One‑pan roast chicken thighs and potatoes
Crispy skin chicken thighs roasted with golden baby potatoes, garlic and lemon — one pan, minimal washing up, big flavour.
This is the proper lazy‑chef dinner: a single pan does the heavy lifting and gives you crisp chicken skin, soft, caramelised potatoes and a lemony pan sauce with almost no faff. Make it any night of the week — it’s fast enough for midweek and handsome enough for guests. The trick is drying the skin and starting the potatoes in the pan so everything finishes together.
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs — about 160–220 g each
- 800 g baby potatoes — halved if large
- 30 ml olive oil
- 25 g butter
- 4 garlic cloves — crushed lightly
- 1 lemon — zest, 6 thin slices and 30 ml juice
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml dried thyme
- 10 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 75 ml chicken stock — low-salt if preferred
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
Equipment
- ovenproof frying pan or roasting tin
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional.
Pat the chicken thighs very dry with kitchen paper. Mix the smoked paprika, dried thyme, sea salt and black pepper with half the olive oil and the lemon zest, then rub all over the chicken (including under the skin where you can). Leave on the side while you prep the potatoes.
Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a medium‑high hob. Add the remaining olive oil and the butter. Once the butter has melted and foamed, add the baby potatoes cut-side down and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Fry, turning occasionally, until the cut faces are golden — about 8–10 minutes.
Tuck the crushed garlic cloves and lemon slices between the potatoes. Arrange the seasoned chicken thighs on top, skin-side up, so the skin is exposed. Pour the chicken stock gently around the edges — do not pour over the chicken skin.
Transfer the pan to the hot oven and roast for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through. Check the thickest part of a thigh near the bone: juices should run clear and the meat should move away from the bone easily.
Remove the pan from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Squeeze the reserved lemon juice over the chicken and potatoes, scatter over the chopped fresh parsley and spoon any pan juices over before serving.
Tips
- If your chicken skin is damp, leave the thighs uncovered in the fridge for 30–60 minutes before cooking to dry it out for extra crispness.
- Use an ovenproof frying pan so you can go straight from hob to oven; if you don’t have one, transfer to a preheated roasting tin.
- For even browning, cut very large potatoes in quarters so all pieces are roughly the same size.
- Do not pour stock over the chicken skin — it will steam the skin and prevent crisping. Pour around the edges instead.
- Make‑ahead: you can season the chicken and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 6 hours before cooking.
Substitutions
baby potatoes → 500 g Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes, cut into chunky wedges
Stays closebutter → replace with an extra 15 ml olive oil
Stays closechicken stock → 75 ml dry white wine for a brighter pan sauce (cook a minute on the hob first to reduce if you prefer)
Noticeably differentsmoked paprika → use sweet paprika or a pinch of chilli flakes for heat
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 620
- Calories
- 36 g
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use boneless thighs instead?
Yes — boneless thighs will cook faster (reduce oven time by about 8–12 minutes). Watch them closely so they don’t dry out.
How do I know the chicken is cooked?
Cut into the thickest part near the bone — juices should run clear and the meat should not be pink. For precision aim for 75°C internal temperature.
Can I roast this dish in a roasting tin instead of a pan?
Absolutely. Preheat the tin in the oven, then transfer the browned potatoes and chicken into it and roast as instructed.
Can I make this dairy‑free?
Yes — replace the butter with an extra 25 ml olive oil and proceed the same way.
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