Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken With Squash

By David Tanis

Updated Oct. 6, 2025

Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken With Squash
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
About 1 hour 45 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
About 1½ hours
Rating
5(771)
Comments
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This showstopping chicken isn’t weeknight fare, but it turns chicken thighs into something totally special. It features lemon two ways, with a fair amount of lemon juice in the marinade, and thin slices of lemon in the roasting pan as well. Garlic, leeks and rosemary also ensure robust flavor. Then, simply roasted rings of delicata squash, skin and all, lay on top, but if you can’t find it, substitute cubes of another hard squash, like butternut. And, if you’re short on time, you can always prepare it in advance — at least a few hours ahead of serving — and reheat for 15 to 12 minutes in a 400-degree oven.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 6large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3½ to 4 pounds)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1teaspoon turmeric
  • 1teaspoon pimentón or smoked paprika
  • ½cup lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
  • 3lemons, 2 cut crosswise into ⅛-inch slices, 1 zested
  • 2heads garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
  • 3small leeks, cut into 2-inch lengths
  • ½cup rosemary leaves, stripped from about 6 sprigs
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling.
  • 2delicata squash, seeds removed, sliced crosswise into ½-inch rings and seeded
  • ¼cup chopped parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

608 calories; 38 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 1282 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Set chicken thighs in a single layer in a roasting pan. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Put a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of pimentón on each thigh and rub into the surface. Pour lemon juice over chicken and let marinate for 30 minutes, if time allows.

  2. Step 2

    Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange lemon slices around and under chicken. Scatter garlic cloves and leeks over top. Sprinkle with rosemary and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast on the middle rack of the oven, uncovered, for about an hour, until meat is tender and the juices run clear when probed, and the chicken is nicely browned and lemon slices slightly charred.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, arrange the squash rings on a baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add to the oven after the chicken has cooked for about 30 minutes. Roast uncovered on top rack of oven until lightly browned and fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, mix together parsley and lemon zest. Transfer chicken, garlic, leeks and lemon slices to a serving platter (or serve from an oven-to-table roasting pan). Top with squash rings and parsley-lemon mixture.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
771 user ratings
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Comments

Michael

I recommend against using a cast-iron skillet (as I usually do) as a roasting pan for this dish. Turmeric is soluble in oil and will penetrate the pore of the cast iron necessitating a lengthy clean up with soap and water and then reseasoning.

Mary

@Michael the acidity of the lemon juice will eat away the seasoning of a cast-iron skillet… Be careful unless your pan is very very well seasoned

Jennifer

Unpeeled garlic cloves? How does that work?

Kentfield Barbara

I assembled the entire recipe, leaving it to marinade for several hours. I substituted the rosemary for Burlap and Barrel’s herbs de Provence and sprinkled twice as much olive oil on but half the lemon juice. A roasting pan the size of the chicken thighs, rather than a sheet pan keeps the juices and marinade in resulting in a very moist and flavorful dish. It was roasted at 400 for about 50 minutes. Quite delicious and will go into my favorites folder.

SLCmama

I have made this 3 times. Beautiful dish with delicata squash festooning the plate, and deep lemon flavor. I noticed that guests hesitated to touch the roasted garlic so, the most recent time, I squeezed it out before serving and passed sliced baguette to spread the garlic. I have a Meyer lemon tree so I use lots of lemons. I marinate an hour in a bowl, cook on a cookie sheet, make earlier in the day, refrigerate until dinnertime and reheat at 350. The dish pairs well with a good Pinot Noir.

CE

Delicious and easy. Re: earlier comments, I did use somewhat less rosemary but did not find amount of lemon excessive. Of course you need to adjust amounts based on weight of chicken you are cooking. I did 1 lb. (3 normal-sized thighs) and so used about 1/6 cup of lemon.

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