This is the kind of dinner that looks like you put in way more effort than you actually did. These lemon garlic baked chicken thighs cook alongside potato wedges in one baking dish with a bright, savory lemon garlic sauce. The potatoes soak up all those flavorful pan juices while the chicken skin turns beautifully golden and crisp. It takes about fifteen minutes to prep before everything goes into the oven. The key is giving the dish a covered bake first, which helps the potatoes become tender and keeps the chicken juicy, then finishing everything uncovered so the skin can crisp and the sauce can reduce. You end up with tender chicken, perfectly cooked potatoes, and a flavorful sauce to spoon over every bite. It's easy enough for a weeknight but feels right at home on a Sunday dinner table too.
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The Trick is the Two-Stage Bake
Chicken and potatoes baked in the same dish can be a little tricky. If you cook them uncovered the entire time, the chicken may brown before the potatoes are tender. Leave the dish in the oven long enough to soften the potatoes, though, and the chicken can end up dry. This recipe uses two different stages of cooking to avoid both problems.
The first 40 minutes happen with the baking dish tightly covered in foil. The trapped steam gently cooks the potatoes while the chicken simmers in the lemon garlic sauce. This gives the potatoes plenty of time to soften without requiring the chicken to sit uncovered in high heat for the entire cooking time. The result is tender potatoes and juicy chicken instead of potatoes that are still firm in the middle.
After the foil comes off, the final 25-30 minutes are when everything gets its color. The uncovered heat crisps and browns the chicken skin while the liquid in the bottom of the dish reduces into a concentrated, glossy pan sauce. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are especially helpful here because the bone and skin keep the meat protected during the longer bake. As the chicken fat renders, it also works its way into the potatoes for even more flavor. It's the same reason I reach for bone-in thighs in my garlic rosemary chicken too, just with a fall vegetable mix instead of potato wedges. It's a small extra step, but it's the reason this version comes out juicy every time.
Key Ingredients
- Yukon Gold or yellow creamer potatoes. These potatoes stay intact during baking while becoming soft and creamy in the center. Red potatoes are another good choice. I wouldn't use russets for this recipe because they can become mealy and break apart more easily in the liquid.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Keeping the bone and skin on helps the chicken stay juicy while it bakes and gives you that crispy skin on top at the end. If you're using boneless, skinless thighs, they'll cook more quickly, so start checking them around 35 to 40 minutes total. They also won't have the same crispy texture.
- Dry white wine, like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. White wine brings acidity and a little extra depth to the pan sauce. If you don't have wine available, use additional chicken broth with another teaspoon of lemon juice. The finished sauce will be slightly less complex, but the recipe will still work well.
- Low-sodium chicken broth. I prefer low-sodium broth here because the chicken, potatoes, and lemon mixture are already seasoned. You can use regular chicken broth, but taste the finished dish before adding additional salt.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest. The zest gives you that concentrated lemon flavor, while the juice brings brightness and acidity to the sauce. Bottled lemon juice can work if that's what you have, but fresh zest makes a noticeable difference and is worth using.
- Dried oregano. Oregano adds an earthy, savory note that works really well with the lemon and garlic. You can substitute fresh oregano if you have it. Use three times as much fresh oregano and add it at the same point in the recipe.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Give the oven time to fully heat before adding the baking dish so the potatoes begin cooking as soon as they go in. Arrange the potato wedges in a baking dish and season lightly with salt and pepper. Keep the potatoes in an even layer as much as possible so they cook consistently beneath the chicken.
Step 2
Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then season both sides with salt and pepper. You want the skin to be completely dry before seasoning it. Dry chicken skin is much more likely to turn crisp and golden during the uncovered portion of baking. Arrange the chicken thighs over the potatoes.
Step 3
Whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until everything is well combined, and the mixture looks slightly cloudy from the oil and lemon juice coming together.
Step 4
Pour the lemon mixture over the chicken and potatoes, then toss to coat everything evenly. Make sure the oil and lemon mixture is distributed evenly so the potatoes and chicken are both well seasoned. Pour the chicken broth and wine into the dish around the chicken, not over the skin. Keeping the liquid around the chicken instead of on top of the skin helps the skin crisp once the foil is removed.
Step 5
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. The chicken will still look fairly pale when you first remove the foil, and that's completely normal. The covered bake is primarily focused on gently cooking the chicken and getting the potatoes tender. Uncover the dish, toss the potatoes, and spoon some of the pan juices over the chicken. If you're using lemon slices, arrange them around the chicken now. At this point, the potatoes should be starting to soften around the edges but won't be deeply browned yet.
Step 6
Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 25-30 minutes. The chicken skin should become deeply golden and crisp in spots, while the potatoes should be fork-tender with browned edges. The liquid in the bottom of the dish should also reduce into a flavorful, glossy sauce. Check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Finish with fresh parsley and spoon plenty of the lemon garlic pan juices over the chicken and potatoes.
Sarah's Top Tips
- Keep an eye on the sodium when using regular broth or table salt. This recipe uses low-sodium broth and kosher salt in the chicken and potatoes and in the lemon mixture. If you use regular broth or table salt instead, reduce the ½ teaspoon of salt in the lemon mixture to keep the overall dish from becoming too salty.
- You can absolutely make this without wine. Replace the wine with additional chicken broth and add another teaspoon of lemon juice to bring back some of the acidity. The sauce will be a little more mellow, but you'll still have a delicious dinner.
- Adjust the cooking time based on the size of your chicken thighs. Smaller thighs will cook more quickly than large ones. If you're working with six small thighs instead of four larger thighs, begin checking their temperature around 20 minutes into the uncovered portion of baking rather than automatically cooking for the full 25 to 30 minutes.
- Start with completely thawed chicken. Frozen or partially frozen chicken thighs won't cook at the same rate as fully thawed chicken, which can throw off both the covered and uncovered cooking times.
- Add some heat if you like. The recipe isn't spicy on its own, but a pinch of red pepper flakes mixed into the lemon garlic mixture gives the dish a little kick without requiring any other changes.
- Keep the liquid away from the chicken skin. Pour the broth and wine around the chicken rather than over it. The skin needs to stay as dry as possible so it has a chance to become crisp after the foil comes off.
Serving Suggestions
Spinach and Arugula Salad makes an easy, fresh side for this chicken. The lemon vinaigrette plays off the bright lemon flavor in the pan sauce, while the greens provide a lighter contrast to the crispy chicken and rich pan juices.
Don't forget something warm and crusty for soaking up the sauce. Dinner rolls or a loaf of crusty bread are both great options, especially when they're served warm alongside the chicken.
Crispy Parmesan Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans are another easy addition to the plate. They're crisp, savory, and simple enough to throw together while the chicken finishes baking, without competing with all that lemon garlic flavor.
Storage & Reheating
Fridge: Transfer the chicken and potatoes to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. You can store them together or separately.
Freezer: Chicken thighs hold up better in the freezer than the potatoes. The potatoes may develop a slightly grainy texture after thawing, so that's something to consider before freezing the entire dish. If freezing, store everything in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: For the best texture, reheat the chicken in the oven so the skin has a chance to crisp back up. Cover the dish with foil and warm at 350°F until heated through. You can also use the microwave when you're short on time, but the chicken skin won't stay crisp. The pan sauce may separate a little during reheating, so give it a quick stir or spoon the juices back over the chicken before serving.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 1 - 1 ½ pound Yukon Gold or yellow creamer potatoes, cut into ¾-inch wedges
- 4-6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, (about 2½-3 pounds total)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup dry white wine, pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Arrange the potatoes in a baking dish and season lightly with salt and pepper.1 - 1 ½ pound Yukon Gold or yellow creamer potatoes, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place on top of the potatoes.4-6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.3 tablespoons olive oil, 5 garlic cloves, Zest of 1 lemon, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pour the lemon mixture over the chicken and potatoes and toss until evenly coated.
- Pour the chicken broth and wine into the dish around the chicken, avoiding the skin so it can brown.½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, ½ cup dry white wine
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover, toss the potatoes, and spoon some of the pan juices over the chicken. Tuck lemon slices around the chicken if desired.
- Return to the oven uncovered and bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the chicken skin is golden and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. The chicken should reach 165°F internally.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with the pan juices spooned over everything.¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Sarah's Tips
- Don't pour the broth and wine over the chicken skin. It needs to stay dry to crisp.
- Using regular broth or table salt instead of low-sodium broth and kosher salt? Cut back the ½ teaspoon salt in the lemon mixture.
- No wine on hand? Sub in extra chicken broth plus a teaspoon of lemon juice for the acidity.
- Smaller thighs cook faster. Start checking internal temperature around the 20 minute mark of the uncovered bake if using 6 smaller thighs instead of 4 larger ones.
- Chicken must be fully thawed before starting. Frozen thighs will throw off the timing.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. The chicken freezes well for up to 2 to 3 months, but the potatoes can turn a bit grainy once thawed.
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