Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes – Both Homers Would Love This

I don’t have the energy or courage to cater for a living, but if I did, this Greek lemon chicken and potatoes would be one of my go-to entrees, and not just for big, fat weddings. It’s a proven crowd-pleaser, simple to make, and easy on the wallet.

I had a whole chicken to use, but I really like to do this with all leg/thigh sections, which can roast longer, and that means even more caramelized goodness. If you do use a whole chicken, you can remove the breast sections from the roasting pan before the thighs, and cook the dark meat longer, but I couldn’t be bothered, and the results were delicious.

The extra potato crusting is an optional step, as is turning the drippings into a quick sauce, but both only take a few minutes, and really elevate the dish. Like I said at the end of the clip, this is something I could easily make once a week, and the leftovers are extremely picnic friendly. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 4 Portions Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes:
1 whole chicken, about 4 pound, cut in sections,
OR 4 pounds chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
3 russet potatoes, cut in quarters
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 rounded tablespoon dried oregano
pinch of cayenne
6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup chicken broth for the pan, plus a splash to deglaze after roasting
fresh chopped oregano to garnish
Roast at 425 for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is well browned and cooked through.

97 comments:

Unknown said...

Can you please teach us how to make chicken and beef kabob in Greek style pls?

dgm225 said...

I'm Greek and I've never had roasted chicken and potatoes that look this good (sorry mom!). That's about to change since this recipe is on for this weekend. Well done Chef John, you've impressed a real Greek with this one, so you're doing it right!

Niko Maneta said...

Excellent take on a Greek family Sunday lunch classic! Looking forward chef for more Greek dishes!

TrueServer said...

U r the best!! I've used so any of your recipes and I have become super wife and mom lol

Pong said...

Made it right away yesterday. It turned out great! The only thing is i had a lot of liquid leftover in the pan so thw sauce wasn't as thick. Still delicious though!

Unknown said...

My family is avoiding white potatoes, do you think parsnips would be a good substitute for this dish? The chicken looks amazing.

Kathy Crawford said...

Making this tonight

Dan and Hilary said...

I second a souvlaki style beef or chicken kabob!

This looks awesome

Chef John said...

Pong,

Don't forget, you can always reduce a sauce! As you may have seen in some of our other videos, just put a flame under the pan, or pour into a sauce pan, and boil until it's more concentrated. There's no thickener here, so it's not going to be like a gravy.

Unknown said...

Made this tonight but I switched out the potatoes with cauliflower florets (/Low ) and it was great! Thanks Chef John!

Unknown said...

Can you make it with boneless chicken?

Unknown said...

Can this marinate overnight, or will the lemon juice turn the chicken into ceviche?

Chef John said...

You can probably marinate overnight, but I've never tried. Usually cook immediately or refrigerate for a couple hours.

Chef John said...

Of course you can use boneless chicken, it just won't be as good.

Unknown said...

Chef John, I see you have a convection oven as do I. Do you recommend using it and do you adjust the temperature downward the recommended 25F that is typically suggested.

Brian

Chef John said...

It does have a fan in it, but it doesn't have a reg and convention setting, so I treat as a regular oven.

Unknown said...

Chef John gets take out...tzatziki!

Chibby said...

Haha! You should have heard the noise Dan made when I scrolled to this video.Sufficit to say, I'll be making this Sunday.

mom of chef said...

Will make soon. Wow! Chef John gets take out?

Sandy said...

I had to try this recipe right away, and it was fantastic! I used your tzatziki sauce recipe, too. It was so comforting and filling and delicious and wonderful. I will be making this over and over again.

Unknown said...

I've been on a detox cleansing diet for one week and have chosen this recipe to end it tonight. Wish us luck Chef John although I doubt we'll need as all your recipes are awesome.

Ron

Unknown said...

Chef John,

I am slavishly devoted to your recipes, but living on a farm means that my internet is not fast enough to download a video. Would you so very kindly post the full recipe for us in Internet deserts so our kitchen tables don't also have to be?

Alaska said...

What a simple, yet super tasty recipe! Made this after work today. Thank you Chef John for sharing a recipe that is not only delicious but can be whipped together after work without hassle. I don't have a roasting pan so I used a sheet pan. Turned out better than I could've wished for. Thank you so much!

gina marie said...

I bought chicken thighs bone-in but skinless.. can I used those in this recipe? I know it won't be as good but logistically will it work? I don't want the chicken to dry out or burn.

Skyjackie737 said...

This was an amazing easy dish. And you were right, this will be a weekly dish for this household. Thanks Chef!

Don Gringo said...

Why is it that when I make some chicken recipes like this in the oven I end up with some chicken swimming in a pool of liquid and not looking like CJ? Am I doing something wrong? Does my oven suck?

rotunder said...

Awesome recipie Chef! I've already had it twice and it was a hit.

I didn't get as much fond (if that's the right word) as you did in the video, maybe my pan is a bit smaller than yours so everything was squashed up or did I put in too much liquid?

Thanks

R. Dean said...

Great recipe, it tasted great and definitely made it on our rotation. I did have the same problem as Don Gringo posted, didn't carmelize well and ended up in a lot of liquid.. maybe a roasting rack next time? Would that change the dynamic of it too much?

Ha Etz Chiam said...

You're spot on by saying that once you've made it once, you'll make it regularly. I made this the week of your post and have served this 6 times since...and counting.

Unknown said...

Made last night, was delicious!! My white meat was a wee bit dry the the thighs were fantastic!! I eyeballed the olive oil and maybe used a bit too much, I had quite a bit in the bottome of the pan and it didnt carmelize. Overall was great will make again using thighs and legs.

Unknown said...

Chef John this great use of inexpensive parts of the bird is as you say great on the wallet, but delivers greatly on flavour I must commend you on a great site and oh those jokes truly funny

Unknown said...

A question:

Most of the chickens available to me are 5-6lb, how would you recommend adjusting the cooking time? Thanks

Kurt said...

My son made this for daddy's 40th birthday. I am making it now for our Bible study group. Thank you, Chef John! We watch you every day!

rancholyn said...

Making this for the second time within a week...Tonight for company...Need I say more?

Mike McHale said...

To those that end up with their chicken swimming in liquid at the end, I'm guessing that you are using packaged frozen chicken? I've had this same problem with the frozen chicken I buy in bulk from Costco. Whenever I rush thaw it and use it in a baked recipe, I end up with a swimming pool. The frozen breasts have about 15% water added to them and the thighs about 8%. Let them thaw thoroughly or use fresh for baked recipes.

JeAnn said...

I made this yesterday. I am notoriously slow when cooking and not much of a cook anyway, so my boyfriend waited for hours for me to prep this (some of the time was spent defrosting the chicken for seasoning and keeping the chicken in the fridge in the marinade). Anyway, long story short, my impatient and very hungry bf was so satisfied at the end that he gladly washed up the dishes after. You could hear the satisfaction in his voice. The meal was fantastic. Thank you!!

spay/neuteryourpets said...

I made this last night...delicious, thanks for another great recipe! Using fresh lemons was definitely worth the effort but next time I'll make sure I have a citrus juicer on hand.

Unknown said...

I made this for my family and it was amazing thank you for the recipe

Sophiee said...

I found this recipe by accident - and I'm sooooooooooooo glad I did :)
It was absolutely delicious and I will DEFINITELY be doing it again soon :)

Unknown said...

I tried this and my chicken is in tons of juice I'm not sure what heppne or what I did wrong I put everything in what the reciepie said?? can you tell me what happen?

Bon said...

Finally got around to making this and it *is* delicious, but I ended up with a pan full of grease, nothing to make that delicious pan sauce with. I'll try again, but if anyone has any hints I'd be happy to hear them.

Mina said...

Just wanted to let you know that your videos have inspired me to stop eating take out and boxed meals every day. I went to the grocery store and bought as many ingredients that I can recall from your videos off of memory. I think this will be my first video cooking tutorial to attempt however. Thank you Chef.

Chef John said...

Good luck! Enjoy!

JDN said...

Somebody (rerunn123) asked earlier if you can marinate it overnight....let me tell you from my most recent experience that a few hours of marination should be sufficient - marinating it overnight I believe will pre-cook and draw out moisture from your chicken with the acid (lemon) and the salt. I thought marinating it longer would make it more flavourful - WRONG! just ended up with something not as moist as I would have liked...Chicken jerky anyone?

Next time I am going to follow my own advice ;)

Leisa♠ said...

My family and I enjoyed this---immensely! Easy, delicious. I had some beautiful leg quarters from the restaurant supply store. (I grind them whole for my dogs with boneless skinless chicken thighs). They are .33/lb...and are minimally processed. Out of 40 lbs, not a bruise, break or a quill. The flavor is divine. So when I buy for my dogs, I cull out some for us!

Really appreciate your work in this space. It was nice to get some dinner inspiration(and have fun watching someone who loves what they do!)

Nathaniel said...

Made these a few days ago and they were a hit! I haven't really done much cooking in a while but this recipe was super easy and delicious! There were a few mishaps here and there that probably lowered the final quality by a few steps, but one thing that I noticed was that the final product was VERY oily! So much so that I gave up on trying out the pan sauce you recommended (though it really wasn't needed!). My first thought was honestly that I'd used the wrong measuring cup and and put in a full cup of oil, but no just a half cup like the recipe called for.

When I make this again (I am going to be making this again!) I'm going to try cutting the oil in half, see how that turns out.

Unknown said...

Going to try to make this tonight. The chicken doesn't have skin on it though. Hopefully that doesn't ruin it completely

Nise said...

This was very good, also with the leftover chicken I made lemon chicken salad which was delicious too.

Unknown said...

This is a great recipe easy to make. I cut back on the salt to a teaspoon as
I recently had bypass surgery. The chicken came out moist and very flavorful.
I used breasts, thighs, and legs. It's a keeper for my family! Thank you Chef John!

indiemonic said...

Made this today yumm!!! I halved the recipe and I probably shouldn't have coz it was so good 2 of us ate it all and wished there was more �� Potatoes were awesome. Thanks chef for another keeper.

Unknown said...

My 17 year old son's comment says it all. "Thanks, mom, for cooking a good dinner for a change". Thank you Chef John for this great recipe.

Unknown said...

I am making this tonight, Chef! Your recipes have definitely changed the smell of this house from hardcore Italian, to a multi-cultural pantheon of worldly intoxicating aromas. I wish I had found you sooner! Thanks so much for all that you do!

Unknown said...

Made this last night and it was AMAZING. Thank you Chef John.

Unknown said...

Why are the directions never posted?

Unknown said...

Made this last night, the house smelled very strong. My husband made a comment that it would not be good. But oh my.. when it was done, he was loving it. He told me to make it again for his parents this weekend. Thank you Chef John, this was beyond wonderful.

Anonymous said...

I made this last week and it was delicious. However, I couldn't get the potatoes crispy enough. I noticed in the video chef John poured sauce on the potatoes before broiling--wouldn't this make it harder to get them crispy?

Anonymous said...

I made this last week and it was delicious. However, I couldn't get the potatoes crispy enough. I noticed in the video chef John poured sauce on the potatoes before broiling--wouldn't this make it harder to get them crispy?

Anonymous said...

I made this last week and it was delicious. However, I couldn't get the potatoes crispy enough. I noticed in the video chef John poured sauce on the potatoes before broiling--wouldn't this make it harder to get them crispy?

Unknown said...

Im from Trinidad and Tobago in the caribbean and your receipes are superb and tasty. Loved this one chef John.

Monica said...

Hello Chef John,

I have a quick question. I don’t have the same kind of pans as you, I was wondering will I get the same effect if I put it in a crock pot let it cook for 4 hours then remove my potato and chicken and put it on a sheet pan then put it on broil in my oven?

If this is not a good idea what would you recommend?

S/V Blondie-Dog said...

Greetings Chef! I'll has ya' knows dat' I done made me some mighty fine chicken and potatoes and it was darned good if I do say so's me-self! I did nevertheless trick it up jest a tad with a good amount of hoity-toity "Herbes 'de Provence" that my finicky lady-friend had been hording in the back of her pantry. Thanks! You're da' best!

Unknown said...

I am trying it tonight with a glass pyrex

Unknown said...

trying it tonite I used bake 425 isn't that a bit hhigh

Unknown said...

isn't 425 a bit high

Unknown said...

its turning out great I didn't add any chicken stock and I have enough liquid another great recipe thanks

Unknown said...

Another great recipe the only thing I didn't add the chicken stock and I have more then enough liquid thanks again

Unknown said...

I've tried many of your recipes-- all great-- but this one is my very favorite one! Simple but comforting, I have made this recipe several times and it is always a hit!

Anonymous said...

I made this twice already and it's the best f*cking chicken dish I've ever had. We love you Chef John!

Eric said...

I made the meatless version of this and it was still delicious!

Stephanie Price said...

Okay, I have made this 2 times in the past month and today I am marinating for a 3rd time. Everything is perfect, the salt, the seasonings just perfect. I do marinate this overnight, I'd say it marinates for about 20 ish hours. It comes out GREAT! So much flavor I can't even believe it.

Now, another thing, I always get, as others have said, my chicken swimming in juices while baking. This is what I did, 3/4 of the way into baking, i take the pan out, and drain out like 80% of the juice and I put it in a sauce pan. Then I let my chicken finish baking. After my chicken is done, I do caramelize the remaining juices and seasonings for a bit in the oven as stated in the recipe. BUT, after I do that, I add that deliciousness to my sauce pan where I have all the juices from before. I strain it, and then I boil it. I let it boil for a minute or so, then i take about half a cup out and mix in just a bit of cornstarch. Then I whisk it in slowly into the deliciousness in the saucepan and voila! Delicious gravy for your chicken and potatoes. Of course, you'll want to taste for salt but I find that it's always perfect. I have done this both times I have made this chicken and it is AMAZING!!! Highly recommend. Also, I always double the recipe because I used a lot of chicken and potatoes (large family). Plus, more delicious gravy comes out of it.

Thank you Chef John for this amazing recipe.

Hope this helped someone and let me know if you tried it and how you liked it! :)

CMB said...

Chef John,

This is just what I needed tonight. Cheap, easy and a real crowd pleaser as you say. I omitted the broth and could have used the full complement of lemon juice, but everyone loved it anyway. Perfect with steamed petite peas with butter, and a glass of Moscato. OK, two glasses.

Thank you!

Unknown said...

Made it, screwed it up a little (poured the sauce on before stock, rather than spoon on after, was still great. Making it again for a dinner party tomorrow, along with your tzatziki sauce and pita. You should do a video on baklava.

Rick said...

Well sir... this was your first recipe to fail me. I'll accept suggestions that it would be more accurate to say I failed the recipe. I am anal about following recipes/directions to the letter the first time I cook something - if you don't do things exactly as directed, you don't know what's good, needs changing, etc.

The end result was the potato chunks were a bit crispy, but mostly soggy, and the chicken was a bit rubbery. It was okay, but far too much oil/grease at the end. So... I don't know what I missed doing or what I did wrong.

It's all good John - all the rest of your recipes so far that I have tried have been absolutely fantastic. So I can live with(out) the one exception that I find to be mediocre.

Thank you sir, even if this one doesn't work for me.

Rick said...

This recipe didn't work for me - that would be a first where your recipes are concerned. Which suggests maybe I screwed something up.

Turned out really heavy, potatoes were more mushy than anything else, chicken a big rubbery, and way too much grease/oil in the pan drippings. I usually meat thermometer meat, but being busy with other things I cooked to the time specified, minus five minutes. Perhaps the problem was simply it was overcooked, but for me there's just too much grease and oil in this one.

I might try this one more time, but you have posted so many other recipes that are winners that I will more likely either go with a winner or try a new one instead.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and recipes with us.

Connie said...

This recipe was awesome!!!! I am preparing it again for a dinner party..Moscato..thank you, to that person for the pairing recommendation.

Unknown said...

Approximately 6 weeks ago, my lovely bride and I went to a restaurant and she ordered lemon chicken. She loved it and asked me to perfect it (I enjoy cooking). I came across Chef John's recipe the following week and I have made it 3 of the last 5 weeks. She has just asked me to make it again. Hmmmm.

Mrs. Y said...

Chef John this is AMAZING. I haven't ever made this before but I did tonight and it's just delightful. I also did a rather interesting thing with the extra drippings because we ended up with so many. I mixed it with some Greek Yogurt and then simmered it a bit before adding it to the potatoes and chicken. My son cannot get enough of it, and he is the most picky little boy. Thank you so much for this!

Andrea said...

My husband and I love to watch your videos after the kids go to bed at night. As soon as we saw this, he has been asking when am I going to I make it. He even went out and bought everything I need lol. It sounds delicious and seems to be generally loved by the viewers as well. Thanks and as always, we'll en-joy. :)

AlexDunja said...

I'm Serbian an d I make this dish on a weekly basis for a long time,
it's easy, it's cheep, and sooo good. herbs may vary though,
garlic and lemon juice are essential.

BRitt said...

Great recipe. I kept the garlic cloves whole and added and handful of green olives.

Unknown said...

I made this last night, following the recipe using a whole chicken that I cut up. TONS of flavor! Used fresh rosemary as I have a plant in front of my house, and added dried parsley just to color it up a bit more. This turned out really just fabulous! All chicken parts ended up perfectly cooked, and the potatoes were crispy on the outside and tender inside. Definitely a keeper !!

Unknown said...

Recipe is amazing, quick question though: I poured the final liquid into a skillet to reduce into a sauce. It was going fine, but i thought I would make it just a tiny bit thicker by adding some flour. So I set it at low and added a tbsp, and stirred it fast like I would a roux. Ended up with the flour kind of clumping, and browning. Plenty of liquid in the pan, plenty of fat. Was it too hot? Or did the lemon have some effect?

Unknown said...

I tried this recipe and it was fantastic! My guests especially loved the potatoes, which went great with a Greek yogurt sauce I prepared.

Perhaps next time I’ll slightly reduce the oregano, but everyone seemed to like it with 1 Tbls as Chef John suggested..

Don’t forget to grill the potatoes as Chef John showed. They are absolutely amazing.

Chef really knows his stuff. His videos are truly outstanding.

victors department store.com said...

if using frozen or waterloged chicken: pierce with a 2 tine fork or ice pick then set on a wire rack to drain out.

Unknown said...

Chef, I am a Chef too, but your Greek Lemon Chicken makes me your student! It was spectacular! And those caramelized potatoes compliment the Chicken like a charm (or the other way around) I will make this dish once a week. Outsta ding instructions, technique, and ingredients delivered a masterpiece. Thank you!

Unknown said...

Chef John,

I love all your recipes! My favorite is the paper pork recipe... I am trying this lemon chicken recipe tonight. I have the chicken marinating but I used only olive oil, garlic, oregano, cayane (of course) and some Italian mix of dry herbs. I have left this marinating overnight. I did not use thighs or leg section those I used boneless breasts instead. Would 45 minutes still be an appropriate amount of time to cook? The breasts are on the thicker side. Probably each about 2 inches thick.

Thanks!

Marisa

Unknown said...

Chef John,

I love all your recipes! My favorite is the paper pork recipe... I am trying this lemon chicken recipe tonight. I have the chicken marinating but I used only olive oil, garlic, oregano, cayane (of course) and some Italian mix of dry herbs. I have left this marinating overnight. I did not use thighs or leg section those I used boneless breasts instead. Would 45 minutes still be an appropriate amount of time to cook? The breasts are on the thicker side. Probably each about 2 inches thick.

Thanks!

Marisa

15 Απρίλη said...

It's been three years now that this is my goto recipe for roasted chicken. Many, many, many thanks to you Chef John from Greece!!

Halyna said...

That was the best chicken recipe I’ve ever tried or baked!!! I marinated it overnight and it still came out amazing!!! Thank you Chef John!! Love your recipes!!!
Halyna

Unknown said...

Would love to add a vegetable into the mix to get a one-dish meal. Wondering if you would recommend (or not) a vegetable to add to the mix.

Unknown said...

We have this dish once a week. It’s fool-proof, which I need in my life. And my picky 10 year old now knows all the ingredients and kindly reminds me not to forget to make her favorite dish. Thanks 👍🏾

The Grilling Greek - Evan Panagiotopoulos said...

My mom made this dish many times and her recipe is different and better.
My mom's recipe has one ingredient that this recipe does not have.
https://youtu.be/4e6Bdlr6x7Q
This ingredient takes this recipe to another level.

Unknown said...

Chef John, Thank you for this amazing recipe! I made it for my family last night and they were fighting over it, ha ha.
It truly is the most delicious and flavorful chicken & potato dish I have ever eaten! Wow! It's so easy too. I'm making it again tonight.
You've created a monster! Xoxo

Unknown said...

I made this tonight. Flavor was absolutely delicious! I followed the directions exactly, but I think my pan might not have been big enough and the chicken more braised than roasted. There was a lot of juice in pan and not much caramelization. Will definitely make again with a larger pan.

Unknown said...


I am making this today. I know it will be delicious! I have tried many of your recipes, Chef John, and they've all been excellent. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thank you for giving us some great recipes over the years. Please keep up the good work.

mazal said...

I'm late to the party here.. but this chicken dish is delicious!

Here are my notes and adjustments:

I had intended to use whole leg parts, however I purchase groceries from an online delivery service, and neglected to notice the package said, "boneless." Oops. It's high quality, "air chilled" Bell & Evans brand, w/ skin on, so I plowed ahead hoping for the best. It turned out great! The split meat allowed the marinade to penetrate the meat as well as just the skin. I placed the chicken in a loose roll inside the pan, so meat was still "inside," while tucking skin under. I've never used this cut, and just prayed. The chicken really firms up so nicely in these rolled up packages, with juicy marinade inside and plenty of nice crispy skin on the exterior. Bravo!

I took the chicken out of the package and let it sit, uncovered, in the fridge (in a bowl) overnight. My main concern was the "too much liquid" phenomenon I've encountered in the past, many commentators discussed, and just ruins a dish! The "air chilled," no injected fluids, high quality, kind makes all the difference, imo. In addition, even though it was going to get soaked in a marinade, air drying it a bit more was useful. When I was ready for the marinade, I combined everything—except the lemon juice. I didn't want the lemon's acid to affect the texture, so I let it sit with oil, herbs, salt and pepper in the fridge for a few more hours.

At cooking time I let the chicken come to room temp while I preheated the oven at 450º (I like crispy!), peeled the potatoes, and squeezed the lemon juice. I also crushed more garlic for kicks. So mixed the potatoes in the marinade and added lemon juice, extra garlic, and a splash of broth. Placed in two oblong glass pyrex dishes, popped side by side into the oven for the 40 - 45 minutes cooking time.

I recommend doubling the amount of lemon juice for this recipe. I can't remember how many I squeezed, but it came out to about 3/4 cup. I'd make it a whole cup next time. I'd keep to the 1/2 cup for the initial marinade and cooking. But at the half way point, when you're basting, I'd add more a couple more table spoons of lemon juice, and another splash of broth—see i really did conquer the too much liquid problem! And then again at the end, after you've plated the chicken and potatoes and are cooking up the sauce in the pan, I'd add in the last few table spoons of lemon juice. It's my experience that lemon juice cooks up and burns off quite quickly, erasing that fresh lemony zest.. so adding some back in really brightens the dish. Alternately throwing in a whole half lemon or two during roasting time, and then just squashing the hot, thick lemon juice into your sauce with a spoon at the end is guaranteed extra goodness.

Lastly, I have to say, I was surprised the leftovers are even better! I reheated chicken and potatoes in a disposable foil pan with a tablespoon of oil, splash of broth, and juice of yet one more lemon. I popped it into a cold oven, set at 400º for half an hour. The slow warm up and bit of extra liquid created a perfectly hot—still moist—second night's dinner, with even more yummy yummy sauce. Now if I only had a crusty baguette, and a glass of wine. ummmmmm... Thank You Chef John!

Have Apron....Will Bake said...

Made this for dinner tonight. So freaking good! I didn't get any time to let it marinate so I can only imagine how much better it will be the next time I make this and give it a long bath in that marinade! But honestly, was so pleased with the outcome of this (without the marinade time).
Thanks!!! And looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!!