked up. :)
So , I was wondering about premade , store bought soups and quicker options for lunches or dinner.
We eat canned soups and pastas right now, although I want to change to organic, healthier options. Also , is auntie Ann’s a good option for the canned pasta? Or any other brand ?
I just need some guidance. My worry is that I won’t be able to keep up with the mostly
homemade and I will get overwhelmed. Any advice is appreciated !
Hi there, Jen. Many people find that the mini-pledges https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/original-100-day-pledge/ are a good way to start. You can tackle them one at a time or build on them from week to week. Beyond that, you can certainly find organic soups that have good whole ingredients with nothing hidden, like Amy’s and organic soups from Trader Joe’s. None of these would likely fit the criteria for the pledge rules but they are a better choice than most. Annies, that is 100% certified organic, are again, better than most. We encourage you to get in the habit of making big batches of your favorite healthy recipes and stock your freezer to help with your cooking load. ~Amy
Hi, Jen. I have a child with type 1 diabetes, too. We haven’t found that Annie’s or any other organic brand of pasta has had a better effect on my son’s blood sugar. They are all pretty much tough for him to handle and calculate a dose, as the high sugars can appear hours later. . I was reading that it is because most prepared pastas contain semolina flour, which is very starchy. Homemade pasta is really just flour and eggs and some blogs I read recommended using what’s called OO flour. So I watched a few videos and just bought a not too expensive pasta cutter. Going to try making my own spaghetti this weekend. It is more work but I’m hoping if tit doesn’t affect my son’s sugars like other stuff, it will be worth it for the occasional pasta night
Can you and other veggies to this with the cauliflower?
add I mean.
Hi Flo. We’ve not tried but I’m sure your could. Let us know if you do. ~Amy
Delicious! Thank you.
This looks delicious – we love chicken, cauliflower and lemon. I typically roast a chicken every other week or so, so I’ll definitely try this the next time! Thanks for sharing.
I love your recipes.
Question.. do you leave the lid off while roasting?
Thanks!
Hi. Yep, no lid. :)
Great recipe so I forwarded it to my wife :D
This looks like just the kind of recipe that will fit perfectly into my busy week schedule. thanks for posting it and it does look pretty on the platter.
I absolutely love roasted chicken. I think this recipe would be a hit with my oldest daughter since her favorite vegetable is cauliflower.
I’d repeat Anna’s question – could you use boneless chicken parts? I’d be thinking about boneless chicken “legs”.
Also, do you leave the chicken skin on? I does change the taste a lot and the chicken fillets usually don’t have those.
Hi Ola. Lisa suggests bone in chicken. If you try it without, let us know how it turns out. And, yes, keep the skin on. ~Amy
Chicken, lemon, garlic and rosemary is a mix made in heaven. In reply to Anna’s comment I often do chicken breasts marinated in lemon, garlic, rosemary and olive oil for an hour or so then pan-fried – delicious – and no bones. Must try this recipe with the cauliflower though!
Roasted chicken is the best- definitely look forward to trying this combo!
Roasted chicken back is the yummiest bit! I always keep that for myself.
Whoa – really?
Does the chicken sit in its own juice while cooking or does the pan have some sort of rack to catch drips?
Yes, it just sits in it’s own juices – most of the water evaporates during baking.
I was wondering the same thing …
Looks good! Thanks for the recipe!
I’d like to try this in a braising pot. Thoughts?
I don’t have a braising pot, but as long as you still put it in the oven (uncovered) I don’t see why that wouldn’t work instead of a roasting pan.
Could this be done in a crock pot?
Chanda – I think if you did it in your crock pot the cauliflower would turn into mush. What you could do is cook the chicken on high for 3 hours and try adding the cauliflower for one more hour. Let me know how it turns out!
I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Caribbean when I was first introduced to chicken back. Many West Indian dishes use the back and neck primarily and it’s generally preferred over the “flesh” as Grenadians called it. Up until that point I never thought about eating chicken back and on the whole it’s not too bad. :) Chicken back or not, this looks delicious!
Oh gosh – I figured other cultures may feel differently about those chicken parts. Not for me!
Sounds delicious! We are not big fans of chicken with the bones in. Could chicken breasts be substituted successfully in this recipe?
Anna, until about two months ago, I would never DREAM of buying any meat with the bones in with the exception of my Thanksgiving turkey. The very thought of it was too much. I didn’t even like to eat at a table where someone else had bones! (I know, bad right?!)
Then I decided to buy a whole organic chicken because I kept reading about Lisa being able to make it in the crock pot and then make all this chicken broth. Honestly, the taste of the chicken is so much more flavorful when cooked as a whole. It sounds weird and I was shocked, but it really does taste better. I still can’t put the meat with bones on the table. I carve the chicken onto a serving plate, but I can’t believe I buy it this way now. Think about just trying it once. It’s so yummy!
I agree with Melissa…give chicken with the bones another chance!