I don’t remember when I first discovered lavender chicken. I know I thought it seemed like a very strange recipe. I really had no idea how the flavors of lavender would meld with the flavors of chicken. Lavender chicken, not surprisingly, has a lovely floral flavor that seems perfectly fitting as a spring dish.
The flowers have yet to start blooming on my lavender bushes, but the plant itself is starting to wake up from winter. New growth is flourishing. I always go to town pruning off all the dead branches each spring, which consistently results in my lavender growing immensely each season. It looks like I may need to replace one of my plants. I had to replace another one a few years ago after a rough winter, and the new plant has already tripled in size. So, even without the lavender flowers in full bloom, I see my lavender plants waking up, and lavender chicken seemed so appropriate to make!
This recipe really couldn’t be easier to make! If you got lavender syrup to make my lavender mojitos last summer, you should (maybe?) still have lavender syrup on hand to make this! Or, if you made my lavender cookies, you’ll have lavender extract on hand, in which we can modify this recipe slightly to make that work! Remember that extract is inherently stronger than syrup, so if you need to make the swap, start one teaspoon at a time, whisk and do a finger dipstick taste test until you reach the right floral level for you!
The chicken marinates in the lavender lemon mixture. After the chicken goes in the oven, cook the marinade on the stovetop to kill any bacteria and to thicken the sauce up. Once the chicken is finished cooking, coat the chicken again in the sauce. Couldn’t be easier, right? Just be careful because the sugars in the marinade like the darken the skin on the chicken. If this happens, don’t worry! It’s still edible and delicious. But I did make that mistake and had to adapt to take somewhat presentable photos!! My recommendation is to loosely cover the chicken with aluminum foil once the skin is golden and crisp to prevent it from darkening further.
I personally love this chicken over rice. Actually, I love just about any roast chicken over rice, so this is obviously no exception! BUT, this would be equally delicious paired with oven roasted potatoes if you prefer to stick more with the French theme.
Let me know your thoughts on Instagram! Enjoy!
French Roasted Lemon Lavender Thyme Chicken
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Marinate: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: French
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
4 lb chicken leg quarters
⅓ cup lavender syrup
⅓ cup honey
2 TBs fresh thyme
1 TB fresh rosemary, minced
2 lemons, zested & juiced
Instructions
Whisk together the lavender syrup, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest & juice, and honey. Place the chicken in a large baking dish or large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the top. With your hands, rub the marinade over the chicken to thoroughly coat it. Cover and let sit at room temperature for half an hour or in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Spread the chicken evenly across a baking sheet, reserving the marinade. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until an internal temperature reads 165°F and the juices run clear when punctured at the meatiest part. (NOTE: the sugar in the marinade can cause the skin to darken. Keep an eye on the chicken. When the skin turns a nice golden brown, cover the chicken loosely in aluminum foil).
Meanwhile, heat the marinade in a saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer, stirring often, until the chicken is finished cooking. Drizzle the marinade over the chicken.
Serve immediately. Pairs great with rice or new potatoes and your favorite veg. Enjoy!
Keywords: lavender chicken, lemon chicken, lavender lemon chicken, lavender thyme chicken, lavender lemon thyme chicken, french chicken, french lavender chicken
