One Pan Chicken and Potatoes
One pan chicken and potatoes is an easy oven dinner with crisping chicken skin, tender potatoes, and a simple lemon-garlic spice coating. It is hearty enough on its own and uses ingredients that are easy to keep on hand.
The main thing that helps this roast well is keeping the pan from getting crowded. Dry the chicken and potatoes well, spread them out in a mostly single layer, and let the hot oven do the work. A quick broil at the end is optional if you want a little more color.
Ingredients for One Pan Chicken and Potatoes
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (about 1.15kg to 1.35kg)
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds baby potatoes, halved if large (about 675g to 900g)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons 7 Spice seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Optional for serving: chopped fresh parsley, lemon wedges, or a pinch of red pepper flakes mixed into the seasoning.
If you want to make the pan a little fuller, you can add 1 medium onion cut into wedges with the potatoes.
How to Make One Pan Chicken and Potatoes
- Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle. Use a large rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking dish, and make sure it is large enough to hold everything in a mostly single layer.
- Dry the chicken and potatoes: Pat the chicken pieces and potatoes dry with paper towels. This helps the chicken brown better and gives the potatoes better roasted edges.
- Season: In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, 7 Spice, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken and potatoes and toss until evenly coated.
- Arrange on the pan: Spread the potatoes out first, then place the chicken skin side up on top or alongside them. Leave a little space between pieces so they roast instead of steam.
- Roast: Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is browning and the potatoes are starting to soften. Rotate the pan partway through if your oven browns unevenly. If needed, turn the potatoes and reposition the chicken once for more even color.
- Finish cooking: Continue roasting for 5 to 10 minutes more, until the thickest chicken pieces reach 165°F away from the bone and the potatoes are fork-tender. The pan juices should look slightly reduced and glossy.
- Broil if needed: For deeper browning, broil briefly at the end. Watch closely so the skin and potato edges do not scorch.
- Rest and serve: Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Spoon some of the pan juices over the chicken and potatoes, then finish with parsley or lemon wedges if you like.
How to Get Better Browning
For the best color, keep the chicken skin side up and avoid adding too much liquid. The small amount of lemon juice adds flavor without turning the pan watery, but the pan still needs space so the heat can circulate.
Potato size matters too. If some baby potatoes are much larger than others, cut them into even pieces so they finish at the same time. Very small potatoes may be done a little sooner, while larger ones may need extra time.
Simple Variations
Chicken breast version
You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs and drumsticks, but start checking early. They cook faster and can dry out sooner than bone-in dark meat.
Brief marinated version
For a little deeper flavor, let the chicken sit in the oil, lemon juice, garlic, and spices for 15 to 30 minutes before roasting. Do not marinate too long, since extra acid can soften the surface and reduce browning.
What to Serve With One Pan Chicken and Potatoes
Since the pan already covers the main dish and starch, simple sides work best. A green salad, roasted green beans, carrots, or cauliflower gratin all fit well here. Lemon wedges at the table help brighten the richer chicken skin.
If you want another easy chicken dinner, try this Healthy Chicken and Green Bean Stir-Fry next.
For a different quick chicken dinner, see this Chicken Stir-Fry with Honey Soy Sauce. If you like warm spice blends, you may also enjoy this Asian Five-Spice Chicken Recipe.
How to Store and Reheat One Pan Chicken and Potatoes
Let leftovers cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheat in the oven or microwave until hot. If using the oven, cover loosely at first if the chicken seems like it may dry out. The skin and potatoes will soften some after storage, so a brief uncovered finish can help a little.
If you want to freeze extras, it is best to freeze the chicken separately from the potatoes. The potatoes are best fresh, and the chicken holds up better on its own.
You can season the chicken a little ahead of time or marinate it briefly before baking, but the potatoes are best cut and roasted the same day.
Nutrition
Nutrition is approximate and will vary based on the exact chicken pieces used, potato size, and how much rendered fat remains in the pan.
- Serving size: about 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: about 670
- Protein: 42g
- Fat: 38g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Per 100g: about 180 calories, 11g protein, 10g fat, 9g carbohydrates
Equipment
- oven
- rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking dish
- mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- paper towels
- tongs or spatula
Ingredients
Main
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (1.15–1.35 kg)
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds baby potatoes, halved if large (675–900 g)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons 7 Spice seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium onion, cut into wedges (optional)
- Chopped fresh parsley, lemon wedges, or red pepper flakes (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) with a rack in the middle; use a large rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking dish large enough to hold the ingredients in a mostly single layer.
- Pat the chicken pieces and potatoes dry with paper towels to help the skin and potato edges brown.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, 7 Spice seasoning, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Add the chicken and potatoes to the bowl and toss until evenly coated in the seasoning mixture.
- Spread the potatoes out on the pan first, then place the chicken skin side up on top or alongside them, leaving a little space between pieces.
- Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is browning and the potatoes are starting to soften; rotate the pan partway through to promote even browning.
- If needed during roasting, turn the potatoes and reposition the chicken once for more even color.
- Continue roasting 5 to 10 minutes more, until the thickest chicken pieces reach 165°F (74°C) away from the bone and the potatoes are fork-tender and the pan juices look slightly reduced and glossy.
- If deeper browning is desired, broil briefly at the end—watch closely to avoid scorching the skin or potato edges.
- Let the chicken rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving; spoon some pan juices over the chicken and potatoes and finish with parsley or lemon wedges if desired.
Tips
- Dry chicken and potatoes thoroughly to improve browning.
- Avoid crowding the pan; leave space so items roast instead of steam.
- Cut potatoes to similar sizes so they finish at the same time.
- Keep chicken skin side up to get the best color on the skin.
- If marinating, do so only 15–30 minutes to avoid excess acidity that can reduce browning.
Variations
- Chicken breast version: Use chicken breasts instead of bone-in dark meat, but check early because breasts cook faster and can dry out.
- Brief marinated version: Let the chicken sit in the oil, lemon juice, garlic, and spices for 15 to 30 minutes before roasting for a bit more flavor without losing browning.
