Roasted Chicken & Potatoes

Whole Roasted Chicken & Potatoes recipe that only takes 10 minutes to prep? Yes, please! This classic meal cooks completely hands-free and is one of the easiest ways to feed a family of 4 for the week. Garlic, lemon, Italian seasoning, and fresh herbs impart flavor on this roasted chicken. We also like to garnish the roasted chicken with lots of finely chopped fresh herbs—it makes for a beautiful presentation and adds fresh flavor.

What stands out

Cooking a whole chicken (versus pieces, like thighs and breasts) is economical, you get both white and dark meat, plus you’re left with chicken bones which can be repurposed into a chicken broth. We also LOVE how quickly this dish is prepped and ready to throw in the oven. Literally, set it and forget it! Plus, because the potatoes cook in the same pan as the chicken, your protein and veg are ready at the same time, in the same dish. The taste is sensational, too. The potatoes soak up all those flavourful juices from the chicken which is just, chef’s kiss!

How to Prepare

First, preheat the oven to 400F (200C).

Now, remove the chicken from its packaging, remove any bits stuffed inside the chicken, and then pat the outside of the chicken dry with a paper towel.

Next, place in the center of an oven-safe baking di sh and surround the chicken with the halved potatoes.

Now, drizzle with the olive oil, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, and oregano onto the chicken and potatoes.

Add the lemons and thyme (if using) to the baking dish.

Now, season everything with salt and pepper and then with clean hands, massage everything well to evenly distribute the oil and spices.

Add the wine or broth to the bottom of the dish. Gently give the dish a shake to distribute the liquid.

Put a lid on your baking dish or cover your dish with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken, or until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken measures 165F.

You can finish the chicken under the broiler for the last minute of cooking to crisp up the skin. Keep a close eye on the chicken while it’s under the broiler.

Garnish with fresh herbs, if using, and be sure to spoon over those juices left in the pan.

Finally, squeeze the garlic out of the garlic peel and enjoy it on bread or mixed in with the potatoes. Enjoy!

Kitchen tip

You can finish the chicken under the broiler for the last minute of cooking to get that beautiful and crispy skin. Keep a close eye on it, because it can burn quickly.

Swaps

1. You can use any seasonings of choice. Oregano, basil, and parsley are all. However, you can use your favorite herbs or a combination of herbs. Rosemary would be a classic flavor as well!
2. For even more flavour, wrap the chicken with bacon strips. If adding bacon, we would definitely reduce the salt a bit in the recipe.
3. The wine in this Roasted Chicken & Potatoes recipe is totally optional. Use chicken broth veggie broth or water instead.
4. Any potatoes will work for this recipe. If you don’t have baby potatoes, quarter large, peeled yellow potatoes.
5. You could also toss some diced carrots in with the potatoes for some nice colour and a vegetable addition.

Serve it with

• The potatoes in this recipe pair perfectly with our straightforward Tzatziki.
• A beautiful salad, like our Simple Green Salad would be a nice, fresh side dish for this Roasted Chicken & Potatoes main.
• Any vegetable addition would be great, such as steamed broccoli or sauteed carrots.

Questions

How do we know when the chicken is cooked?

The timing in our Roasted Chicken & Potatoes recipe is about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, but this can vary depending on the size of the chicken and your oven. To ensure the chicken is fully cooked and hasn’t dried out, cook until a mark meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken measures 165F.

How do you get a crispy skin on the chicken?

To get a crispy skin on the chicken, we like to finish the chicken under the broiler for the last minute of cooking. Be sure to keep a close eye on the chicken while it’s under the broiler, because it can burn quickly!

What can we do with the roasted garlic?

Roasted garlic is sensational. It has a mild, sweet, caramelized flavour that is so! Squeeze the garlic out of its peel and toss it in the roasted potatoes or some on a slice of bread. You could also add it to a homemade salad dressing, spread it on top of pizza, toss it with pasta or make a flavoured butter.

Can this dish be prepped in advance?

Yes, this Roasted Chicken & Potatoes recipe can be prepared the night before. Have them marinating in the fridge (covered) overnight but without the wine and water. The next day, add the wine and water right before you bake as directed.

Would any other vegetables work in this dish?

We haven’t tried them, but we think that you could toss in some carrots, beets, and/or sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 1 whole chicken, 3 pounds (1.5 kilos)
• 1 bag yellow baby potatoes (small bag), cut in half
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• ½ teaspoon italian seasoning, to taste
• ¼ teaspoon paprika, to taste
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano, to taste
• fresh thyme sprigs, optional
• 2 lemons, halved
• ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
• ¼ teaspoon pepper, to taste
• ½ cup white wine, or chicken broth
• ½ cup water
• fresh herbs for garnish, optional

Equipment

• Meat Thermometer
• Baking Dish
• Redmond Real Salt
• Cutting Board
• Nakiri Knife

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. Remove the chicken from its packaging, remove any bits stuffed inside the chicken, and pat the outside of the chicken dry with a paper towel. Place in the center of an oven-safe baking dish and surround the chicken with the potatoes.
3. Drizzle with the olive oil, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, and oregano onto the chicken and potatoes. Add the lemons and thyme (if using) to the baking dish. Season everything with salt and pepper and, with clean hands, massage everything well to evenly distribute the oil and spices.
4. Add the wine or broth to the bottom of the dish. Gently give the dish a shake to distribute the liquid, but don’t stir anything around because we don’t want to take off those seasonings.
5. Put a lid on your baking dish or cover your dish with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken, or until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken measures 165F.
6. You can finish the chicken under the broiler for the last minute of cooking to crisp up the skin. Keep a close eye on the chicken while it's under the broiler.
7. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using, and be sure to spoon over those delicious juices left in the pan. Squeeze the garlic out of the garlic peel and enjoy it on bread or mixed in with the potatoes. Enjoy!

Kitchen notes

• Seasonings: You can use any seasonings of choice. Oregano, basil, and parsley are all delicious. However, you can use your favorite herbs or a combination of herbs, such as rosemary, sage, and thyme.
• Wine substitute: The wine in this Roasted Chicken & Potatoes recipe is totally optional. Use chicken broth, veggie broth, or water instead.
• Potato varieties: Any potatoes will work for this recipe. If you don’t have baby potatoes, simply quarter large, peeled yellow potatoes – or whichever variety you have on hand.
• Additional veggies: You could also toss some diced carrots in with the potatoes for some nice colour and a vegetable addition.