Italian Baked Chicken and Potatoes

There are few things more comforting than this Italian chicken and potatoes one-pan dish. Chicken pieces and potatoes are seasoned with garlic, onion, parsley, and oregano, and roasted to perfection.  This recipe guarantees the juiciest chicken and will make your kitchen smell incredible.

 

Nothing says “welcome home” better than the smell of chicken and potatoes roasting, especially when there is oregano involved.  There is just something about it that is so comforting.  

This is a dish I make very often for my family.  I will usually change it up every now and then, substitute some seasoning, or ingredients, but it is always a hit.  

Pair it with vegetables like roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots, garlic green beans, or a beautiful green salad and you’ve got a healthy and complete meal.

What type of chicken is best?

For this recipe, I used a whole young fryer chicken which I cut into pieces.  The names broiler and fryer are often used interchangeably between brands, but you want a chicken about 4 -5 pounds. 

Some people find cutting the chicken up to be intimidating.  If that is you, please watch my YouTube baked chicken and potatoes video where I demonstrate how to cut up a chicken.  

If you’re still apprehensive, you could absolutely use pre-cut chicken pieces.  I just find that buying the whole chicken is a bit more budget-friendly and yields better results for only a little extra work.

Pro tip:  Regardless of the type of chicken you use, make sure the pieces are dried very well.  This is one of the keys to making roasted chicken and potatoes successfully.  Removing the water helps the chicken roast and crisp up.  Leaving too much water makes the chicken steam, which is not ideal.

Italian chicken and potatoes step by step instructions

1. To get started, preheat your oven to 375f and set the oven rack to the middle.  Cut the chicken into pieces and dry each piece very well with a paper towel.  As mentioned above, this is a critical step to make this dish a success.
2. Cut the potatoes into 1 – 1.5 inch cubes and dry them off with paper towels.  Mince the garlic and parsley, dice the onion, and grate the cheese.  Alternatively, skip the grating and use pre-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

3. In a large bowl, combine the onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, grated cheese, and olive oil.  Mix well.  
4. Dry the chicken one more time, with more paper towels, then season both sides with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the bowl and coat well with the mixture.  Use your hands to massage the mixture in the chicken and ensure it is thoroughly coated.
5. Layer the chicken into a large baking dish, skin side up.  
6. Toss the potatoes into the bowl with the remaining olive oil mixture and mix well.  Season the potatoes with a bit more salt and pepper, then place the potatoes around the chicken.  If you cannot fit them all in the pan without overcrowding, use an additional baking dish for the potatoes.

7. Drizzle the remaining olive oil onto the chicken and potatoes and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes.  At the halfway point, spoon some of the juices on top of each piece of chicken, and resume baking.  After 45 minutes, the chicken should be almost cooked.
8. If desired, you can broil the chicken for a few minutes to crisp up the skin, but be sure to watch carefully as it can burn if unattended.  The chicken will be done when the internal temperature reaches 165f.  When the chicken is done give it another sprinkle of kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon total).  Chicken needs salt! Let the chicken sit lightly tented for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow for the chicken to reabsorb some of the pan juices and become even juicier.  Right before serving, toss the chicken and potatoes with the pan juices and serve.

Why is drying the chicken so important?

I stressed this a few times above, but due to the importance of this step, I wanted to call this out separately!

Whole chickens are usually packed in some type of solution, or water.  They will be very wet, and therefore must be dried extremely well before preparing.  

If the chicken is not dried, it will basically steam, instead of roasting, yielding a rubbery texture.  

The step of drying may seem small, but really does make or break this dish, so please don’t skip it!

More chicken recipes

Chicken is one of the most versatile foods you can prepare.  We’ve got a variety of chicken dishes on Sip and Feast.  

If you like this Italian chicken and potatoes recipe, I think you’ll love these as well.  

• Garlic butter roast chicken – Perfectly crispy but juicy and easy to make whole chicken dish. 
• Chicken and peppers – Chicken thighs with bell peppers, tomato, garlic, and white wine.
• Chicken scarpariello – perhaps the best chicken dish ever!  This dish combines chicken, sausage, peppers, and potatoes in a vinegary sauce.  
• Chicken cacciatore – aka, Hunter’s Chicken, is one of the most well known Italian chicken dishes.  My version combines black and green olives in a tomato sauce that is simmered to perfection.
• Italian grilled chicken thighs – this is such a simple, and easy way to prepare chicken thighs.  Perfect for summer nights!

What to serve with Italian chicken and potatoes

When I make this for my family, we enjoy it so much that another dish isn’t always needed.  

But I do love adding a vegetable or other side dish just to round it out.  

Sauteed broccoli rabe is always good with just about any chicken dish.

If you can’t find broccoli rabe, regular broccoli, sauteed with garlic and oil, is equally great with this dish.

This orange and fennel salad has also become a favorite of ours and also winds up on our table at least once a week.  Refreshing, and so tasty!

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Watch the video below where Jim will show you how to make this recipe with easy-to-follow instructions. 

Some people learn by watching.  If you’re that type of person, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.