One-Pan Baked Chicken and Potatoes Recipe in 1 Hour

There's nothing like baked chicken and potatoes. This quick recipe is great both for a weekend lunch or a working week dinner. It is filled with flavors, tenderness and crunchiness at the same time. Because combining chicken with potatoes is always in trends.

This is the comfort food of my childhood. Except for the fact that the chicken was fried then. And the potatoes too. But I was always waiting for this mix, it was just perfect.

The moment I began to pay attention to what I was eating, I decided to ditch the fried foods from my diet. But I wasn’t prepared back then and I’m not now either to give up the chicken-potato combo. And I strongly believe that I don’t have to. Everyone should be able to enjoy this sacred meal of chicken thighs and potatoes without having to fear of extra calories, carbs and other stuff we don’t like to talk about.

Just eat and enjoy!

Preparing the food without frying is a gain

Because fried oil is not that good for your health. And dumping the oil means that we’re also losing a lot of calories. This is one reason you shouldn’t be afraid of baked chicken and potatoes. The last ones have become some kind of Boogie Man of the veggies’ world.

Nutritionists advise you not to eat them even if you’re starving. Food coaches say that potatoes have many calories and can’t be combined with proteins and fats. The truth is that you can’t eat potatoes all by themselves. Well, I can. My son does too. But many people don’t.

Let me tell you some fun facts now. Potatoes contain a lot of vitamin C. A lot means 27mg/per serving (per potato). This value represents 30% of the daily recommended dose. 30%! That’s a huge number. They also have more potassium than bananas and a lot of vitamin B6. And guess what? Eating a potato will bring you only 110 calories. I say it’s not that bad, right?

I’m supposing that all this “potato-free madness” came from the fact that many people associate these vegetables with fast foods. Those vending chains sell only fries which are truly devoid of any nutritional values. But if you prepare them at home by baking, boiling or steaming, potatoes can be considered perfect as a side dish.

Nevertheless, you should know that potatoes...

...Have a common ancestor with chili peppers, bell peppers, tobacco and tomatoes. It may seem kind of weird, but about 350 million years ago there was a plant called nightshade which started to evolve and turned into all these pretty vegetables we enjoy today. Except for the tobacco, of course. 

First potato crops were cultivated in Peru by the Incas, around 8000BC and 5000BC. After Peru was conquered by the Spanish Conquistadors, potatoes were taken to Europe. As they are a less perishable food, Spanish government used them for military and navy. Due to the high content of vitamin C, soldiers who consumed it didn’t get scurvy.

In 1589, Sir Walter Raleigh brought potatoes to Ireland and cultivated them on 40000 acres of land near Cork. The veggies also spread to the rest of Europe. The process took almost four decades.

After many years of being accused of being poisonous and blamed for various diseases, farmers in Europe found out that it is easier to cultivate and grow potatoes than other crops, like oats and wheat. The most interesting fact is that vitamins in potatoes are enough for sustenance. The veggies harvested from one acre of cultivated land could be provided to ten people.

United States were the last that adopted the potatoes. For a long period of time they only used the vegetables to feed horses and other animals. Luther Burbank, a famous horticulturist, made efforts so the benefits of potatoes to be acknowledged. Only after 1872, cultivating industry began to grow.

In the 20th century, potatoes are known as one of the most beloved food in the entire world. The large variety of types may also have contributed to this.

Nowadays, Idaho is the largest producer of potatoes. This state has begun growing them around 1836. Until then, native tribes relied upon gathering and hunting to feed themselves. That year, missionaries moved west and taught them how to grow crops.

Potato is the first vegetable grown in space. The astronauts needed to be fed on their long journeys so NASA, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin, created a technology for cultivating and growing crops. This can be extremely useful in the future when there will be space colonies.

Now that you know everything about potatoes, let me tell you a few words about chicken.

How to Handle the Raw Meat?

Many people believe that it is better to wash the meat before using it. Actually, this is not a good idea. Chicken can be often contaminated with campylobacter bacteria. There is no need for a lot of campylobacter cells, only a few can lead to food poisoning.

To store raw chicken, make sure it doesn’t come into contact with any other foods. Cover it and place at the bottom of the fridge.

Rinsing the meat can help in spreading the bacteria and contaminate the cooking utensils and counter tops.

Wash your hands thoroughly before and after working with chicken. Pay the same attention to the utensils, chopping boards and any other surface that comes in contact with the meat.

Cook the chicken very well, following the cooking instructions and making sure there is no pink meat. You may check the thickest part of the slice by cutting it.

What to Make with Baked Chicken and Potatoes?

The first option is to make some oven baked chicken and potatoes, of course. This recipe is extremely easy and can be made with any herbs and spices your heart desires. This means you can make it taste exactly as you wish.

The one-pot choices are infinite. You can prepare something creamy or crunchy or spicy. If you want something more than “keep it simple”, feel free to bring anything to that pot: garlic, onion, herbs, other veggies, cream cheese, heavy cream, parmesan, cheddar, chilies. Everything works. You can make some garlic chicken or some spicy chicken or some creamy potatoes and chicken.

If you are not into baked things, grill the chicken and boil the potatoes. You can mash them after that, add some butter and have a great side dish.

How to Bake Chicken and Potatoes?

The great thing about this recipe is that it is extremely simple. You just need to peel the potatoes and place them in a baking tray together with the chicken. Add some olive oil, fresh or dried herbs, salt and pepper and stir to coat.

Place the tray into the oven and let it cook.

How Long to Bake Chicken and Potatoes?

The cooking time may vary depending on which type of meat you want to use. For example, if you choose chicken thighs and potatoes, you’ll need to bake them for about 40 minutes. In case you go for chicken legs, the time will increase a bit, to about 55 minutes.

Breast will also work. If it is cut in thin pieces, the cooking time may even be 30 minutes but you need to check the potatoes to see if they’re ready.

Cooking time may also vary in case the bones are present or not. If you opt for the bone-in variant for this oven baked chicken and potatoes dish, add about 10 minutes to the cooking time.

What to Make With Chicken Breasts and Potatoes?

Oven baked chicken thighs (or legs or breast) and potatoes, garlic chicken and basically everything that goes to the oven are very easy to prepare. Therefore, these recipes are perfect if you’ve just started your cooking journey.

In case you are a beginner, I strongly advise you to begin with recipes that are not complicated so the failing rate would be smaller. Nonetheless, keep in mind that at some point, sooner or later you will mess up something.

A dish or maybe more won’t come out the way you want them to. And that is perfectly normal. Even the most experienced chefs make mistakes.

Everybody makes mistakes. 

We are all humans. I strongly believe that blowing up something is good because you get to learn a lot from doing that.

You will start to analyze, to see what went wrong. And you will come to your own conclusion, you will decide what to do next. So don’t be afraid to try, maybe the next recipe you cook will be from scratch without following any guidelines.

But begin with this roasted chicken and potatoes dish. You won’t regret it.