Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes Is My Favorite Dinner To Make

The lemon potatoes served at Greek-style restaurants is one of my favorite dishes. Now I make them at home and turn them into a one-pan recipe thanks to chicken breasts.

Greek-Style Lemon Chicken and Potatoes on a platter garnished with lemons — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

My first apartment in New York City was in Astoria, Queens, a neighborhood known for its authentic Greek cuisine. At the time, I was enrolled in culinary school in Manhattan and loved exploring all the amazing specialty food shops, restaurants, and bakeries in my neighborhood whenever I had free time.

That said, I was very much living on a student budget. There was one Greek spot that quickly became a favorite thanks to the generous portions, amazing food, and fair prices. They specialized in seafood, but almost everything you ordered came with a giant tray of their famous Greek lemon potatoes.

You could smell the fresh lemon flavor wafting in the air as they made their way to your table. Paired with a jug of the very affordable house white wine, this was my ideal meal.

What Makes Greek-Style Lemon Potatoes Special

Now, almost 15 years later, I still crave the taste of those lemon potatoes. The flavor and texture is something I’ve been trying to recreate for years.

Usually, when it comes to roasted potatoes, I go to extreme lengths to make sure they are golden brown and crisp, but these potatoes take a very different approach. The key to these lemon potatoes is to cook them in a mix of chicken stock, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and dried oregano so they absorb lots of flavor as they cook. The resulting potatoes are tender and bursting with lemon flavor.

Greek-Style Lemon Chicken and Potatoes on a plate with forks and napkins — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Turning It Into a One-Pan Dinner

As a mom of three, while my taste buds haven’t changed much over the years, the time I have to prepare a full meal could not be more different. I no longer have the luxury of curating a meal complete with multiple dishes; everything I now cook has to be assembled in a state of chaos, most likely with at least one kid in my arms. I didn’t think I’d be a “casserole mom,” but here we are.

One day while making a batch of lemon potatoes, I threw some chicken on top halfway through the baking time and this one-pan dinner was born. I’ve tweaked it over the years, switching to skin-on boneless chicken breasts as a nod to one of my favorite Ina Garten recipes. Using this cut of chicken keeps the chicken moist and quick-cooking.

Buying Boneless, Skin-On Chicken Breasts

I have found this specific cut prepackaged in the air-chilled section at my local national grocer, but you could also ask a butcher to help you prep your chicken this way. If you prefer, you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, but it will take slightly longer to roast; about 10 to 15 additional minutes.

Greek-Style Lemon Chicken and Potatoes on a platter garnished with lemon slices — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Chicken Dinners

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Prepare the potatoes:

In a broiler-safe 9x13-inch casserole dish, combine the chicken stock, lemon juice, olive oil, shallot, oregano, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine, then add the potatoes, tossing to thoroughly coat.

Roast the potatoes:

Roast the potatoes, stirring halfway through, until they are becoming tender but still have light resistance when poked with a fork, about 40 minutes.

Add the chicken:

Place the chicken breasts skin-side up on top of the par-cooked potatoes and baste with some of the juices from the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then roast until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest parts and the skin is crisp and golden brown, 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken breasts.

Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes.