There are few things more comforting than this Italian chicken and potatoes one-pan dish. Chicken pieces and potatoes are seasoned with garlic, onion, parsley, and oregano, and roasted to perfection.  This recipe guarantees the juiciest chicken and will make your kitchen smell incredible.

Tongs over pieces of baked chicken.

Nothing says “welcome home” better than the smell of chicken and potatoes roasting, especially when there is oregano involved.  There is just something about it that is so comforting.  

This is a dish I make very often for my family.  I will usually change it up every now and then, substitute some seasoning, or ingredients, but it is always a hit.  

Pair it with vegetables like roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots, garlic green beans, or a beautiful green salad and you’ve got a healthy and complete meal.

 

What type of chicken is best?

For this recipe, I used a whole young fryer chicken which I cut into pieces.  The names broiler and fryer are often used interchangeably between brands, but you want a chicken about 4 -5 pounds. 

Some people find cutting the chicken up to be intimidating.  If that is you, please watch my YouTube baked chicken and potatoes video where I demonstrate how to cut up a chicken.  

If you’re still apprehensive, you could absolutely use pre-cut chicken pieces.  I just find that buying the whole chicken is a bit more budget-friendly and yields better results for only a little extra work.

Pro tip:  Regardless of the type of chicken you use, make sure the pieces are dried very well.  This is one of the keys to making roasted chicken and potatoes successfully.  Removing the water helps the chicken roast and crisp up.  Leaving too much water makes the chicken steam, which is not ideal.

Italian chicken and potatoes step by step instructions

  1. To get started, preheat your oven to 375f and set the oven rack to the middle.  Cut the chicken into pieces and dry each piece very well with a paper towel.  As mentioned above, this is a critical step to make this dish a success.
  2. Cut the potatoes into 1 – 1.5 inch cubes and dry them off with paper towels.  Mince the garlic and parsley, dice the onion, and grate the cheese.  Alternatively, skip the grating and use pre-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Italian baked chicken and potatoes recipe process collage group number one.

  1. In a large bowl, combine the onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, grated cheese, and olive oil.  Mix well.  
  2. Dry the chicken one more time, with more paper towels, then season both sides with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the bowl and coat well with the mixture.  Use your hands to massage the mixture in the chicken and ensure it is thoroughly coated.
  3. Layer the chicken into a large baking dish, skin side up.  
  4. Toss the potatoes into the bowl with the remaining olive oil mixture and mix well.  Season the potatoes with a bit more salt and pepper, then place the potatoes around the chicken.  If you cannot fit them all in the pan without overcrowding, use an additional baking dish for the potatoes.

Recipe process collage group number two.

  1. Drizzle the remaining olive oil onto the chicken and potatoes and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes.  At the halfway point, spoon some of the juices on top of each piece of chicken, and resume baking.  After 45 minutes, the chicken should be almost cooked.
  2. If desired, you can broil the chicken for a few minutes to crisp up the skin, but be sure to watch carefully as it can burn if unattended.  The chicken will be done when the internal temperature reaches 165f.  When the chicken is done give it another sprinkle of kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon total).  Chicken needs salt! Let the chicken sit lightly tented for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow for the chicken to reabsorb some of the pan juices and become even juicier.  Right before serving, toss the chicken and potatoes with the pan juices and serve.

Overhead shot of Italian baked chicken and potatoes in white baking dish with tongs.

Why is drying the chicken so important?

I stressed this a few times above, but due to the importance of this step, I wanted to call this out separately!

Whole chickens are usually packed in some type of solution, or water.  They will be very wet, and therefore must be dried extremely well before preparing.  

If the chicken is not dried, it will basically steam, instead of roasting, yielding a rubbery texture.  

The step of drying may seem small, but really does make or break this dish, so please don’t skip it!

Italian baked chicken and potatoes being held in white baking dish.

More chicken recipes

Chicken is one of the most versatile foods you can prepare.  We’ve got a variety of chicken dishes on Sip and Feast.  

If you like this Italian chicken and potatoes recipe, I think you’ll love these as well.  

  • Garlic butter roast chicken – Perfectly crispy but juicy and easy to make whole chicken dish. 
  • Chicken and peppers – Chicken thighs with bell peppers, tomato, garlic, and white wine.
  • Chicken scarpariello – perhaps the best chicken dish ever!  This dish combines chicken, sausage, peppers, and potatoes in a vinegary sauce.  
  • Chicken cacciatore – aka, Hunter’s Chicken, is one of the most well known Italian chicken dishes.  My version combines black and green olives in a tomato sauce that is simmered to perfection.
  • Italian grilled chicken thighs – this is such a simple, and easy way to prepare chicken thighs.  Perfect for summer nights!

What to serve with Italian chicken and potatoes

When I make this for my family, we enjoy it so much that another dish isn’t always needed.  

But I do love adding a vegetable or other side dish just to round it out.  

Sauteed broccoli rabe is always good with just about any chicken dish.

If you can’t find broccoli rabe, regular broccoli, sauteed with garlic and oil, is equally great with this dish.

This orange and fennel salad has also become a favorite of ours and also winds up on our table at least once a week.  Refreshing, and so tasty!

If you’ve enjoyed this Italian baked chicken and potatoes recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and leave a review.

Watch the video below where Jim will show you how to make this recipe with easy-to-follow instructions. 

Some people learn by watching.  If you’re that type of person, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.

Italian Baked Chicken and Potatoes

5 from 72 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Italian baked chicken and potatoes with oregano, onions, garlic, and Parmigiano Reggiano makes the most comforting, and hearty meal.

Ingredients 

  • 1 whole young chicken (about 4-5 pounds) cut into pieces and dried very well
  • 6 medium potatoes cubed into 1" pieces
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1/2 cup parsley minced
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 3/4 cup olive oil divided
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375f and set oven rack to middle. Cut chicken into pieces and dry well with paper towels. You can also use pre-cut packaged pieces. Cut the potatoes into approximately 1" to 1.5" cubes and dry them off as well with paper towels.
  • In a large bowl combine the onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, grated cheese, and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Mix well. Dry the chicken off one more time, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Add the chicken into the bowl and coat well. Use your hands to really get the chicken coated!
  • Layer the chicken into a large baking dish skin side up. Toss the potatoes into the bowl with the remaining olive oil mixture and mix well. Season the potatoes with a bit more salt and pepper then place the potatoes around the chicken. If you can not fit it all in the same dish, use another baking dish for the potatoes.
  • Drizzle remaining olive oil onto the chicken and potatoes. Bake the chicken for 45 minutes. At the halfway point spoon some of the juices on top of each piece of chicken and resume baking.
  • After 45 minutes the chicken should be almost cooked. If desired you can broil the chicken for a few minutes to crisp up the skin, but watch carefully! The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165f.
  • Right when the chicken comes out, sprinkle it with a bit more kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon total). Let the chicken sit lightly tented for 10-15 minutes before serving. The chicken will reabsorb some of the pan juices and become moister. Right before serving toss the chicken and potatoes into the pan juices and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Dry off the chicken pieces very well with paper towels.  Whole chickens (and cut pieces) have a lot of water in them.  This needs to be removed to successfully roast the chicken.  Wet chicken will not roast well.  Instead, it will steam.  
  • Use a lot of olive oil!  It seems like a lot but it will make the chicken moister and just so much better.
  • Use two pans if you can not fit everything in one.  Avoid overcrowding to more effectively roast the chicken.
  • Broiling the chicken during the last few minutes can add a ton of crispiness and color to the skin.  It's important to do this when the chicken is almost done cooking.  Doing it after the chicken is already 165f could make it too dry.  You only need to broil it for a few minutes.
  • Right when the chicken is finished cooking sprinkle it with some more kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon total).  Chicken needs plenty of salt and can absorb it more easily when it comes right out of the oven.
  • Let the chicken sit for 10-15 minutes before eating.  This will help the chicken reabsorb all the pan juices. 

Nutrition

Calories: 720kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.8g | Protein: 51.7g | Fat: 51.4g | Saturated Fat: 11.9g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 1046mg | Potassium: 676mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 0.9g | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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135 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe reminds me of how my grandmother made chicken. The kitchen smelled amazing before the chicken was even done baking! I took Jim’s suggestion and baked the chicken and potatoes in separate pans and then just combined them at the end.. I mainly did this because I used the small red potatoes and wanted to be able to remove them sooner than the chicken.

  2. 5 stars
    I’m going with 5 stars because I know this will be great – it’s in the oven right now! Tomorrow, I’ll try your beef and barley soup. I absolutely love every recipe of yours I’ve made. The garlic and lemon shrimp is heavenly. I add asparagus to mine for some color and hubby loves it, even though he swears that he hates lemons.😆 Can’t wait till dinner is ready! Thanks so much for sharing your gift with us!

  3. 5 stars
    Mine didn’t come out right. Maybe my measurement of chicken was wrong. I used 2 lbs of boneless thighs and only cooking olive oil. Lately the quality of chicken has been poor. I might half mash the potatoes and add some carrots. I think it would have been good if I had done it with bone in and full chicken and gold potatoes. It’s the first one of your recipes I messed up on. Next time I’ll use cut chicken and follow directions closely. Next- Italian beef stew- family favorite! Thanks for the delicious recipes and instruction.