James Kenji Lopez-Alt
patreon
Easy Roast Chicken Legs and Potatoes
🕑 Added 2024-02-20 16:02:09 +0000 UTCwith Lemon, Garlic, and Parsley
This is a super simple sheet pan dinner. You can skip the potato par-boiling step if you want to make it even faster, but the par-boiling to release starch that gets the potatoes and chicken extra-crispy is the real magic here.
Serves 4
Time: 15 minutes active, 1 1/2 hours total
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds (1.2kg) Yukon gold potatoes, cut into big chunks (cut in half if medium or small, in quarters if large)
Salt
1 bunch parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
2 lemons, divided
3 to 4 medium cloves garlic
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 to 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 to 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks (about 2 1/2 pounds/1.2 kg chicken total)
As much arugula or other peppery greens as you’d like, to serve
Procedures
1. Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C). Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with room temperature water. Season generously with salt. Bring to a boil over high head and simmer until completely tender (a sharp knife or skewer should pierce the potato with no resistance), about 7 minutes after they come to a boil. Drain.
2. While the potatoes come to a boil, combine the parsley and the juice of 1 lemon in a small bowl. Mince or press the garlic and immediately add it to the bowl with the lemon and parsley and stir to combine (this will prevent the garlic from becoming overly pungent). Add the granulated garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (or a 1/2 teaspoon of table salt), the black pepper, and half the olive oil and stir to combine. Transfer half of the mixture to a large bowl and reserve the other half.
3. Add an extra teaspoon of kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon of table salt) to the large bowl. Add the chicken and drained par-boiled potatoes to the large bowl and toss to coat in the marinade. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and arrange so that the chicken pieces are skin-side up and everything fits in a single layer with as much space as you can get in between the pieces. Cut the remaining lemon in half and nestle it into the pan, cut-sides-up.
4. Roast the chicken and potatoes until starting to brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Flip the potatoes, rotate the pan, and continue roasting until very crisp all over, another 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Using tongs, squeeze the roasted lemon pieces over the chicken and potatoes, then transfer the chicken and potatoes to a clean large bowl.
5. Add the reserved marinade and the remaining olive oil to the chicken and potatoes and toss to combine. Serve the chicken and potatoes on top of a bed of greens. Serve. The lemony marinade and drippings should dress the greens as you eat.
Comments
Dimitriy Masterov
Can everything be done earlier in the day before going in the oven at dinner time? Or will the marinade do strange things to the chicken skin if left on too long?
Joshua Levy
I couldn't really get the potatoes crispy
Mike Richman
Delicious. Maybe my oven is hotter than normal, but 475 caused some burning and cooked much quicker than the recipie. I think ill try at 425 next time.
Perry Melat
I ra
Max-Eddie Ibarrientos
Set off my smoke alarm from the splatter hitting the bottom of my oven, but so worth it. This was delicious!
Elizabeth
One of the best things that's come out of my kitchen. SO GOOD.
Sarah Rasmussen
I’m going to try this tonight with a full (cut up) chicken. I will use my meat thermometer and probably remove the breasts first.
Sheri Cooper
This is delicious. I use Brussel Sprouts in place of the potato. Fabulous. Also signed on Patreon as a thank you.
Padraic Renaghan
Absolutely. I did this.
Benjamin Reynolds
I made this recently, and I really liked it. However, I boiled the potatoes for too long, and when I tossed them with the chicken, the chicken pieces had too much potato on them. So, I had to remove the chicken after about 20 minutes of baking to remove the bits of potato from the skin of the chicken that were getting burned.
Joshua Ray
Made this recipe last week from the YouTube video and when I set it down on the table my 3-year-old declared (before even tasting it) “Crispy chicken and crispy potatoes? It’s just what I always wanted!” He was right: he had *fourths*! This is going in the rotation and I signed up for the Patreon as a thank you for this recipe
Christi Genovesi
Has anyone made this recipe using the same amount (2.5 lbs), of bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts? Im sure the cook time would vary, as the breasts would cook faster than thighs. Maybe roasting the potatoes first, then after 30 minutes or so, adding the breasts to cook alongside the potatoes for the remaining 20-30 minutes?
Christi Genovesi
Thanks Josh! Will do.
Josh Baker
Copy the text. Paste it into the document app of your choice. Print from there.
Leah
I made this tonight as written, and it was amazing! It was helpful to watch the video first (which I caught on YouTube then searched the internet for the written recipe, and found this site to which I’m already a subscriber!). The ingredients list was also helpful - thank you! Also this is the first time I used the convection feature on my oven - which made it cook faster than I expected. I was watching it tho. I wish I could post my amateur pictures! Family was majorly impressed. Thank you, Kenji! 🙏
CantFlimFlamtheJimJam
Not Kenji but chicken breasts are more prone to overcooking so not entirely sure this would work as seamlessly as bone-in skin-on chicken thighs/drumsticks.
Christi Genovesi
I didn’t see a way to print this recipe. I guess I can take a few screen shots and print those out, but that shouldn’t be necessary.
Justin Mullis
He doesn't mention in the video but bone in skin on chicken is able to withstand that long of a cook time. A skinless and boneless chicken breast or thigh would definitely get overcooked here.
Justin Mullis
Actually I think this deviates from the video. In video the marinade is divided before more olive oil, garlic power and oregano is added, for mixing pre cooking. Still turned out well but I was wondering why I was putting garlic powder on the finished dish
Justin Mullis
When does the other half of the olive oil come in?
Dakota Stevens
Turned out fantastic!
Christi Genovesi
Is there a link to print this recipe?
Luan Berisha
Against my better judgment i cranked that oven to 500f as recomended if oven lacks convention. Aromatics were burnt and had to be peeled off and potatos didnt crisp up super nice :( other than that it was a solid 6/10. I much prefer kenjis ultra crispy potatos + Easy Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts With Lemon and Rosemary Pan Sauce Recipe, almost same effort but crisper potatos and better tasting chicken imo
Craig
I added a head of garlic to roast along with the rest it and then added it to the reserved dressing. It was amazing Kenji.
Jonothan Cory Ray
Would this recipe work with other herbs such as fresh rosemary, thyme, sage instead of parsley? Would the cook time need to change in order not to burn those different herbs?
Shane
Made this tonight and was awesome! 475 convection middle rack for 50 minutes and was perfect. Recipes like these are a lifesaver when short on time.
Zach Lindner
I made this tonight in convection and used 3 thighs and 2 breasts. The chicken burnt and was overcooked (I pulled the breasts out really early to avoid overcooking) while the potatoes weren't done. I had to pull the rest of the chicken out early (they hit 210 at the 45 min mark) and wait for the potatoes to finish. Also- it honestly didn't have that much flavor. I feel like I need to double the marinade next time. This is the only Kenji recipe that's ever really let me down.
Matthew Bourgoine
Just did this tonight! Wife and I loved it!
Sabrina Chu
Loved the recipe! I thought the seasoning was just right! I would say boiling the potatoes took longer than 7 minutes for me. Good for meal prep.
Ryan Guthrie
Great recipe, definitely making it on to the week night rotation, is that plate from Orcas Island Pottery?
Paul Kierstead
I was like I could not have missed that! I checked my copy in paprika and, indeed, I did not; it has been added. Good addition!
Zach Lindner
Can we also use chicken breasts? Does the cook time change at all?
Brian Krische
Step 5 says to add the reserved marinade "and the remaining olive oil"
NickinIreland
Thanks Trystan! 🙏🏻
Trystan Brock
Looks like it's this one from Caldo https://www.caldohome.com/collections/aprons/products/grey-line-apron?variant=37600639713444
Paul Kierstead
(I could be blind here)
Paul Kierstead
Ah, I just realized something about the marinade quantity. I put 1/2 the olive oil in step 2, but I never put the other 1/2 in anywhere because it doesn't appear to be in the process. An extra 1/4 cup olive oil definitely would have helped coat the arugula!
Paul Kierstead
We are keeners so we made it this evening. It was quite good! Only mistake I made was I forgot to put the lemons on the roasting pan, so used "raw" lemon at the end. Comments: - used 4 "normal" supermarket sized thighs and legs. Not the mutant ones, but not fancy small ones either. - salt was borderline too much, and I like salt. But only borderline. - with the specified amount of potatoes and chicken, a 1/2 sheet pan is definitely a little crowded, especially to start. I think this kept a couple of potatoes from getting crisp, though they were still delicious. - boiling time was a little longer - I did use a full bunch of parsley. Looked to be more than the video. It was very good though. - I wish there was a lot more "juice" at the end. The arugula was **REALLY** good with the juice, but there just wasn't enough to get it all around. It is definitely going in the rotation though, as my daughter (11) also loved it and it's a good "low work" night dish and quite delicious. The above points are just nit picking.
NickinIreland
Slick apron! Where’d you pick it up? I’ll put it on my Father’s Day wish list.
