Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Name: Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: ½ cup extra virgin olive oil; 10-12 cloves garlic; ¼ cup mustard; 1/4 cup lemon juice (~2-3 lemons); 1 tbsp lemon zest (~2-3 lemons); 2 tbsp dried oregano; 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only); 3-4 sprigs fresh sage (leaves only); 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary (leaves only); 1 tbsp salt; ½ tsp black pepper; 2½-3 lb chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on); 1-1½ lb yukon gold potato (sliced into wedges); 3 tbsp lemon juice (~1-2 lemon); 1 tbsp olive oil

This Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes features juicy chicken thighs seasoned with herbs, lemon and olive oil. Potatoes are also tossed and baked in the same savory zesty sauce, gathering even more flavor from the drippings of the chicken.

This fabulous dish is an easy oven-baked one-pan meal with bold, complex and distinct Mediterranean flavors. You’ll need to plan ahead to marinade the chicken for at least a few hours, but other than that, you’ll only need a few minutes of active time throw everything together and let it cook in the oven!

Table of Contents

Baked Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes, also known as ‘Kotopoulo lemonato‘, is a traditional Greek dish that is comfort food to many. Just like most authentic Greek dishes, there is no lacking in big bold flavors, and calls for very generous uses of oregano.

I had the traditional dish and absolutely fell in love with it – I still cannot get over how every bite of chicken and potatoes is are fully loaded with the bright, vibrant, tangy flavors of lemon and herbs.

After making it many times, this has become my go-to short cut, quicker version to Greek lemon chicken and potatoes, while still retaining all that incredible flavors of the traditional version.

Oh, did I mention this is truly a one-pan meal? No searing chicken ahead of time, no transferring chicken from skillet to pan…just cook everything in one casserole dish, minimal dishes, and super easy!

A couple of notes of this version of the recipe:

Use chicken thighs – instead of a whole chicken, we’re using chicken thighs because it’s just easier to handle and cooks more uniformly. I use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs for a moist, juicy texture. Avoid using skin-off and boneless chicken.
Simplified blend while still honoring the traditional flavor – The authentic version uses two distinct marinade/sauce/blends for the chicken and the potatoes, while most recipes toss them together. This recipe uses 1.5 blends. 😉 Basically, I try to balance both flavor and convenience – I make one large blend first, and then split it into two and add additional lemon juice and olive oil to one of the blends for the potatoes.
Lots of fresh garlic, herbs and lemons – to get the truly authentic flavor, we must incorporate lots of aromatics.

Fresh out of the oven, a baking dish holds juicy Greek chicken thighs and sliced potatoes.

Ingredients Notes

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this one-pan Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes:

chicken thighs – use bone-in and skin-on. The skin and bone provide a lot of great flavor to the chicken while baking. I also prefer dark meat because it is more juicy and flavorful, but you can substitute with skin on bone in chicken breasts, although the chicken will likely be dryer and not as flavorful.
yukon gold potatoes – Russet potatoes and Idaho potatoes can be used in placed of yukon gold.
lemons – a must for a bright, citrusy flavor! Squeeze lemons to get the juice (don’t use the bottled lemon juice), and zest them for the lemon zests. You will need ~3 large lemons or 5 small ones for the juice and zest called for for this recipe.
garlic cloves – fresh garlic cloves are best and yield the most authentic flavor. Do NOT use garlic powder – it’s just not the same and way less flavorful.
dried oregano – a common seasoning used in Greek cuisine. Used to flavor and spice up meat, potatoes and soups. If able, use Greek oregano for the most authentic flavor.
fresh herbs – we are using a combination of sage, rosemary and thyme. Use only the leaves and remove the large stems.
mustard – another key ingredient in the marinade that will bring creaminess and tanginess to the chicken. Feel free to use yellow mustard or dijon mustard for this.
olive oil – use good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best taste.
salt and black pepper – used in the marinade for chicken to open up the flavors.

How to Make Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Marinate Chicken

The Greek lemon chicken marinade is the secret to this Greek chicken with potatoes dish. It consists of a combination of fresh herbs and seasonings to create a deliciously flavorful sauce that will be divided between the chicken and potatoes, infusing lots of amazing flavors into both

To make Greek chicken marinade, start by pulsing olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic cloves, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, mustard, salt and black pepper together in a food processor or blender, until a thick paste forms.

Here’s one of the uniqueness of my lemon chicken and potato recipe: reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and set aside – that will be used for the potatoes right before baking.

Next, massage the remaining marinade all over chicken thighs, be sure to get the marinade under the skin as well.

Place chicken thighs in a 9 x 13 baking dish, cover with plastic wrap.

Let chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 2-6 hours or overnight. The longer you marinade the chicken the more flavorful it will be!

Season Potatoes

Next, cut gold potatoes into wedges and squeeze them into the side of the casserole/baking dish in between chicken pieces.

Combine that 1/4 cup of marinade that you set aside earlier with lemon juice and olive oil to make a runnier sauce for the potatoes.

Pour that on top of all the potatoes in the casserole dish, making sure that all the potatoes are covered in sauce to get maximum flavors on them.

In my experience, a 9″x13″ casserole dish fits 6-8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and all the sliced potatoes, and is deep enough to capture all the juices/broth that emerge from the chicken at the end of the cooking process.

Bake

Now that you have some beautifully marinated chicken and seasoned potatoes all snuggled up together in on that pan…all you need to do is send it to the oven to bake!

Greek lemon chicken and potatoes will be roasted together at 375℉ for ~40 minutes, or until meat thermometer shows 165ºF in the thickest part of the chicken and potatoes are soft.

When it is done, what you will find is Greek lemon chicken with juice and sauce on the bottom of the pan mingling with the potatoes, giving the potatoes lots of extra flavoring.

The chicken skin should crisp up slightly too, but if you’ll like it crispier, feel free to broil the dish at the end for a few minutes.

I can seriously drink the pan sauce by the spoonfuls because it is that good.

Get ready for a flavor party!

Plumb chicken thighs and sliced potatoes were baked with a lovely Greek Lemon marinate.

Top with some olives and/or crumbled feta cheese, and serve with a side of this Greek Cucumber Salad or Mediterranean Mezze Board for a healthy and delicious meal.

Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes is one of those simple, delicious easy dinner recipes that you can prepare with minimal effort, yet its taste will be anything but minimal!

Don’t miss out on this! 🙂

Storage and Reheating

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If freezing, allow everything to cool completely before freezing in an airtight container for up to 3 months. The potatoes may soften slightly after freezing, but the flavor will remain delicious.

Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through for the best texture, or use a microwave for convenience.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks for making Greek lemon chicken and potatoes:

Marinate it longer: For a powerful explosion of flavor, marinade the chicken for at least 2 hours, or overnight. The longer the chicken marinates, the better the flavors will infuse into the chicken.
Use fresh lemons: Freshly squeezed lemon juice makes a huge difference. The bright, fresh citrus flavor is one of the stars of this dish and can’t be fully replicated with bottled juice.
Tucking potatoes: when tucking potatoes in between the chicken, make sure to push them down and cover them with the sauce well so that they soak up the incredible flavors.
Herb it up: While dried oregano, fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage are excellent choices for seasoning Greek lemon chicken and potatoes, feel free to experiment with other fresh or dried herbs such as cilantro, basil, parsley or dill. Each herb will bring its own unique twist to the dish.
Watch the bake: Check the last few minutes and adjust the baking time if needed as bake time can vary depending on the size of the chicken and potatoes. Over-cooking can dry the chicken out while under-cooking will lead to potatoes being hard. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness and avoid overcooking.
Broil chicken: The last few minutes of baking, you can broil the chicken for a few minutes to get that crispy skin. Adjust toast/broil time as desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different part of the chicken?

Absolutely! You can use chicken legs, drumsticks or even chicken breasts. Regardless of what you use, I recommend using skin-on, bone-in meat for best flavor. If you use different parts of a chicken, they will cook at different pace.

Can I use a different cut of potatoes?

Of course! You can cut the potatoes in any size or shape you like, and you can you use a different type of potato. One thing to note would be if you cut your potatoes smaller or thinner than what the recipe calls and the potatoes will cook quicker than the chicken.

Approximately how many lemons are needed for this recipe?

I would say get a total of 3 large lemons or 5 small ones.

Why aren’t my potatoes getting crispy?

Keep it mind that potatoes will not get super crispy in this dish, but you can make some of the edges crispy. To do that, make sure the potatoes are spread out in a single layer and not overcrowded. Increasing the oven temperature during the last 10–15 minutes can also help create crispier edges.

How do I know when the chicken is fully cooked?

The safest way is to use an instant-read meat thermometer. Chicken is done when the thickest part reaches 165°F

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Ingredients Notes