Roasted chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots and onion tossed in simple spices, garlic and oil. Then oven baked until chicken is juicy with crispy skin and onions are roasted. Major yum!
Roasted Chicken Thighs
Roasted chicken thighs and potatoes is my mom’s recipe. She didn’t cook often (grandma did) but this was her absolute staple. Crispy potatoes, roasted onion and garlic combined with juicy dark meat and crispy chicken skin and it will become your family’s favorite!
I’m obsessed with any chicken and potatoes combo because I am Ukrainian. Like Instant pot chicken and potatoes and one pan chicken and potatoes are just other variations of this recipe. My kids rave about this combo for days.
I often double the recipe, bake one right away and refrigerate another one to bake the next day. It is called “make ahead”. 🙂 How genius am I? And very modest too. Shall we?!
What Is the Best Chicken to Use?
“Olena, where are the chicken thighs?” Sigh. As you can see from the photos, I’m a rule breaker of my own recipes. I did not have chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks on hand. So I just cut up whole chicken into pieces and used 2 lbs. The rest is going for the soup tomorrow.
The best chicken to use is meat with bone in and skin on. It will be the juiciest baked chicken and potatoes you ever tried!
What Are the Best Potatoes to Use?
I could not believe how many times I got asked where did I get my yellow potatoes for Instant Pot chicken and potatoes. So, sharing potato secrets:
- Yellow potatoes or yellow flesh potatoes if you are in Canada. Some avid potato fans told me the equivalent in the US is Yukon Gold. Also sometimes you can find “Canadian” potatoes in the US. Whatever that means.
- Red potatoes.
- Do not use russet potatoes. They make the best healthy mashed potatoes.
Easy Homemade Seasoning
OK. You can use any dried herbs you like or have on hand. As you can imagine, my mom did not have any dried herbs back in the 90s in Ukraine. She used only salt, pepper and garlic. And roasted chicken thighs and potatoes in the oven still came out delish!
My rule of thumb is 1 tsp salt + 1 tbsp dried herbs + 1 tsp cumin. You can skip cumin. Truth is I meant to use coriander but here we are…
Tips for Best Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
- After mixing, stretch the skin to cover meat to prevent it from drying out.
- Buy organic potatoes so you don’t have to peel them. Bonus: skin contains so many nutrients and vitamins.
- Use the largest onion ever. There will be a fight for roasted onion, trust me.
- You can use any large 9 x 13 or even bigger baking dish with walls. Oven proof glass or ceramic baking dish is great. You want to be able to mix ingredients with your hands without chicken and and potatoes flying over your countertop. Or unless you are up for an adventure… Kids might enjoy!
- I like to use potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic. There is something about soft sweet carrot and roasted onion. And even maybe burnt slivers of garlic. This combo has a bite to it. I would recommend you stick to my childhood favorite. Other vegetables cook way faster than bone in chicken. I also do not like to add extra steps adding vegetables later etc.
- Sweet potatoes cook faster than regular potatoes. If you want, add them to the pan after chicken, carrots and onions have been baking for 15 minutes. Do not forget to stir.
- If you want to eat more vegetables, make my green smoothie to go with these roasted chicken thighs. We often “eat more vegetables” this way.
How to Make Ahead, Store and Reheat
Meal prep and make ahead tip – double the recipe. Bake one tonight and refrigerate 2nd one assembled and covered, then bake tomorrow. I do it all the time.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Veggies will lose their crispy-ness. You can reheat on a ceramic non-stick skillet to bring some of crispy-ness back and without much oil thanks to the coating.
Enjoy my mom’s roasted chicken thighs. Seems like many of you have, especially the husbands. 🙂
More Chicken Thigh Recipes
- One pan chicken and veggies – clean out the fridge – any veggies will do!
- Oven baked chicken thighs is the recipe this recipe stems from. Confused yet?!
Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
Roasted chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots and onion tossed in simple spices, garlic and oil. Then oven baked until chicken is juicy with crispy skin and onions are roasted. Major yum!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One Pan
- Cuisine: Ukrainian
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
- 6 large potatoes, cut into 1.5″ cubes (large)
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
- 1 large onion, cut into large chunks
- 3 large garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin or coriander
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and prepare large 9 x 13 baking dish with walls.
- To the dish, add chicken, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and bay leaves.
- Drizzle with oil and then sprinkle with cumin or coriander, dried herbs, salt and pepper.
- Using your hands, mix well.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and chicken juices run clear when poked.
- Remove from the oven and dig in! How easy was this?!
Meal prep and make ahead tip – double the recipe. Bake one tonight and refrigerate 2nd one assembled and covered, then bake tomorrow. I do it all the time.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Veggies will lose their crispy-ness. You can reheat on a ceramic non-stick skillet to bring some of crispy-ness back and without much oil thanks to the coating.
Notes
The best chicken to use is any cut with bone in and skin on.
You can use any dried herbs you like or have on hand. And skip cumin or use coriander instead.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
I have made this recipe four times now! My toddler gobbled up the chicken and asked for more! I have been playing around adding red onions or red potatoes as well as using a sweet potato one night. It turns out great every time and it is so fast to make on a weeknight or weekend. Thank you for sharing this dinner…it is the one I’m sure to keep in rotation during the cooler months.
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You are very welcome, Andrea. Yes, experimenting is great. Anything common sense goes. I just keep it basic for the sake of simplicity and not to overwhelm people haha.
Doc delicious. Perfect for big family dinners. Allows cook some time to socialize while dish bakes. Easy clean-up also.
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So true about socializing. I am obsessed with throw and walk away dinners lately mainly thanks to Instant Pot.
I just found your site and at just the right time. I am attempting to eat much healthier, and I am exited to try lots of your recipes with real and easily accessible ingredients. This chicken was just honest, homey and REAL food. It was delicious. I have stopped buying as many individual spices since they go stale before I use them. I now buy spice blends of spices I would use together anyway. For this recipe I used Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning salute and salt. It came out delicious. Also, since it is just me and I wanted to do your trick of prepping for two meals at once, I cooked with two chicken thighs and vegetables last night and put an equal amount in a baggie to dump into the pan tonight. Two suppers and two lunches with one prep time!
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Awe, you are so welcome! So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes! Good for you. Yes, leftovers and meal prep are key to eating healthy.
Olena, after making this several times – as it’s that good – I realized why I/we love it! It came to me one day like a light bulb in my head… you see my mother-in-law was from Czech Republic (hours away from Ukraine) & this is exactly the way she cooked! It was comforting to me as she has now passed away & we miss her great meals similar to this. Just wanted to share this memory…!😊
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Awe, thank you for sharing. Food just like places and scents bring so many memories. I am happy I could help and be part of your family. Enjoy!
This is a great recipe! Good enough to rate hand writing it in my notebook of true keeper recipes (with credit to your website). I’ve made it several times. Last night I didn’t have carrots, and used mushrooms in their place. Fifteen minutes before it was done, I put in a pan of seasoned asparagus in the oven and roasted that too. My husband raves every time we have this. The prep work is pretty simple and it makes the house smell amazing once the meal starts cooking. Last night I was made a second pan to put in the oven tonight, too!
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Yay. Happy to share. No worries about handwriting. Love it! I myself still do notes and love it. As long as it helps you eat healthy. xoxo
I have boneless, skinless chicken thighs on hand…do I adjust cooking time? Help!
I would say check after 25-30 mins and if potatoes are done then it’s ready.
Making again today – it was that good the first time around… repeat performer!! Thank you for some of the best recipes I’ve cooked recently! In fact, my husband is still talking about them!
Happy Easter to you & your family!
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Happy Easter, Tricia! Thank you so much for letting me know!:)
Just wanted to let you know this was delicious! As we ate it all one could hear was Mmmm… as we ate it & finished… only one thigh & a few left over potatoes/carrots left. There’s just the two of us so I’m thinking my husband will finish the rest later for dinner! He definitely loves your recipes which I’ve made – all of them so far!! LOL… No, I’ve not run out of recipes to cook yet… still more to try! I don’t know if I commented on the Avocado Salad w/green onions I’ve made twice, but it’s good, too. Also, the Chickpea Avocado Salad. I’m thinking I’m going to make the Cedar Plank Salmon next – after I go buy Cedar Planks. I’m sure that will be good, too. Between your website I should be all set up without having to worry on what to fix next!! SERIOUSLY! Again,Olena, “thank-you”!!
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Yay! LOL you are welcome!!! Warms my heart.
One thing. Next time when you rate recipes if you liked it then please click 5 stars, not 1.:) 1 means very bad. I fixed it this time, it’s just very tedious process to fix it. So pretty please put down 4-5 or whatever stars if you liked the recipe. Thank you so much!:)
Lunch for today!! I know it will be good… can’t wait to eat it!! Smelling it in the oven now… omg, garlic & spices are wafting from kitchen as i type this. Thanks Olena!
You are very welcome, Tricia. Are you running out of recipes to cook yet? Seems like you have tried them all by now.:)
This one good looking dish,I know by reading the ingredients it will be good,only way to know ,is I will make it tomorrow,
Thanks
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Hi Ernest. I agree. SImple food is the best. Fresh quality ingredients are key. And the rest will fall in place.:) Enjoy!