Lemon-Dill Chicken

Before menu planning, I didn't usually decide what I was making far enough in advance to do a marinade.  I'm still not huge into doing them, but the lemons in the freezer were staring at me and there are more on the tree.  Between that and the lifetime supply of dill weed I took from work when it was discontinued, this was a pretty obvious recipe.

I'm sure there are more authentic Greek versions of this rather basic recipe.  It's simply a lot of good, fresh flavors roasted up and served alongside salad or roasted veggies.  It's an easy way to pop dinner in the oven after work and have it on the table in under an hour.

I used chicken leg quarters because Smart & Final had an excellent deal on them.  79¢ a pound, but you had to buy a ten-pound bag.  Out came the Food Saver, and it turned out to be 15 quarters.  15 dinner proteins for $7.90.  Nice.  This night, I used the 3-piece bag, but the recipe is basically the same for 4 servings.  If making this with boneless-skinless chicken, I would recommend a skillet version over baked, such as one I found at Sprinkles and Sprouts.  This is largely based on that.

1/4 C olive oil
*1 lemon
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp *dill weed or 1 Tb chopped fresh dill
*1 clove garlic, sliced
4 servings skin-on, bone-in chicken (can be 1 half-breast, leg quarter, etc)

1.  At least 4 hours before, and up to 24 hours, prepare marinade.  Quarter lemon and attempt to remove seeds.  Squeeze juice into a gallon bag, then toss in the quarters.  Add olive oil, salt pepper, garlic, and dill.  I used white pepper for a lighter taste, but black or even cracked pepper is fine.  Squish around ingredients to combine, then add chicken and squish again to distribute marinade.  Seal bag, set in roasting pan in case the bag leaks, and refrigerate until ready to bake.

2.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Empty contents of bag, including the lemons, into roasting pan and arrange skin-side up.  Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes.  After the half hour, remove foil to allow skin to crisp and continue cooking until thickest piece reaches 165º.  Time will vary depending on size of pieces and white vs dark meat.

3.  Serve chicken with one of the now-roasted lemon wedges and extra dill for garnish if desired.

Difficulty rating  π