Name: Roast Chicken with Bell Peppers, Lemon, and Thyme
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 large bell peppers (any color); 1 large shallot, thinly sliced; 1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced crosswise; 5 sprigs thyme, divided; Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper; 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 1 (3 1/2–4-lb.) chicken, patted dry; 1 lemon, halved

Photo of a pan of roasted peppers with thyme beside a cutting board with roasted chicken being sliced.

Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Claire Saffitz

How to pull off a weeknight roast chicken: Set it over a bed of peppers for a two-for-one deal.

Recipe information

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers (any color)

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced crosswise

5 sprigs thyme, divided

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 (3 1/2–4-lb.) chicken, patted dry

1 lemon, halved

Preparation

Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°F. Heat a large ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook bell peppers in skillet, turning every minute or two, until blistered in several spots, about 5 minutes. (You aren’t trying to cook them, just get some color on them.) Transfer bell peppers to a cutting board and let cool slightly; reserve skillet. Stand a pepper upright and slice off sides, working your way around stem in 3 or 4 cuts. Pull out ribs and seeds; discard along with stems. Repeat with remaining peppers.
Step 2
Return peppers to skillet and add shallot, chile, and 3 thyme sprigs. Season generously with salt and black pepper and drizzle 1/4 cup oil over. Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper and set on top of peppers. Place a lemon half and remaining  2 thyme sprigs in chicken cavity and rub skin all over with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Roast in oven until skin is golden brown and crisp all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 160°F, 60–80 minutes. Remove from oven (be careful; handle is hot!) and let rest 15 minutes before transferring chicken to a cutting board and carving.
Step 3
Just before serving, squeeze remaining lemon half over chicken and bell peppers.