Easy Greek Chicken And Potatoes
on Mar 16, 2022, Updated Sep 05, 2023
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Greek chicken and potatoes is the best crowd pleasing Greek chicken recipe! Just throw chicken thighs and potatoes into a pan, pour over a lemon, olive oil and oregano marinade, and bake. Made with just 6 ingredients, it’s perfect for a midweek meal, but impressive enough for guests. Don’t forget a Greek salad on the side!
Why you’ll love it
Transport yourself to sunny Greece! One of the fastest ways to imagine yourself eating in Greece in a cute taverna with blue wooden chairs is to make this easy Greek chicken and potatoes.
It’s one of the simplest every day meals in Greece. If you’d grown up there, something like this would have appeared on the dinner table regularly (along with this similar Greek biftekia and potatoes!).
But while this is an authentic Greek recipe (which is what you can proudly tell your friends when they’re tucking into it!), It doesn’t have a fancy name. It’s just called roasted Greek chicken and potatoes!
In Greek it’s called ‘kotopoulo me patatas’ or Κοτόπουλο με Πατάτες in case you want to impress your friends!
You could say it’s the Greek aunt of this simple stove top chicken and rice.
This is one of the many reasons I love Greek food so much. It often doesn’t sound (or even look) anything special, but one bite and you’ll be blown away…
- It’s a one pan meal. And who doesn’t love those?
- You only need about 10 minutes hands on time to make it.
- It’s a 6-ingredient recipe made with everyday ingredients. Buy some chicken thighs and a lemon and you probably have everything else already.
- It’s a crowd pleaser. Who wouldn’t enjoy juicy chicken thighs marinated in lemon and simple Greek flavours with yummy crispy potatoes? Even the pickiest eaters will love it.
- It’s easy – but it’s impressive! Serve it as a super easy midweek meal for your family, or for guests with a Greek salad, crusty fresh bread and tzatziki sauce. It’ll look like a Greek feast!
- You can prepare the potatoes and marinade ahead. All you have to do when you’re ready to eat is pop the potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes, nestle in the chicken, then pour over the marinade and bake.
- It’s an easy and super delicious way to try out the Mediterranean diet! (Hello olive oil, oregano, and super healthy Greek salad ingredients!)
Ingredients
This is all you need (I told you it was easy):
- potatoes roughly sliced into chunky wedges: Leave the skins on, or peel them – your choice.
- skinless boneless chicken thighs
For the Greek chicken marinade:
- the juice and zest of a lemon
- lots of olive oil (but it doesn’t taste oily)
- dried oregano
And finally:
- plenty of salt & pepper
Yep, just 6 ingredients!
Pro tip: Grind more salt over this dish than you would usually. Just trust me on this one!
How do you make Greek chicken and potatoes?
You only need to follow 5 simple steps to get this on your dinner table in about an hour (with only about 10 minutes hands-on time!)
Step 1: Toss some potato wedges in olive oil, then roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. To give them a head start! (Photo 1)
Step 2: Make the easy Greek marinade. (Photo 2)
Step 3: Nestle chicken thighs in among the part cooked potatoes (Photo 3), then drizzle over the marinade. Mostly over the chicken, but it doesn’t matter if some goes over the potatoes too. (Photo 4)
Step 4: Drizzle the whole dish with the delicious Greek chicken marinade. (Photo 4)
Step 5: Tuck the used lemon halves into the pan as well, then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes. (Photos 5 and 6)
Note about the marinade: As you make the marinade, you might be thinking it’s a lot of oil to use.
But again, trust me. As the chicken cooks, the juices run into the marinade and create the most delicious lemon oregano ‘sauce’ to mop up with your bread.
The oven does most of the work. And that’s where the magic happens. While the dish is baking, the juices from the chicken mix with the marinade to make the most incredible ‘sauce’. They also run into the potatoes and make them perfectly tasty, tender, and crispy.
What to serve with this meal
The best way to serve this amazing Greek lemon chicken dinner is with:
- a traditional Greek salad (see this post: how to make a Greek salad for a perfect recipe and how-to video!) or, alternatively, this super simple Greek lettuce salad (maroulosalata).
- fresh crusty bread. We like to serve this 2-minute toasted bread with olive oil and salt. Got more time? Try Greek bread!
- tsatziki sauce (or just Greek yogurt if you like – that’s what I usually serve!)
Don’t skip these amazing Greek side dishes. They turn a good meal into a fantastic meal – one you can just as equally enjoy as an easy midweek meal, or as a delicious Mediterranean feast to serve to guests.
On that note, if you’re having a Greek dinner party, check out this list of 15 easy Greek appetizers. You’re bound to find something you like there!
Make sure you have a bit of everything on your fork, including some feta from the salad and a bit of Greek yogurt or tzatziki. Then close your eyes and imagine yourself at a taverna at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens.
Helen’s Top tips
- After you’ve made this Greek chicken and lemon potatoes a couple of times, you could probably make it without the recipe. Have you added a little more or less of each ingredient? No problem!
- You will find that the potatoes are half crispy and half soaked in the delicious lemon oregano ‘sauce’. This is exactly how they are supposed to be. Enjoy!
- If you find your potatoes stick to the pan a bit (or a lot), no problem! In fact, all the better. Scrape up all those delicious crispy bits and the person who gets them will be one very happy diner!
Recipe FAQs
Honestly? It really doesn’t matter. I’ve used every kind of potato imaginable, and they all work well. The best thing about this dish is that it’s super super easy. Which means you use whatever you already have or like!
Run out of oregano, or running short? No problem! You can use thyme, basil or marjoram instead. For more options, check out this list of 20 oregano substitutes.
To be honest, I’ve used so many different kinds of dishes for this! The main thing is that you don’t want the chicken and potatoes to be too crowded. I find that the best size dish is a 9 x 11 inch baking dish or equivalent.
If you want to serve more people, simply double the ingredients and use either a huge baking dish or two dishes if you prefer.
Yes, actually you can! I usually use boneless chicken thighs but I find them easier to eat. But if you use bone in skin on thighs arguably your meal will be even more juicy and delicious!
The cooking time should be the same. Just check with a meat thermometer in the deepest part of the thigh that the temperature is at least 165F.
Absolutely! What I usually do is prepare the marinade and pop it in the fridge until I want to use it. Then I prepare the potatoes, put them in the baking dish and keep that covered in the fridge too.
Then all I have to do to finish off this amazing meal is pre-cook the potatoes, then tuck the chicken in with the potatoes, then pour the marinade over and roast!
This is what makes this such a great meal for entertaining!
Another great thing about this meal is that it keeps really well once it’s cooked. It will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. When you want to eat the leftovers, just reheat as described below! All you’ll have to do is make a fresh Greek salad!
Surprisingly… yes! I usually just reheat the Greek potatoes and chicken slowly (on 50% power) in the microwave. There are fewer crispy bits, but it’s more intensely flavoured by the marinade by the second day.
FORGET THE CHICKEN, JUST FEED ME POTATOES! If you just need a potato side dish that’s easy but a little bit different, try these amazing crispy Greek potatoes. They truly are the best! Serve with chicken, fish, steak, anything…
More amazing Greek meals
- Greek oven baked fish (your new favourite way to cook fish!)
- One pan Greek couscous with halloumi (a vegetarian option)
- Greek lamb with lemony garlic potatoes (highly recommended if you’re looking to impress!)
- Baked Greek chicken orzo (another tasty one pot chicken dinner)
- Quick lemony baked feta chicken (5-minute prep!)
Or if you’re just enjoying the whole Greek food vibe in this post, you might like to check out this list of 10 best easy Greek chicken recipes or my Greek recipes archives!
Last but not least: Need a quick and easy dessert to serve after this meal? Here are 11 really easy dessert recipes (6 ingredients or less).
Easy Greek Chicken And Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds medium-sized potatoes, peeled & sliced into wedges
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus a little extra
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, (8-10 thighs)
- 1 lemon, zest & juice
- 1 large teaspoon dried oregano
- salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 390F/200C.
- Put the raw potato wedges into a large baking dish or roasting pan (in one layer if you can). Drizzle with a little olive oil, toss with your hands and bake for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and nestle the chicken thighs in amongst them in the dish. Add the squeezed lemon halves as well.
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice & zest & oregano and drizzle all over the chicken and potatoes. Grind over plenty of salt and black pepper, then put the dish back in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear when you poke the meat with a knife and the whole dish is golden.
- Serve with a big traditional Greek salad, Greek yogurt and crusty bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: This post has been updated from its original version to include new photos, step-by-step cooking instructions, an FAQ, similar recipes, and a how-to video. I hope you like it!
Oh My! So simple but absolutely delicious, real wow factor. I used chicken thighs bone in & cut the potatoes up into big chunks. Didn’t have lemons but used lemon juice instead. Served it with roasted veg. Love the Greek simple food.
Family requested it again & this will be my go to recipe. Even sent it on to my Sister in Law.
Thank you Helen!
You’ve made my day, Mel! I’m so happy the family enjoyed it so much, and it’s the biggest compliment that they’ve requested it again. Thank you so much for the feedback and I hope you enjoy this many times over. P.S. Try it with a Greek salad and tzatziki some time. It will blow you away even more!
Hello!
I made this for my hubby and I and It turned out amazing! We paired it with a greek salad. And it was a hit! It is definitely going on our rotation.
So easy, yet sooo delish! Thank you 😊
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear this, Erica – it’s the biggest compliment that you’ll make it again. You served it the very best way with the Greek salad! Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂
Years ago, before I became disabled, I fixed Greek style chicken and potatoes. Here’s how I fix mine & give me your thoughts. Since I’m by myself, I buy very large no bone chicken breasts, & lg baking potatoes; I use extra virgin olive oil w/evwrthing, but with my Greek chicken and potatoes, I use a lot of olive oil. My recipe:
1. One lg boneless chicken breast
2. 1 or 2 lg baking potatoes cut into thick wedges
3. Salt & pepper well & add lots of olive oil
4. Even tho I buy good chicken, I still like to tenderize the chicken w/my spiced up tenderizer, on both sides, fork well, add my oregano, lemon, butter & let marinate
5. Add the wedges of raw potatoes, aftr chicken has marinated, salt & pepper potatoes, drown potatoes with olive oil, lemon, oregano, butter (real butter never margarine); real butter has no additives & margarine does.
6. Prepare all ingredients in a square glass casserole oven proof dish. Let all marinade, covered with aluminum foil, in the fridge for probably 45 minutes (I just ballpark everything & don’t measure anything.
7. After marinating, cook in oven at approximately 425• for about 30-45 minutes, checking often to make sure chicken is done, not over done, cause when it’s taken out of my oven, covered with aluminum foil, the chicken & potatoes will continue to cook; also I use chicken broth to make a juicy gravy like & ever so often baste the chicken juices with the marinated chicken broth to keep chicken and potatoes juicy and not dry. Usually I’ll remove my dish from the oven before it’s completely well done, cover w/foil, my oven continues to say hot after turning it off, and aftr covering w/foil, put on back middle burner & my chicken and potatoes will continue to cook. I’m very careful NOT to eat any amount of raw chicken. So, after a while, I check my Greek style chicken and potatoes to determine if ready to eat. Like you, I only use a few ingredients & in the past mine has turned out pretty doggone good. I’d like your opinion. Thanks for your recipe. It really doesn’t deviate from most of mine. BTW I was given this recipe by a chef at a Greek restaurant I went to at least twice a day for years. The owner knew me & let the Chef give me their recipe.
Hello Nancy! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! Sounds just as delicious as my recipe, and very similar actually. I use chicken thighs because they’re more forgiving but you can absolutely use chicken breast instead. The only thing I question is whether the potatoes will be tender enough after 45 minutes – but they must be as it sounds like it’s a well tested and tried recipe too! How amazing to be given a recipe from a Greek chef!
Delicious! Easy to prepare and full of flavour. I panfried bone in skin on chicken thighs and drums for a few minutes whilst the potatoes were precooking. Gave a nicely coloured, slightly crispy skin. Can see this becoming part of my regular meal rotation!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Helen, and it’s the biggest compliment that you’ll be making it again! 🙂
A very tasty dish and prep time is quick with only a few ingredients.
Happy you enjoyed it, Clive – thanks so much for the feedback!