Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
This Greek lemon chicken and potatoes recipe brings simple, familiar ingredients together in a truly mouthwatering meal that might just become your new favorite comfort food. With plenty of lemon, garlic, and oregano, you’ve got a Greek classic that’s hard not to love.
Author’s Notes for Greek Lemon Chicken with Potatoes Recipe
There’s a reason this dish has been around for so long. In Greece, Kotópoulo me patátes sto foúrno, or chicken with potatoes baked in the oven, is widely described as a classic Sunday meal. It’s traditionally served around the kyriakátiko trapézi, the Sunday table where families gather for the main meal.
The beauty of Greek lemon chicken and potatoes is not only that you don’t need much to make it special, but that it’s also incredibly easy to make. Everything goes into one dish, and then the oven works its magic, leaving you with golden, crispy chicken and the most delicious lemon-and-garlic-flavored potatoes that are impossible to resist!
If you love a good chicken and potatoes dinner, you might also want to try my Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes or Oven Roasted Chicken Legs.
Main Ingredients and Substitutions
Refer to the recipe card to see the full list of ingredients with measurements!
- Chicken Thighs – Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs work best here. The bone helps keep the meat juicy while the skin turns golden, adding even more flavor.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes – Their creamy texture makes them ideal for roasting, and cutting them into quarters helps them cook evenly. Don’t have Yukon Golds? Yellow, red, or baby potatoes will work just as well.
- Lemons – For the best flavor, use fresh lemons. You’ll need both the zest and juice to give the dish that unmistakable Greek flavor.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – This is one place where a good-quality olive oil is worth using. It adds richness to the lemon-garlic sauce and brings all those flavors together.
- Garlic and Oregano – These are a must as they give the chicken and potatoes that classic Greek flavor we’re after.
How to Make Perfect Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
- Prepare the Potatoes – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the potatoes into quarters and arrange them in a single layer in a large, shallow baking dish. Give them a good seasoning of salt and pepper before adding the chicken.
- Make the Sauce – Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, Dijon mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Assemble – Arrange the chicken thighs skin-side up over the potatoes, making sure they are spread out. Pour the lemon-garlic sauce over the chicken and potatoes, then add the broth around the edges. You want the broth in the bottom of the dish, rather than poured over the chicken.
- Bake – Cover the dish tightly and place it in the oven for about 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Brown the Chicken – Remove the lid and return the dish to the oven for another 45 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and the potatoes are tender. Check the thickest part of the chicken with a thermometer, making sure it reaches at least 165°F without touching the bone.
- Serve – Spoon the lemony pan juices over the chicken and potatoes before serving. This is the best part, so don’t let those juices go to waste!
Storing, Reheating, and Make-ahead
Let any leftover Greek lemon potatoes and chicken cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also make the dish ahead and reheat it when you are ready to serve.
For best results, warm it in the oven until heated through, or use the microwave for individual portions. If the potatoes seem a little dry, add a splash of chicken broth before reheating.
I don’t recommend freezing this dish. The chicken will freeze well, but the potatoes can become soft or grainy after they are thawed and reheated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts instead?
You can, but I prefer thigh meat when making Greek lemon potatoes and chicken. Chicken breasts are leaner and can dry out during the longer cooking time, while bone-in, skin-on thighs stay tender and juicy.
Why are my potatoes not browning?
Because the potatoes cook in the lemon juices and broth, they may stay tender and lightly colored rather than becoming deeply browned. If you want more color, make sure to push the Greek lemon potatoes away from the chicken when you remove the lid for the final 45 minutes of cooking.
What Kind of Baking Dish Should You Use?
For this recipe, I use a large, shallow enameled cast-iron braiser with a tight-fitting lid. The wide base gives the potatoes plenty of room to cook underneath the chicken, while the heavy cast iron retains heat and helps everything cook evenly.
The lid is an important part of the cooking method. During the first portion of baking, it traps moisture inside the pan, helping the chicken stay juicy while the potatoes become tender and absorb the lemon, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and chicken juices.
For the final 45 minutes, the lid comes off. This allows excess moisture to evaporate, concentrates the flavorful pan juices, and gives the chicken skin a chance to become beautifully golden brown.
If you don’t have an enameled cast-iron braiser, you can use a large Dutch oven, preferably one with a wide base, or a large oven-safe skillet with a tight-fitting lid.
A 9 x 13-inch baking dish or roasting pan also works well. If your baking dish doesn’t have a lid, cover it tightly with aluminum foil during the first 1 hour and 20 minutes of baking. Remove the foil for the final 45 minutes so the chicken can brown.
Whichever baking vessel you use, choose one that’s large enough to arrange the potatoes in a relatively even layer with the chicken thighs sitting on top. Avoid crowding everything into a small, deep casserole dish, as this can affect how evenly the potatoes cook and how well the chicken browns.
What should I serve with lemon Greek chicken and potatoes?
A Greek salad is always a good idea with this dish. Try my Horiatiki Greek Salad, Cucumber Salad with Feta, or Tomato Feta Salad. If you want to make it feel like a proper Greek feast, you can’t go wrong with some Traditional Greek Tzatziki, Melitzanosalata, and Spicy Feta Dip.
Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8-9 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp kosher salt plus more for the potatoes
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper plus more for the potatoes
Instructions
Prepare the potatoes
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the Yukon Gold potatoes into quarters and arrange them in an even layer in the bottom of a large, shallow baking dish or braiser.
- Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Make the lemon-garlic sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and zest, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Whisk until well combined.
Assemble the chicken and potatoes
- Arrange the chicken thighs, skin-side up, over the potatoes. Pour the lemon-garlic sauce evenly over the chicken and potatoes.
- Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the baking dish, around the chicken and potatoes.
Bake
- Cover the baking dish with a tight-fitting lid and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue baking, uncovered, for approximately 45 minutes, or until the chicken is beautifully golden brown and the potatoes are tender. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F at the thickest part without touching the bone.
Serve
- Spoon some of the lemony pan juices over the chicken and potatoes and serve hot.
Notes
Questions and Recipe Tips
My chicken isn’t golden enough.Ovens vary, so your chicken may need a little more time uncovered. Continue baking until the skin reaches the color you like. For additional browning, you can place the dish under the broiler briefly at the end, watching it very closely so the chicken and garlic don’t burn. My potatoes aren’t tender yet.
The size of your potato pieces matters. Quartering medium Yukon Gold potatoes works well, but very large potatoes should be cut into smaller pieces. If the chicken is browned but the potatoes still need more time, remove the chicken to a plate and return the potatoes to the oven until fork-tender. There is a lot of liquid in my pan.
This dish is supposed to have flavorful pan juices. The chicken releases additional liquid as it cooks, and the potatoes absorb some of it. The uncovered portion of baking helps reduce and concentrate those juices. If you’d like them more concentrated, give the dish a little additional uncovered oven time. There isn’t enough liquid in my pan.
Different baking dishes and ovens can cause liquid to evaporate at different rates. If the pan looks dry during cooking, add a small splash of chicken broth around the potatoes rather than pouring it directly over the chicken skin. Why bake the chicken covered first?
The covered cooking time is what helps create tender chicken and potatoes that have absorbed all that lemon, garlic, oregano, and olive-oil flavor. The uncovered baking time serves a different purpose: browning the chicken and concentrating the juices. For the best result, don’t skip either stage.
Nutrition
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