Greek Chicken with potatoes

Ahhhhh, such a yummy dinner. Moist chicken cooked with lots of lemon and garlic surrounded by crispy potatoes….couldn’t get any more delicious! I’ve been making this dish for so long now and it never disappoints. It takes just minutes to prepare as there are so few ingredients!!

Rinse your chicken breasts and place in 9×12 roasting pan. Scrub the skins of your potatoes, cut them in half, then in wedges and add to the roasting pan surrounding the chicken. Generously add greek olive oil over the chicken and potatoes. Squeeze the lemon(s) over entire dish. Add crushed garlic and fresh parsley making sure it’s evenly distributed. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and black pepper.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, basting both the chicken and the potatoes often with the juices from the pan–this keeps the chicken especially moist and the potatoes from drying out. Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly, put under the broiler until desired crispness. As you can see in photo, I like mine crispy!!

I love to serve this dish with spinach that has been sautéed in lemon and garlic or a traditional greek salad of tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers and feta dressed in red wine, olive oil and oregano. Both would be insanely delicious!!!!

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, split in half (no bones, skin on)
2 medium russet potatoes
Greek extra virgin olive oil
1-2 lemons (depending on how much juice you get from the lemons)
4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Serves two

Tips for Success

The biggest secret to this dish is the basting. Every ten to fifteen minutes I open the oven, tip the pan a little and spoon those lemony, garlicky juices right back over the chicken and the potatoes. It only takes a minute and it makes all the difference in how moist the chicken turns out.

• Cut the potatoes evenly. Wedges that are about the same size cook at the same speed, so you will not end up with some mushy and some still hard in the middle.
• Give everything a little room. If the pan is too crowded the potatoes steam instead of roast. A 9 by 13 pan is just right for two servings.
• Check the chicken with a thermometer. Chicken is done when the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F. Once it gets there, that is your cue to slide the pan under the broiler.
• Watch the broiler closely. It goes from golden to burnt in a hurry, so I stand right there and keep the oven door cracked.

Ingredient Swaps and Variations

Bone in, skin on chicken thighs work beautifully here and are very forgiving if you leave them in a few extra minutes. They will need closer to an hour in the oven. If you only have dried parsley, use about a third of the amount. Yukon gold potatoes or small red potatoes can stand in for the russets, and they get wonderfully creamy inside. For extra flavor, toss in a handful of pitted kalamata olives or a few thin slices of red onion during the last twenty minutes.

Make Ahead and Storage

You can cut the potatoes a few hours ahead and keep them covered in cold water in the refrigerator. Just pat them very dry before they go in the pan so they still crisp up. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, I put everything back on a baking sheet in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, which keeps the potatoes from going soggy the way they do in the microwave.

How to Serve It

Besides the sauteed spinach or a classic Greek salad, a basket of warm pita and a bowl of cool tzatziki on the side turn this into a real feast. Leftover chicken is also wonderful sliced up and tucked into a pita the next day for lunch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I double this recipe?

Absolutely. Just use two pans or one very large roasting pan so the potatoes are not piled on top of each other. The cooking time stays about the same.

Do I have to use Greek olive oil?

No, any good extra virgin olive oil will work. I just love the fruity flavor of a Greek oil with the lemon and oregano.

Why are my potatoes not getting crispy?

Usually the pan is too crowded or the potatoes were wet. Spread them out, dry them well and let the broiler finish the job.

Mandy

Greek Chicken with Potatoes

Juicy chicken breast roasted with lemon, garlic, oregano and parsley, surrounded by crispy potato wedges. A simple weeknight dinner for two with very few ingredients.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 2 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 chicken breast boneless, skin on, split in half
• 2 medium russet potatoes scrubbed and cut into wedges
• Greek extra virgin olive oil a generous drizzle
• 1 to 2 lemons depending on how juicy they are
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp oregano
• salt and black pepper to taste

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Rinse the chicken breast halves and place them in a 9 by 13 roasting pan.
3. Scrub the potato skins, cut each potato in half, then into wedges, and arrange them around the chicken.
4. Drizzle the chicken and potatoes generously with olive oil.
5. Squeeze the lemon juice over the entire dish.
6. Scatter the crushed garlic and fresh parsley evenly over the top, then sprinkle with oregano, salt and black pepper.
7. Bake for 45 minutes, basting the chicken and potatoes often with the pan juices.
8. Once the chicken is cooked through, place the pan under the broiler until the skin and potatoes reach your desired crispness.

Notes

Chicken is done when the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F. Serve with lemon garlic spinach or a Greek salad.