Greek Lemon Chicken Thighs And Potatoes

If you’re looking for a simple and delicious meal to whip up for dinner tonight, look no further than this Greek lemon chicken with potatoes. This classic Greek roast chicken dish is bursting with Mediterranean flavors and is sure to become a new favorite in your recipe rotation. The chicken is tender and juicy and the potatoes are sweet, lemony and so aromatic. It will only take you 15 minutes to put everything together and then you let the oven do all the hard work.

This roast chicken dish is a family favorite as both adults and kids love it. It’s simple, tasty and doesn’t require much effort. If you are looking for similar recipes that the whole family can enjoy, I recommend trying my baked meatballs with potatoes. This recipe is very similar to the roasted chicken but requires a little bit more effort to prepare the meatballs.

Why you should try my recipe

• A meal that the whole family is going to love.
• Easy to make and with just a few ingredients.
• It takes 10-15 minutes to put everything together in the tray.

Ingredients & How-to

To marinate the chicken for this delicious Greek lemon chicken dish, you are going to need some chicken, olive oil, mustard, garlic powder, oregano, salt and ground pepper. I’m using chicken thighs but you could also use one whole chicken cut into pieces or chicken legs. Whatever you prefer. Instead of garlic powder, you could also use a couple of pressed garlic cloves.

To coat the potatoes, I’m using a mix of olive oil, honey, oregano, salt and pepper. In the tray between the potatoes, I’m adding 4-5 whole peeled garlic cloves that will give flavor to both the chicken and the potatoes.

For full quantities check the recipe down below. So let’s get started!

01. I start by adding the chicken thighs to a big bowl. As said above, you could use chicken drumsticks too or simply cut a whole chicken into pieces, whatever you prefer. Then, I add the olive oil, mustard and all the spices to the bowl, the oregano, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Instead of garlic powder, you could also use garlic cloves that you press, a couple should be enough.

02. I like to use a pair of gloves when mixing the ingredients and touching raw chicken. I mix everything together and set aside the bowl while I prepare the potatoes and preheat the oven. You could also do this step in advance, a couple of hours beforehand and leave the chicken in the fridge to rest and marinate.

03. I peel and cut the potatoes into quarters. Before adding the rest of the ingredients, I like to give them a good wash to get some of the starchiness off.

04. I add the potatoes to a deep baking tray along with the peeled garlic cloves. For the marinade, I’m using the juice from 1-2 lemons and the juice from one orange (about 1/2 a cup). The orange adds to the flavor and in combination with the honey it makes the potatoes a bit sweeter. Instead of oregano, you could also use a mix of dried herbs or italian seasoning.

05. I mix all the ingredients well and add about half a cup of water to help with the baking. Then I place the chicken pieces on top of the potatoes with the skin facing up. We want to get a nice, crusty skin before flipping the chicken pieces halfway through. I don’t cover the tray with any foil or baking paper as there is plenty of liquid from the juices and water for the food to bake without drying out.

06. After about an hour, I like to flip the chicken pieces to get them evenly cooked and place them back in the oven for half an hour more.

Substitutions

• You could use italian seasoning or mixed herbs instead of oregano.
• For the chicken marinade, you could use pressed garlic cloves instead of garlic powder.
• You could use a whole chicken cut into pieces, or chicken legs or thighs.

Tips

• Cut the potatoes about the same size to cook evenly.
• Flip the chicken halfway through.
• Place the chicken pieces with the skin up to start, to get a nice crust.

Serving suggestions

This Greek lemon chicken with potatoes is so classic and we often have it on weekends as it takes some time to cook and is best enjoyed fresh and warm. It is the main dish on the table and it’s usually accompanied by some tzatziki, bread to dip in the delicious lemon and olive oil, and a salad.

A classic Greek salad is a great option to put on the table next to this Greek roasted chicken, but if you are looking for something more fancy, you could try my green salad with pomegranate and goats cheese or a boiled chard with potatoes salad.

Storage

If you have any leftovers of the Greek chicken thighs with potatoes, store them in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. When you are ready to have it, warm it up thoroughly in the microwave or the oven for a few minutes. The chicken skin won’t be as crusty on the next day but it will still taste great.

I haven’t tried and wouldn’t recommend freezing it as I don’t like storing baked potatoes in the freezer. I find that they get kind of soggy and lose their flavor when thawed.

FAQ

• What to serve with Greek lemon chicken and potatoes? Some appetizers and side dishes that go well with roast chicken and potatoes are light and refreshing salads like a Greek salad, boiled greens or marousolata. Some dips like tzatziki or tirokafteri also go well with the chicken.

• What chicken cut can I use for Greek roasted chicken? You could use a whole chicken cut into smaller pieces or chicken thighs or chicken legs.