If you’re after a really simple (yet outrageously delicious) chicken dinner to add to your rotations, look no further. Follow me…
Baked Chicken Thighs
For this recipe, we’re using bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. Baking chicken thighs is great because they don’t dry out as easily as chicken breast, meaning if you roast a little longer than intended it’s not going to completely ruin the chicken. I recommend using bone-in thighs because they tend to stay juicier and cook more evenly than boneless thighs. You also want the skin on, not only because crispy chicken skin is the best thing in the world; but also because a lot of the fat is going to come from the chicken skin, and the fat is what we’ll use to cook the potatoes (more on this in just a sec).
Can I use Chicken Breast instead?
I don’t recommend it for this recipe, just because you need excess fat for the potatoes and chicken breast won’t have enough. Process shots: add paprika, onion/garlic powder, oregano, salt/pepper & olive oil to a bowl (photo 1), whisk to combine (photo 2), add thighs (photo 3), mix until evenly coated (photo 4).
Baked Chicken and Potatoes
Alrighty, here’s where the fun starts. What we’re essentially going to do is elevate the chicken above the potatoes, so the fat renders down onto the potatoes as they cook. From there, the potatoes will soak up all that gorgeous flavour and roast in the chicken fat.
Why use a wire rack for the chicken?
Good question – why not just plonk the chicken straight on top of the potatoes? By elevating the chicken thighs you create a lot more space around the chicken, which allows the hot air to circulate more efficiently around the meat. This will not only cook the meat more evenly, but it also prevents steaming, which in turn prevents the chicken from crisping up (namely the skin). You also then give the potatoes a little more room to roast properly as well. To prep the potatoes just add a very small amount of oil to some sliced baby potatoes and give them a good pinch of salt and pepper. The small amount of oil will help prevent the potatoes from initially sticking to the baking dish, while the salt and pepper gives them a base seasoning, just to get the party started.
Chicken Fat Potatoes
Once the thighs are cooked, just remove them and place them to one side. They’ve done their job. At this point the potatoes will be cooked, but they won’t be crispy and won’t have soaked up much of the fat. As such, you’ll want to give them a toss them in the fat, crank up the heat and whack them back in the oven until deep golden & lightly charred. Process shots: remove thighs (photo 1), toss potatoes (photo 2), roast (photo 3).
Can I use different cuts of chicken?
I’ve done this recipe with drumsticks, which works well because they’re also quite fatty and have a similar cooking time to thighs. Wings would work, but cooking times would differ.
What kind of potatoes to use?
Here I’ve used baby potatoes which work perfectly. I find they hold their shape well over the long period of cooking.
Can I use different seasoning?
Absolutely. You can use your favourite seasoning mix if you have one. Just make sure you season well and remember it’s for the potatoes as well!
Serving Baked Chicken and Potatoes
You can serve just the chicken and potatoes as they are, or you could add a Side. Here I’ve served with Roasted Broccolini, but Garlic Green Beans also work nicely. In the video below I served with Romesco Sauce which works AMAZINGLY. If you want a Sauce you could add Creamy Peppercorn Sauce or even Homemade Gravy! Looking for another nifty chicken dinner? Check out my Baked Chicken and Rice (one dish!) Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chicken and potatoes shall we?!
How to make Baked Chicken and Potatoes (Full Recipe & Video)
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