Chile-Roasted Chicken With Honey, Lemon and Feta

A little sweet, a little spicy and very citrusy, this easy chicken recipe hits all the right notes, making it the kind of weeknight dinner you’ll put on repeat. The feta adds a creamy, salty bite that’s softened by the lemon and honey, while rosemary and red-pepper flakes round out the flavors. Serve this with a loaf of crusty bread or flatbread for scooping up all the tangy pan juices. You won’t want to leave a drop behind.

Ingredients

• 3

  pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (to substitute breasts, see Tip)

• Salt and black pepper

• 2

  large garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed to a paste

• 1

  tablespoon honey

• 1

  tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• ¼

  teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving

• 2

  fresh rosemary sprigs

• 1

  lemon, preferably a Meyer lemon, thinly sliced and seeded

• 2

  ounces feta, crumbled into large pieces (a heaping 1/2 cup)

• Chopped mint, dill or parsley, for serving

Preparation

1. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix together garlic, honey, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes. Add chicken and toss well with your hands, spreading the garlic paste all over the chicken pieces. (Don’t worry if the honey is a little clumpy.) Add rosemary sprigs and lemon slices and toss to combine. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with a silicone liner or parchment paper.
3. Spread chicken and lemons across a single layer in the lined pan, tucking in the rosemary sprigs. Drizzle oil generously over everything. Roast for 20 minutes.
4. Using tongs, turn over the chicken pieces, and give the lemons a stir. Sprinkle feta on top. Continue to bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the chicken is deeply bronzed and cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh or drumstick registers 165 degrees. Serve garnished with chopped herbs and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.