Greek Lemon Chicken and Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients and substitutions

Choosing your ingredients

Bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks are the best fit. The bone and fat protect the meat during a long roast, and the skin crisps above the potatoes. Breast meat dries out long before the potatoes are tender, so if you use it, take the breast pieces out earlier than the rest.

Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes keep their shape and turn creamy inside. Russets work too, but their edges break down. Cut wedges about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) thick so they finish with the chicken. Leave the skins on.

Lemon needs a light hand. Juice that roasts for an hour can turn sharp and a little bitter. The recipe puts only part of the lemon in the pan and saves the wedges for the end, so you add fresh brightness at the table. Bottled juice tastes flat, so squeeze real lemons.

Dried oregano is the usual choice. It holds up to the heat, while fresh oregano fades in a long roast. Use a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet about 13 by 18 inches (33 by 46 cm), so the pieces sit in a single layer.

Possible substitutions

• Yukon Gold potatoes: Red potatoes, or russets cut a little larger. Russets give a softer, starchier result.
• Chicken thighs and drumsticks: A whole chicken cut into 8 pieces. Add the breast pieces about 15 minutes later.
• Chicken stock: Water with an extra pinch of salt, or half water and half dry white wine.
• Dried oregano: Dried thyme or marjoram, in the same amount.
• Fresh lemon juice: No good swap. Use fresh lemons, or leave out the wedges for a milder dish.
• Fresh parsley: Chopped fresh dill.

Step-by-step method

1. Heat the oven and prepare the chicken. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 425°F (220°C). Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels, because dry skin crisps and wet skin steams. Season both sides with half of the salt and all of the pepper. Do not rinse the chicken, and wash your hands and board afterward.
2. Make the lemon marinade. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and the rest of the salt. Add the potato wedges and toss until every piece is coated and smells strongly of garlic. Spread the potatoes in the roasting pan, leaving the leftover marinade in the bowl.
3. Coat the chicken and let it rest. Put the chicken in the same bowl and turn the pieces in the leftover marinade until lightly coated. Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes while the oven heats. Much longer in the lemon can leave the meat surface dull and chalky, so keep it short.
4. Assemble the pan. Lay the chicken skin side up on top of the potatoes, with a little space between pieces. Pour the stock into the pan around the edges, not over the chicken, so the skin stays dry and can crisp. The liquid should come about a third of the way up the potatoes.
5. Roast and turn the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the skin is lightly golden and the juices bubble. Carefully turn the potatoes and spoon some pan juices over them, not over the skin. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of stock or water. Return it to the oven.
6. Roast until the skin is crisp. Roast for another 20 to 30 minutes. The skin should be deep golden and crackly, the potato edges browned and the sauce thick and glossy. Push an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone. It must read at least 165°F (74°C). Dark meat is more tender at 175°F to 185°F (80°C to 85°C), so give it more time.
7. Rest and finish with lemon. Take the pan out and rest the chicken in it for 10 minutes, while the potatoes keep soaking up sauce. Squeeze 1 or 2 lemon wedges over the pan, taste a potato and add salt if needed, then scatter the parsley on top. If the skin looks pale, broil for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely.
8. Serve from the pan. Bring the pan to the table and spoon potatoes and pan juices onto warm plates, with a piece of chicken on each. Offer the remaining lemon wedges on the side. A tomato and cucumber salad or some bread for mopping the sauce goes well. Serve while the skin is still crisp.

Storage and reheating

Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking. Keep chicken and potatoes, with some pan juices, in a shallow airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, as the USDA advises for cooked leftovers. The crisp skin will soften.

To reheat, spread the pieces on a baking sheet and warm them in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until steaming hot all the way through, at 165°F (74°C). This also helps the skin crisp again. A microwave is faster but leaves the skin soft. Do not leave the pan on the counter overnight.

Common mistakes

• Using too much lemon juice. Lemon that roasts for an hour can turn sharp and bitter. Keep the juice in the pan to the amount listed and add fresh lemon at the end instead.
• Pouring liquid over the skin. Wet skin steams instead of crisping. Pour the stock around the chicken and spoon pan juices onto the potatoes only.
• Crowding the pan. Packed pieces release steam and brown poorly. Use a pan big enough for one layer with small gaps, or use two pans.
• Trusting the clock, not a thermometer. Oven times shift with the pan and the size of the pieces. Check the thickest part of a thigh for at least 165°F (74°C).
• Washing the raw chicken. Rinsing raw chicken splashes bacteria around the sink. Pat it dry with paper towels, then wash your hands, board and knife.