Lemon Chicken With Asparagus

By Melissa Clark

Updated May 7, 2026

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Media 1 of 2
Ready In
45 min
Rating
5(422)
Comments
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Roasting a cut-up chicken with bunches of asparagus and scallions makes for an easy, savory meal that doesn’t stint on vegetables. The key here is to pile the asparagus into a mound, next to the chicken, so everything fits on the same pan. The stalks on top get brown at the edges, while the ones underneath soften but stay bright green. A lemon-mustard sauce spiked with coriander and garlic brings everything together. If you’d rather, you can substitute 3 ½ pounds of your favorite bone-in chicken parts here for the whole, cut-up bird. 

Featured in: This Simple Dinner Is Based on Asparagus

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

For the chicken

  • 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces (3½ to 4 pounds) or use chicken parts

  • 2 teaspoons fine sea or table salt, more as needed

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

  • 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed

  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

  • ½ cup torn soft herbs, such as mint, dill or parsley (or a combination)

For the lemon dressing

  • 1 lemon

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

  • Salt and pepper

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the chicken: Season chicken all over with salt, coriander and paprika. If you have time, set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.

  2. Step 2

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange chicken pieces on one side of a sheet pan and drizzle lightly with oil. Roast for 15 minutes. 

  3. Step 3

     Remove from oven and pile the asparagus on the other side of the pan, top with the scallions, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Drizzle chicken and asparagus with a little more oil. 

  4. Step 4

    Return pan to oven and continue  to roast until chicken is golden and cooked through and the asparagus is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (If the breast pieces are done before the dark meat, transfer them to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.)

  5. Step 5

    While the chicken cooks, make the dressing: Finely grate the lemon zest into a small bowl. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into the same bowl. Add the garlic, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the coriander and whisk well. Whisk in mustard and olive oil. Taste and add more salt, mustard or oil, if needed, to make it bright and very tangy.

  6. Step 6

    Drizzle lemon dressing over chicken and asparagus, coating everything well, and serve topped with fresh herbs.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
422 user ratings
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Comments

Ida

If I used boneless chicken, how much shorter would the roasting time be?

Len

Used bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Coated with salt, let sit in fridge a few hours, removed and wiped off salt. Mixed spices (sans salt) with soft butter, tucked under and over skin of chicken, then put chicken back in fridge for 30 minutes. Roasted as directed, it is delicious.

john golden

I got my first local asparagus yesterday from Beth’s farmers market in Warren, ME. I poached the spears in water and dressed with Via Carota’s famous vinaigrette made with shallots and sherry vinegar. Divine. The market is about 12 miles from home but worth the time and gas money to go to this market. Picked up local rhubarb, too. In Midcoast maine the farmers markets are still shy of produce. We’re all waiting for the first baby carrots., strawberries and new potatoes

Alice

Could you do this with fish like salmon?

Judys

This is really good! We loved it. So easy too

Lauren

Ended up using about twice as much spice as called for, because I used the shake-chicken-in-a-bag method of applying spice mix. So... don't do that?

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