This is a very moist and flavorful baked lemon herb chicken recipe. The mushrooms help keep the stuffing moist and the flavorful green onions (scallions), celery, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil, make this recipe very flavorful. No salt is added. A salt free lemon herb seasoning is used, so this would be a more heart healthy, chicken recipe especially good for a low sodium diet. Using fresh lemon is a low sodium tip that helps food taste more salty. If you like chicken and the flavors of fresh lemon and fresh mushrooms, you will enjoy this healthy chicken recipe.
Lemon-Herb Chicken With Fresh Mushroom Stuffing
- 1 whole chicken 3 to 3 1/2 pounds (broiler-fryer size)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) fresh mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon-Herb seasoning, (preferably a salt-free seasoning), divided
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (lemon rind, yellow part only), finely grated
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
- 1 cup soft or fresh bread crumbs
Remove giblets and neck from inside chicken. Rinse chicken inside and out with cold water, pat dry with paper towels and set aside. In large non-stick skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil over medium low heat. Add green onion and celery and gently cook until softened, then add mushrooms, and cook until tender. Stir in 2 teaspoons of salt free lemon herb seasoning, lemon zest, 2 Tablespoons of the lemon juice (1/2 of it), and the bread crumbs. Stir well to combine but don’t make a mush. Turn off the heat and let stuffing cool a bit.
Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Stuff with the mushroom stuffing. Don’t pack it in, just lightly spoon it into the bird. Truss the chicken, (this will make a nicer presentation), but not absolutely necessary. In a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon-herb seasoning. Brush this mixture all over the chicken. Bake at 350 F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until done. Serves 4 – 6.
Note: You can double the stuffing recipe and bake half of it or all of it in a dish, covered with foil or a lid along side the chicken for about 45 minutes, remove the cover and bake another 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Pan drippings for a sauce: Skim off the excess fat. Add some water (up to a cup) or dry white wine or even add more fresh lemon juice with some water to the pan and bring the drippings to a simmer with a little more lemon-herb seasoning and perhaps some freshly ground white or black pepper. Scrape up the fond (browned bits at the bottom of the pan) and let the liquid reduce to intensify the flavors. Serve on the side.
Serving suggestions: Slice the chicken and serve with some of the stuffing and some of the sauce. Serve with rice, or pasta like orzo, with minced fresh parsley, sprinkled over all. A fresh green salad would also go well with this chicken recipe. Fresh lemon wedges, (optional), served on the side. Enjoy!
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