Does juicy, tangy, full of flavor, and easy weeknight dinner sounds good to you? Then this Roasted lemon chicken thighs with potatoes is the perfect for you. Just chop, season, toss it on a baking sheet, and have dinner in under 1 hour!
This recipe is comfort food made easy. You don’t need any special steps. No need to sear the chicken before putting it in the oven.
The lemon thighs in this recipe are cooked to perfection. They’re garlicky and juicy. The potatoes are just as good. They cook on the juices of the thighs and become very tender.
This is a good recipe for meal prep or when you have guests over. It is gluten and dairy-free so that’s a plus! I like serving it with a bowl of vegetable rice or rice and beans because I can stretch the recipe for more people.
If you have any lemons left from the recipe you can make a minty lemonade or a delicious lemon tres leches dessert!
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Ingredients
- Chicken – I used 3 pounds of thighs bone in and skin on. This was about 4 big pieces but it can be more or less depending on the size of your chicken. You can use it with or without bone and skin. It is merely a preference.
- Lemon juice- I use lemon juice to give the thighs a quick 5-minute marinade. You can substitute this with equal amounts of lime juice. I have used both and they work.
- Yellow potatoes- In this recipe, I used yellow potatoes. They are very creamy and have a lightly sweet taste that goes perfectly with the lemon chicken. This is also just a preference. It is ok to use the potatoes you have at home at the time.
- Seasonings- The seasonings are simple but the perfect mix to get a very flavorful recipe. I used salt, pepper, onion powder, and fresh oregano. Use rosemary if you don’t have any oregano. You can also add cayenne pepper or red chili flakes for a touch of heat.
- Oil- I used vegetable oil first to mix in all the seasonings. It helps to season the chicken evenly and get every little gap. Another reason for using oil is that it helps the skin get crispy along with the high heat. You can also use olive or coconut oil.
- Lemon zest- The lemon zest is important in this recipe because it helps give the chicken a deeper lemon flavor on the skin.
- Garlic- In this recipe I used 4 fresh garlic cloves that I minced.
- Whole lemon- This lemon is used to make lemon slices to put around the baking tray to infuse the potatoes with lemon flavor.
Variations and additions
- Chicken- I use thighs in this recipe because they tend to be the juiciest part of the chicken and the most affordable to buy. But you can use other parts too. I like using drumsticks just follow the recipe as is. You can also use chicken breast. You just have to make sure to check the breast after 30 minutes for readiness. To know if the breast is done, it should have an internal temperature of 165°F or the juices should run clear when cut.
- Vegetables- This is a dish that is great to add a lot of veggies to it. You can add cubed sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, broccoli, or asparagus. My favorite is to add red onions cut in 4 and whole garlic cloves.
How to make it
Step 1: The first important step is to preheat your oven to 425°F. Then you want to put your thighs in a bowl and add the lemon juice. This is to marinate the chicken for 5 minutes while you prep the rest.
Step 2: While your thighs marinate, cut the potatoes into about 2-inch size. This is to help the potatoes cook all the way through. Now cut the lemon into slices and set aside.
⭐️Tip: Don’t leave the chicken too long in the lemon juice because it can become stringy and rubbery.
Step 3: In a large sheet pan add your potatoes and drizzle them with oil and salt. Mix them and spread them around the tray.
Step 4: In a small dish add your oil, lemon zest, seasonings, and garlic and mix.
Step 5: Pour the seasoning mix over the chicken. Make sure to rub the seasoning well in every crease.
Step 6: Place everything on the baking tray. Roast for 45 minutes and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure you use a roasting pan without a rack. This is because you want everything to cook in the juices of the chicken. I like using a shallow pan big enough to put everything in without spilling.
- For easy cleaning, I like to use foil but I spray it with nonstick cooking spray. If you’re not worrying about the cleaning so much then parchment paper is your best bet.
- If you are adding more vegetables that cook quickly, add them in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Making ahead
- You can prep this meal ahead 2 hours at the most. This is to avoid the chicken sitting on the acid juice for too long.
- Storing- You can store any leftovers on the pan you just used to make them, just cover them with foil, and store them in your fridge. I like to leave it in the pan because of all the flavors and juices that are there. But you can also store the chicken with potatoes in an airtight container for no more than 3 days. Store for 3 months in the freezer.
- Reheating- you must let this sit at room temperature before reheating. The reason for this is that it will take less time to heat and it will ensure that the chicken gets heated inside. Then preheat your oven to 400°F and bake for 15 minutes and your skin is nice and crispy again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lemons and limes are very similar in flavor. They are both tart and acidic which is perfect for this chicken recipe. But limes tend to be more bitter than lemons. But for this recipe, it won’t make much of a difference with either one. So use what you have.
Lemons are a great way to add acidity. It gives it a nice tangy flavor. But leave it too long and it will make it tough and it can have a very strong unpleasant lemon flavor.
Cooking chicken at 425°F is the perfect temperature. This is because it will help it cook thoroughly on the inside. The outside will have a delicious golden crust. It will also take less time to make.
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Recipe
Pan Roasted Lemon Chicken with Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ tablespoons oil
- 3 pounds chicken thighs
- 1 ½ pounds yellow potatoes
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 4 garlic cloves 9g
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed oregano
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl add your chicken thighs and the lemon juice. Mix and set aside.
- Wash and cut the potatoes into 2-inch pieces. Transfer to a tray. Pour ½ tablespoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt over the potatoes. Mix and set aside.
- In a small dish mix 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder, and oregano. Add this mix to the chicken and make sure to get the chicken well coated. Transfer the thighs to the baking tray. Cut the lemon into slices and place around the tray.
- Bake the chicken for 45 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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