There are few things as comforting as rosemary chicken and potatoes roasted in the oven. This nourishing Mediterranean-style main dish is very easy to prepare, even on a weeknight. I learned the recipe from my stepdaughter’s teacher, who makes it regularly for Shabbat dinner. If you eat chicken, having an easy and tasty oven roasted chicken recipe in your cooking rotation is a must. And there is something so comforting about the scent of roasted chicken and potatoes cooked in the oven. With aromatic rosemary, garlic, lemon, and crispy roasted potatoes, this recipe is almost a complete meal in itself. Add a vegetable side dish, and you’ve got a simple and elegant dinner that you can enjoy year-round.
When my stepdaughter was in high school, we hosted her Jewish Studies class in our home for a Shabbat dinner celebration. The gathering was organized by her teacher, Cheryl Cohen. My stepdaughter always talks about Cheryl with a smile on her face; she loved her Jewish Studies class and everything she learned there. It was Cheryl’s idea to organize a Shabbat meal with the students, where they do all the cooking and preparations themselves (with a little help from us, of course). This recipe for rosemary chicken and potatoes was Cheryl’s contribution to the dinner menu.
As the evening progressed, it became clear that Cheryl was making a positive, lasting impact on the lives of her students. They were all excited to celebrate the tradition of Shabbat together. I was thrilled to host them in my kitchen. And of course, we all loved learning Cheryl’s special recipe for rosemary chicken and potatoes.
In addition to the rosemary chicken and potatoes, I taught everybody how to sear salmon and how to make chocolate toffee matzo crunch. The students made mashed sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, salad, fresh fruit, and of course freshly baked challah that the students braided themselves. When everything was ready, Cheryl led the Shabbat blessings as the sun set.
As part of the blessings, each student talked about what they’re grateful for. Additionally, they shared what they hope for in the coming week. We lit the candles, then it was time to eat! We set up a long table in our entryway so there was plenty of room for everybody to enjoy the delicious meal they created.
After our Shabbat dinner, I knew I had to share Cheryl’s recipe for rosemary chicken and potatoes. It couldn’t be easier to make, and everybody just loved it. Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces are brushed with olive oil and seasoned, then roasted in a hot oven on a bed of potatoes, garlic, rosemary and lemon. The whole garlic cloves and fresh rosemary infuse the chicken with lots of flavor. The potatoes roast up tender with crispy brown exteriors, deeply flavored from the juices of the chicken. Since that evening, this dish has become a family favorite in our home. This easy roasted chicken recipe takes just a few minutes to prepare.
This is a one-pan meal, meaning there is no need to dirty a bunch of dishes. Simply toss the potatoes in a bowl, layer everything in the roasting pan, and bake. It’s a delicious way to cook roasted chicken… easy enough for a weeknight meal, yet special enough for Shabbat, or any occasion. Enjoy!
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Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes – Oven Roasted Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds chicken pieces, bone in, skin on (I prefer whole leg and thigh pieces)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Additional olive oil or nonstick cooking spray
Potato Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
- 2 lemons sliced into 8 thick wheels
- 8-10 large fresh rosemary sprigs
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place your empty roasting pan inside to heat along with the oven.With the chicken skin side up, brush pieces with olive oil, then generously coat with 2/3 of the salt, pepper & rosemary. Flip over and brush with oil again, then sprinkle with remaining salt, pepper and rosemary.
- Cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks and place in a large mixing bowl. Toss them with the olive oil, garlic cloves, salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp minced rosemary.
- While wearing oven mitts, very carefully remove your hot roasting pan from the oven. Carefully and liberally brush the hot pan with olive oil, or spray with nonstick cooking oil spray. Quickly and carefully pour the potato and garlic mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan.
- Place the large fresh rosemary sprigs and lemon slices on top of the potatoes. Create a bed to lay the chicken pieces on.
- Lay the chicken pieces on top of the potatoes, rosemary and lemon. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and give the potatoes a good stir to be sure they are well coated with the oil and fat from the chicken. You may need to remove the chicken for a moment to do this, just be sure to replace it when you are finished stirring the potatoes. Once the potatoes have been stirred, increase the oven heat to 450 degrees and return the pan to the oven. Roast for an additional 20 minutes, then stir the potatoes again, removing the chicken pieces as needed, then placing them back on the potatoes. Return pan to the oven.Continue roasting for 10-25 minutes longer, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F, the skin is crisp, and the potatoes are browned and tender inside. The potatoes and chicken should be done around the same time; if the potatoes do not feel "done enough" you can remove the chicken once it's fully cooked and continue to roast the potatoes until they are cooked through.For a pretty presentation, serve the chicken and potatoes on a serving platter and garnish with fresh rosemary and lemon wheels.
Nutrition
I did not say that fat was bad.
I mentioned that animal fat is not healthy.
I did not mention processed food excess sugar, salt or anything else.
I enjoy your recipes very much, and thank you for them. I do however find ways of eliminating animal fats and substitute olive oil, or any healthy oil instead. There are very simple ways of doing so, and this is the Mediterranean diet that I and my whole family (on their own volition) prefer.
Thank you again for your wonderful, enjoyable and lively blog.
Hi Edna, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I also stick with a largely Mediterranean diet and feel it is healthiest for our bodies. As you probably know from reading my blog, the majority of my recipes fall in line with the Mediterranean way of eating. It is precisely because I eat this way the majority of the time that I feel fine with indulging in a little chicken fat from time to time (as I said before, everything in moderation). I brought up processed food and sugar because I feel that these are far more detrimental to our health than natural fats, be they animal or plant based. That said, I’m sure folks who are cutting down on their consumption of animal fats will appreciate your input and ideas. I’m so pleased you’re enjoying the blog and the recipes.
This is a very tasty recipe, and the potatoes are yummy roasted this way.
However, the chix pieces with the skin on, which is the way to go,release quite a bit of chicken fat.
This is a health no no for a majority of people, as the potatoes will cook in this tasty but taboo animal fat.
Hi Edna, I’m glad you like the flavor of the recipe, but I have to disagree with your assertion that chicken fat is a “health no no for a majority of people.” More and more in recent years, physicians and nutritionists are backing off the “fat is bad” rule as we learn that processed foods, sugar and empty carbs are a bigger contributor to cholesterol and heart disease. I am not a nutritionist, but I do feel that fat has been given a bad wrap. Nobody should be eating copious amounts of chicken fat every day– everything in moderation. That said, this is not a low fat blog. I find this particular recipe very nourishing and would not hesitate to feed it to my family, chicken fat and all.
Just a couple comments…I made this at my moms house in a rather small roasting pan with 5 large leg quarters. Because of the size of the pan and the amount of juice given off the potatoes were about 2/3 covered in juice/oil. While they were done they were not crispy. I had to pull off the chicken and put them under the broiler to crisp them up a bit. I’d suggest using the largest roasting pan you can find and not increasing the quantities in the recipe as the results may not be the same. The food was great but didn’t look anything like the wonderful pictures above!
Great notes Charles! I did indicate a large roasting pan, but now I’m thinking I should write the actual dimensions to be clearer. 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!
Can you freeze this chicken dish
Hi Gill– the chicken part of the dish should freeze well, but I would not freeze the potatoes.
Your Rosemary Roasted Chicken looks like a “winner” — on my menu for the coming week. Loved the pictures of those happy young “kids” enjoying Shabbat Dinner – Best Wishes on the combined website – am sure it will be as informative and delicious as always. Your recipes are the BEST.
It just came out of the oven. I took it out after only 25 minutes at 450 because it looked like the chicken was starting to dry out. The house smells wonderful.
Enjoy Toby! Every oven is a bit different, as long as the internal temperature is 170 degrees F you’re good to go. 🙂 It does make the house smell heavenly.
Que rico !!!
can i use sweet potato? will it change the cooking time?
Hi Ella, the trouble with using sweet potato is that the chunks will produce a sugary syrup as they cook, which will likely cause them to stick to the bottom of the pan. Though I do love sweet potatoes, I wouldn’t recommend them in this particular preparation. If you decide to try it anyway, please let us know how it works for you.
yum, it is good, mouth watering.
Your chicken has a great color , Great looking plate . 🙂