Rao's Famous Lemon Chicken

Name: Rao's Famous Lemon Chicken
Total time: P1H30M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients: chicken; italian parsley; lemon juice; olive oil; red wine vinegar; garlic; oregano; salt and black pepper

Submitted by NanB43

Rao’s famous lemon chicken broiled until crispy then tossed in a bold lemon-olive oil-garlic sauce and broiled again. The legendary NYC Italian restaurant recipe for home cooks.

YIELD

6 servings

PREP

30 min

COOK

40 min

READY

90 min

This is the recipe from Rao’s, the legendary East Harlem Italian restaurant that’s nearly impossible to get a table at. Chicken halves broiled until tender, cut into pieces, tossed in a bracingly tart lemon sauce, then hit under the broiler again for a final sizzle.

Two cups of lemon juice is not a typo. This sauce is aggressively lemony, cut with a full cup of olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, minced garlic, and oregano. The sauce is meant to drench the chicken, not delicately drizzle over it. Have crusty bread ready to soak up every drop.

The two-stage broiling is what sets Rao’s version apart. The first pass cooks the chicken through and crisps the skin. Cutting into pieces and tossing in sauce, then broiling a second time caramelizes the sauce onto the surface and creates those charred, sticky edges.

Heat the remaining sauce in a saucepan with parsley and pour over the plated chicken for the full restaurant experience.

Chef Tips

Preheat the broiler for a full 15 minutes. Maximum heat from the start gives you better browning.
Cut the broiled chicken halves with a very sharp knife. Dull blades tear the skin and shred the meat.
The second broil is just 3-4 minutes total. Watch it closely. The oil in the sauce can flare.
Serve on warm plates. Cold plates chill the sauce and dull the lemon’s brightness.

Variations

Grilled version: Skip the broiler and grill the chicken halves over charcoal, tossing in the sauce after cutting.
Lighter sauce: Reduce the olive oil by half and add more lemon juice for a leaner, sharper sauce.

Ingredients

EACH CHICKEN
for broiling, about 3 pounds *

CUP ITALIAN PARSLEY

Lemon sauce

CUPS LEMON JUICE

CUP OLIVE OIL

TABLESPOON RED WINE VINEGAR

1 ½

TEASPOONS GARLIC
minced

TEASPOON OREGANO
dried

SALT AND BLACK PEPPER
to taste *

Directions

To attain maximum heat, preheat broiler for at least 15 minutes 2. Broil chicken halves, turning once, for about 30 minutes or until tender with a fork.
Remove chicken from broiler, leaving broiler on. Using a very sharp knife, cut each half into about 6 pieces (Leg, thigh, wing, 3 small breast pieces).
Place chicken on a baking sheet with sides, of a size that can fit Pour Lemon Sauce over the chicken and toss to coat well. If necessary, divide sauce in half and do this in two batches.
Return to broiler and broil for 3 minutes. Turn each piece and broil for an additional minute.
Remove from broiler and portion chicken onto each of 6 warm serving plates.
Pour sauce into a heavy saucepan. Stir in parsley and place over high heat for 1 minute. Pour an equal amount of sauce over each chicken and serve with lots of crusty bread to absorb the sauce. To make lemon sauce: Whisk together juice, oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Whisk or shake vigorously before using.