Baked Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Published September 22, 2021. Updated September 25, 2021

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A vibrant chicken and potatoes recipe! Yukon gold potatoes and hearty chicken thighs are tossed with a lemon, garlic, and herb seasoned oil and baked on a single sheet pan until browned, tender and distinctively delicious!

A dish with baked chicken thighs and potatoes with a side of green beans. Shown from above.

Easy Baked Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

There’s something about this time of year, when autumn hits the air, that makes a cozy sheet pan dinner seem just right. It’s just hearty, homestyle meat and potatoes goodness.

Not only is this one pan chicken and potatoes recipe undeniably easy, it’s also a dinner that’s brimming with well balanced, bright and rich flavor.

It’s an all in one, no fuss recipe. You just toss the potatoes with a half of a homemade simple lemon dressing, then the toss the chicken with remainder. Spread everything over a baking sheet and roast until it’s all cooked through.

You’ll love the fresh Greek style flavors found here, and of course that easy clean up too!

If you’d like, you can pair with a steamed vegetable to finish it off (as I’ve done here). I highly recommend something green for a nice pop of color such as green beans, broccoli or asparagus. Those also happen to pair really well with the lemony drippings from the baking sheet.

And if you do happen to have extra time on your hands, you can never go wrong with buttery homemade dinner rolls to highlight a meal (I stash any extras in the freezer!).

Overhead photo of baked chicken and potatoes.

Baked Lemon Chicken and Potatoes Recipe Ingredients

  • 6 large (7 oz each) bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
    1/4 cup olive oil
    1 Tbsp lemon zest
    1/4 cup lemon juice
    2 Tbsp minced garlic
    1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
    1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or oregano
    5 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2/3-inch cubes

Scroll down for recipe with print option found in recipe box below.

Photo of ingredients used to make baked lemony chicken with potatoes.

How to Make This Easy Baked Chicken and Potatoes Recipe

  1. Prepare oven and baking sheet: Move oven rack up one level from center. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (preferably use a dark coated baking sheet to encourage browning).
  2. Make dressing mixture: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and 3 Tbsp parsley.
  3. Toss half of the dressing with potatoes: Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl then pour or spoon half the herb mixture over the potatoes. Toss to evenly coat, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss.
  4. Spread potatoes evenly over prepared baking sheet.
  5. Toss chicken with half the dressing: Place chicken (in now empty) large mixing bowl, pour remaining half of the herb mixture over chicken and toss to evenly coat. Season both sides of thighs with salt and pepper and place them over potato layer on baking sheet (spacing apart).
  6. Bake until everything is cooked through: Bake in preheated oven until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, for about 45 minutes. For more browned chicken, broil during the last few minutes.
  7. Tip for potatoes: If you find the chicken is done earlier than the potatoes, you can remove chicken to a plate and continue to bake potatoes until soft.
  8. Garnish with remaining parsley: Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining parsley over everything and serve.

Collage of eight photos showing how to make one pan chicken and potatoes. Includes making herb seasoning, tossing with potatoes, spreading on pan. Then tossing chicken with herb mixture and spreading over potatoes on pan.

Possible Variations

  • Use chicken breasts: For those of you who don’t like chicken thighs, you can use chicken breasts. Smaller bone-in skin-on would be preferred but they can be harder to find so you can use boneless skinless but they won’t brown. Test to 165 in center for doneness and remove boneless breasts early (they’ll likely only take around 25 minutes).
  • Or use chicken drumsticks: Drumsticks will be great in place of the thighs, I recommend using larger drumsticks.
  • Try other herbs: Oregano, dill, basil, or sage are all great flavors here with lemony chicken.
  • Substitute red potatoes: Diced red potatoes can be used in place of Yukon gold.
  • Include another vegetable: You could reduce the potatoes to 1 1/2 lbs then include 1 lb of another vegetable such as Brussels sprouts or carrots.

Chicken and potatoes baking in the oven on a baking sheet.

Helpful Tips for the Best Baked Chicken and Potatoes Recipe

  • Dice the potatoes fairly small or they won’t be tender by the time the chicken is cooked through.
  • Still if you find that potatoes aren’t tender even by the 45 minutes, you can remove the chicken to a plate, then return potatoes to the oven and bake 10 more minutes.
  • Use fresh ingredients for the best flavor. Fresh garlic, lemon and herbs are all highly recommended rather than bottled/dried.
  • Broil the chicken for the last few minutes for more color if it hasn’t browned already.
  • Test chicken thighs for doneness by inserting an instant read food thermometer into thermal center (not touching bone), it should register 165 degrees.
  • Optionally, you can brush away any burnt pieces of garlic from the top surface of the chicken (it will have seasoned it nicely but doesn’t taste good once browned). Broiling browns the skin nicely but also the garlic too.

Close up photo of lemon chicken thighs and potatoes on a baking sheet.

Reheating Tip

  • When reheating individual servings in the microwave, it’s best to reheat chicken at 50% power so it doesn’t get tough.
  • You could also reheat leftover portions in at 350 degree oven in a greased baking dish, covered with foil, until heated through.

Serving of chicken and potatoes on a white dinner plate shown with a side of steamed green beans as a serving suggestion.

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Close up photo of lemon chicken thighs and potatoes on a baking sheet.
5 from 3 votes

Baked Lemon Chicken and Potatoes Recipe

Yukon gold potatoes and hearty chicken thighs are tossed with a lemon, garlic, and herb seasoned oil and baked on a single sheet pan until browned, tender and distinctively delicious!
To finish the meal serve with a side of steamed green beans, broccoli or asparagus.
Servings: 6
Prep20 minutes
Cook45 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Move oven rack up one level from center. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (preferably use a dark coated baking sheet to encourage browning).
  • In a small mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and 3 Tbsp parsley.
  • Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl then pour or spoon half the herb mixture over the potatoes. Toss to evenly coat, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss.
  • Spread potatoes evenly over prepared baking sheet.
  • Place chicken in now empty large mixing bowl, pour remaining half of the herb mixture over chicken and toss to evenly coat. Season both sides of thighs with salt and pepper and place evenly over potato layer on baking sheet.
  • Bake in preheated oven until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about for 45 minutes. For more browned chicken broil during the last few minutes.
  • If you find the chicken is done earlier than the potatoes you can remove chicken to a plate and continue to bake potatoes until soft.
  • Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining parsley over everything and serve.

Notes

Note that lemon slices weren't added during baking only used for garnish (I don't like the bitter flavor the white pith of the peel imparts when cooking).
Nutrition Facts
Baked Lemon Chicken and Potatoes Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 615 Calories from Fat 342
% Daily Value*
Fat 38g58%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 7g
Monounsaturated Fat 18g
Cholesterol 165mg55%
Sodium 150mg7%
Potassium 1273mg36%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 1364IU27%
Vitamin C 65mg79%
Calcium 82mg8%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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13 Comments

  • Connie

    I made this dish last night and we both loved it! The recipe directions were easy to follow and most of the ingredients are ones I usually have on hand. I had to bake the dish for an additional 10 minutes to bring the chicken to the right temperature. As suggested, putting the chicken under the broiler for the last few minutes helped to brown the chicken and made the skin crispy.

  • Nancy

    What did I do wrong? The chicken thighs were perfect but the potatoes were literally swimming in the drippings of chicken grease. Do I need to cook the potatoes separately??

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      I’d recommend trimming away the visible fat next time and that should help.

  • Gayle Humann

    I have made this recipe 3 times and it is delicious. Easy to make and so flavorful!

  • Alesia

    This was a great dinner for me and my family. Will cook this recipe again 😋😋🥰🥰 Great 😋 delicious

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      I’m so happy to hear your family enjoyed this Alesia! Thanks for reviewing!

  • Mary

    ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Followed the recipe to a T and it did not disappoint! This will definitely be making its way to our dinner table often! Easy clean up as well! Next time I might try lining pan with foil to make clean up even easier.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      I love to know it was a success for you Mary! Thanks for taking time to leave feedback!

  • Gigi

    How do you keep the lemon from turning the fresh garlic green?. Thats been an issue for me for years and i stopped making stuff like this.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      The lemon wasn’t added until the end just as garnish. Sorry you missed that note, it’s not until the end of the recipe. I don’t like to bake with lemon slices much anymore because the white pith can impart a bitter flavor I don’t care for.

  • Marty

    How about using cubed sweet potatoes or butternut squash instead of Yukon gold potatoes?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Yes the both options would be good. I would just cut a bit bigger they usually cook faster than Yukon’s.