Is there any meal more satisfying than lemon-rosemarychickenwith potatoes? It's the perfect combination of flavorful and filling, and there are so many ways to jazz it up with your own culinary personality.
This lemon, rosemary, and garlic chicken and potatoes stunner was nicknamed "Anytime Chicken" by our Test Kitchen. We couldn't agree more: It's the perfect dish to whip up anytime, and we might even go as far as saying it's the perfect dish every time.
Learn how to make Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes, aneasy dinneron busy weeknights, but one that is fancy enough for company, too.
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Ingredients for Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
The key to elevating a simple dish like this one is to focus on the quality of your ingredients, choosing fresh over jarred and bottled convenience alternatives. A few areas you really want to pay attention to include:
- Chicken thighs and legs: One of the reasons this recipe is so tasty is because of the skin on the thighs and legs, which adds more flavor and helps keep the meat moist during the cooking process. Think of skin as a way to trap natural juices, resulting in more tender meat.
- Rosemary: Fresh herbs are where it's at, so when possible, reach for fresh sprigs of rosemary instead of the dried version in your spice drawer. If you end up using dried rosemary instead, be sure to cut the quantity in half so the dish doesn’t become overwhelmed.
- Capers: Capers add a saltiness to the dish, enhancing the savory flavors. Don’t have any on-hand? You could substitute with chopped green olives in a pinch.
- Red potatoes: Small red potatoes are ideal for roasting. They’ll hold their shape well, and their neutral flavor marries well with everything going on in this dish. Choose red potatoes that are firm and smooth; avoid ones that are shriveled or have gashes and bruises.
- Crusty French bread: If you don’t feel like making a loaf from scratch, head straight to the bakery section of your grocery store and grab a baguette—the interior should be soft and the crust crispy. You’ll use this bread to soak up more of the delicious, lemony sauce.
How To Make Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
Three steps, and your dinner is done:
- Step 1: Make lemon-rosemary sauce. Stir together first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Step 2: Season chicken and brown on stovetop. Place a roasting pan on stove top over 2 burners. Add 3 Tbsp. olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with desired amount of salt and pepper; place, skin sides down, in pan. Add potatoes. Cook 9 to 10 minutes or until chicken is browned. Turn chicken, and pour lemon mixture over chicken.
- Step 3: Bake and serve. Bake at 450°F for 45 to 50 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve chicken with sauce and French bread.
Do you really need to brown the chicken first, or can you go straight into the oven?
Browning chicken isn’t just to make it look good—that sear helps develop some seriously rich flavor, too. Pre-cooking helps seal in the juices, which means it’ll end up even more tender when it’s done. If you don’t take the extra 10 minutes to brown the chicken, it may end up pale in color and a bit rubbery.
What To Serve With Lemon-Rosemary Chicken
We like the idea of sopping up all that lemony-rosemary goodness with a humble loaf of French bread, but that’s not your only option. Feel free to make a grain side dish, like quinoa or rice, instead.
Can You Make Lemon-Rosemary Chicken in the Slow Cooker?
Yes, but you’ll still want to take the time to sear the chicken on the stovetop first for maximum flavor. Afterwards, pour the contents of the roaster into a slow cooker, and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.
Variations
This type of dish is made for making it your own. Try some of these ideas:
- Spud swap: Feel free to add in sweet potatoes, Yukon golds, white potatoes, or whatever else you have on-hand. If you’re working with a bigger potato, cut it up to roughly the size of a red potato to ensure it’s done at the same time as the chicken.
- Add other vegetables: Root vegetables would be a great addition to the potatoes. Cut up carrots, turnips, or parsnips.
- Change herbs: Rosemary is obviously a favorite with lemon and chicken, but sage would be a welcome change. Try tarragon, too.
How To Store and Reheat Leftovers
Place leftover chicken in an airtight container, and refrigerate within 2 hours of removing from the oven. It’ll safely last about three days.
To reheat, place in a baking dish (add a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil if it looks too dry), cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325°F until it’s heated through.
Editorial contributions by Jill Schildhouse.
