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Mediterranean Roasted Chicken with Red Potatoes & Vegetables

Course Main dishes, Poultry
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Notes

Easy Italian Baked Chicken
 Course Main dishes, Poultry
 Cuisine Mediterranean
 Prep Time 10 mins
 Cook Time 18 mins
 Servings
people
 
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Pat chicken dry. Place a chicken breast in a large zip-top bag and zip the top (make sure to release any air in the bag first), then place it on your poultry cutting board. Using a meat mallet like this one, pound to flatten the chicken. Remove from the zip-top bag and reuse bag and mallet to repeat the process with the remaining chicken breast pieces.
  3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place in a large mixing bowl or dish. Add spices, minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice. Combine to make sure the chicken is evenly coated with the spices and garlic.
  4. In a large lightly oiled baking dish or pan, spread onion slices on the bottom. Arrange seasoned chicken on top, and add the tomatoes.
  5. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 10 minutes covered, then uncover and bake another 8 to 10 minutes or so. Watch carefully. This can take less or more time depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. To be sure chicken is cooked through, use an instant digital Cooking or Meat Thermometer for the proper temperature of 165 degrees F.)
  6. Remove from heat. Let chicken breasts rest (cover with foil or another pan) for 5 to 10 minutes or so before serving. Uncover and garnish with fresh parsley and basil. Enjoy!
RECIPE NOTES
We can never have too many delicious and quick chicken recipes, can we?! You’ll love this healthy, juicy Italian Baked Chicken Recipe. Boneless skinless chicken breasts prepared with a simple spice mixture, garlic, and olive oil, and finished with fresh parsley and basil! Afraid to serve dry chicken breasts? Be sure to check out my tips and watch the video at the bottom of this post.
  • Important Cook’s Tips: Do not skip pounding the chicken (step #2). Pounding the chicken into thinner, and more evenly flat pieces help it cook faster and more evenly. And by pounding the chicken breast, you’re also mechanically tenderizing it, which means you’ll end up with a juicer and tastier chicken dinner.
  • Cook’s Tip: Let chicken rest before serving to allow juices to redistribute.

4 Tips for Baked Chicken Breast

1. Pound the chicken. I’m a big fan of pounding chicken breasts into thinner, more evenly flat pieces; it helps it cook faster and more evenly. And by pounding, you’re also mechanically tenderizing the chicken breast, which means you’ll end up with a juicer and tastier chicken dinner.
2. Add Enough Flavor. To begin with, be sure to season chicken breasts well on both sides with salt and pepper. Then, layer more flavor in the form of spices and aromatics. I use a simple mixture for this Italian baked chicken: oregano, fresh thyme, and sweet paprika along with fresh minced garlic. To bring everything together, a generous drizzle of my favorite Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil and a splash of lemon juice. The key is to toss the chicken well to coat evenly with the mixture. And if you leave it just for 10 minutes or so, this little bit of time helps the flavoring process.
3. Avoid Baking Too Long. This is the thing about cooking chicken breast, one minute makes a difference. I found that when baking, covering chicken breasts for the first 10 minutes or so was helpful in allowing steam to cook the chicken a bit from the inside first. Then, once uncovered, it finishes cooking quicker (again an attempt to avoid dry chicken breast). Always watch carefully, and test using an instant thermometer to avoid baking too long (Once chicken registers 165 degrees F, it’s ready. 18 to 20 minutes at most.)
4. Let Chicken Rest Before Serving or Slicing Through. This is a known rule, just like with a good steak, once chicken breast hits that magic 165 degrees F, remove from heat and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes so that the juices redistribute. And this time, I actually covered the chicken while it rested. I’ve found that to work even better.
italian oven roasted vegetables
 Course Side dishes, Vegetables
 Prep Time 10 mins
 Cook Time 30 mins
 Servings
people
INGREDIENTS
 
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Place the mushrooms, veggies, and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle generously with olive oil (about 1/4 cup olive oil or so). Add the dried oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
  3. Take the potatoes only and spread them on a lightly-oiled baking pan (I used this one).
  4.  Roast in the heated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and then add the mushrooms and remaining vegetables. Return to oven to roast for another 20 minutes until the veggies are fork-tender (some charring is good!)
  5. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
RECIPE NOTES
There’s a reason these Italian oven-roasted vegetables are so popular–Delicious, roasted to tender perfection, and bold with Italian flavors from fresh garlic, oregano, thyme, and extra virgin olive oil! I make these easy roasted vegetables almost weekly as a side to some of my favorite chicken and fish dishes. But they also make a great vegetarian main on top of rice or even quinoa. And for vegans, simply omit the Parmesan cheese.
  • Cook’s Tip: For best results, don’t skip step #2. To flavor the vegetables well and to ensure they are well-coated with the olive oil and seasonings, it helps to use a big mixing bowl to do that first before transferring to a baking pan or baking sheet.
  • Cook’s Tip #2: Since potatoes take a bit longer to cook, it’s good to give them a head start in the oven. Bake potatoes first for a few minutes until you are able to stick a fork about halfway through with just a little bit of resistance (about 10 to 15 minutes).  Also, if you are not using small baby potatoes, may sure to cut them into quarters or diced.
My Tips for Best Oven Roasted Vegetables
You hardly need to think about this dish of simple roasted vegetables, but if you’re looking for exceptional results, I have a few tips for you:
1- Set the Oven on High. High heat is ideal for roasting vegetables. You can set your oven to anywhere from 400 degrees F to 450 degrees F, depending on what vegetables you’re working with.
2- Flavor the Vegetables well. One important thing is to make sure the vegetables are evenly seasoned. To do that, place the already cut vegetables in a large bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and spices of your choices (I used oregano and thyme).
3- Use a Heavy, Dark Baking Sheet, or Pan. The dark coating helps the veggies brown well. I often use this cast iron baking dish, the added benefit of cast iron is that it provides even, steady heat.
4- Do Not Crowd the Vegetables in the Baking Pan. To get the best texture out of our veggies, make sure they are spread in one single layer on your baking pan.

Suggestions and Substitutions

Use this recipe as a template for whatever you have on hand! Here are a few good swaps:
  • Swap the chicken thighs for legs or bone-in skin-on chicken breasts. (Chicken breasts will cook a little faster, so check the temperature earlier.)
  • Swap the baby potatoes for any other kind of potato or sweet potato, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • White, yellow, or sweet onions can be swapped for the red onions
  • Add any veggies you have on hand! Green beans, Brussels sprouts, or zucchini would all be good additions
  • Swap the paprika marinade for your favorite chicken marinade or chicken dry rub (here's the one we like!)

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days and can be reheated in the microwave or in a low oven.
The chicken can be marinated and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw before cooking with the potatoes, onions, and tomatoes.
One-Pan Paprika Chicken with Potatoes and Tomatoes
PREP TIME15 mins
COOK TIME60 mins
TOTAL TIME75 mins
SERVINGS4 to 6 servings
Small red or yellow potatoes can be substituted for the baby potatoes; cut them into bite-sized pieces before baking.

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds, bone-in, skin-on, trimmed of excess fat)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes
  • 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
  • 6 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
  • Handful of thyme sprigs
  • Leaves from 3 to 4 parsley sprigs, for garnish

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F:

    Place a rack in the middle position.

  2. Prepare the chicken:

    With scissors or a sharp knife, trim the excess chicken skin and fat from the thighs. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

  3. Marinate the chicken in the sauce:

    In a large bowl, stir together the mustard, lemon juice, paprika, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Set aside while you chop the vegetables.

  4. Prepare the vegetables:

    Cut the baby potatoes into halves. Peel the red onion and cut it into 8 wedges through the root end. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, but keep them separate from the other vegetables.

  5. Bake the chicken and vegetables:

    In a large baking dish (9x13-inch pan, 3-quart dish, or other similar sized baking dish), toss the potatoes, onion, and garlic with salt, pepper, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread them evenly in the pan and top with thyme sprigs.
    Nestle the chicken into the vegetables and scrape any extra sauce over top. Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, uncovered.
    Layer the potatoes and onions for paprika chicken in a baking dish
    Place the chicken and potatoes on top of the onions in a baking dish

  6. Add the tomatoes:

    Remove the pan from the oven, scatter the cherry tomatoes on top, and return the pan to the oven.

  7. Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes:

    Bake another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of a thigh registers 165°F. Serve with a salad or crusty bread.