Italian Chicken With Potatoes
Italian Baked Chicken and potatoes in a delicious pan sauce need only 3 ingredients and just five minutes of prep. You would be surprised how juicy and flavourful the chickens are, this dish is sure to become a go-to for delicious and effortless dinners.
This Baked Chicken and potatoes in Italian tomato sauce is a one-pot wonder. Chicken, potatoes, and a jar of marinara sauce, just 3 ingredients, and you will be amazed how amazing this tastes. It is almost a dump-and-bake kind of recipe, the only chopping that is required is to quarter the potatoes. Seared some chicken thighs, then baked them together with leftover marinara sauce
This recipe happened accidentally a few years back while figuring out ways to use up half a jar of leftover marinara sauce. I often make Salsa chicken, so took the recipe as the inspiration.The outcome was juicy chicken, and tender potatoes in a stew-like sauce, a really comforting dish. Over the years, I have tried a few variations and always loved it.
What’ll you need
Basically you need only 3 ingredients for this recipe (of course I am ignoring salt, pepper, and oil). But for some extra flavor, I have used a couple of more ingredients here.
- Chicken- Bone-in chicken thighs, and legs work best in this recipe. I have used a mix of both. I love to keep the skin on, as it crisps up nicely at the end. You could also use a whole chicken and cut it into pieces.
- Potatoes- whole potatoes but into quarters. Baby potatoes will also do.
- Marinara sauce- Because there are not many ingredients, a high-quality marinara sauce will make a huge difference. I love to use roasted garlic or spicy marinara sauce here.
To add a little more flavor I have used Italian seasoning to season the chicken before searing it. Because we are talking about Italian flavors here, grated parmesan cheese on top will only make it better. Add some fresh Italian basil at the end to finish the dish.
Substituion & Variations
Chicken breast is not a great option, as this is a lean meat and not good for long cooking. It will turn dry.
I sometime add mozzarella cheese on top 10 minutes before taking it out, for a gooey cheesy topping(my daughter loves it).
You can add more veggies to it. If adding root vegeteable like carrot, cut it into large chunks and add it along with potateos. Green beans needs to be added mid way through, so that it doesn’t get overcooked and stringy.
Italian chicken with potatoes – step by step instructions
To keep it simple, you can just dump chicken, potatoes, marinara to a casserole and bake. But if you have been my blog reader for a while, then you know I don’t settle for average in flavor. Here is a quick walk through of the steps. By searing, the caramelized chicken enhances the overall flavor.along with
Step 1- Season chicken
Before you season chicken, make sure you have dried them well with kitchen towel. Love brown crispy chicken skin ? then making them as dry as possible ensure it roasts well. Mix together Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Season chicken well on both the sides.
Step 2- Sear Chicken
Time to build flavor. Heat a oven safe skillet/pan. Place chicken skin side down and sear for 3-4 minutes. Then flip.
Step 3 – Add potatoes & marinara
Add quartered potatoes.Then spoon the marinara in the between the chicken pieces ( avoid pouring the sauce on top of chicken, because crispy chicken skin FTW). Shake the skillet to spread the sauce evenly. Then bake in a pre-heated oven until chicken is tender.
Recipe Tips
- Can’t stress enough for a perfect sear, make sure you dry the chicken really well. Else the chicken will steam insted of crisping up.
- If using frozen chicken, its better to thaw it before using. If chicken is partially thawed, then bake for first 10-15 minutes covered then uncover.
- For boost of flavour, you can add a splash of white wine along with marinara sauce.
Storing leftovers
Leftovers can easily be refrigerated for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. The chicken skin might get soggy a little bit but still be delicious.
Freezing- Perfect for freezing as well.
Reheating – Reheat in a microwave until it’s warm. If you have frozen it, then thaw it overnight and then reheat.
What to serve with Italian Chicken and Potatoes
This is a complete dish in it self, and my family loves to scoop the tomato sauce with some crusty bread. Some lightly toasted foccacia also pairs well. To add greens, just toss arugula with olive oil, salt and pepper and serve.
Green beans, Air fryer Roasted broccoli , Kale salad are few other veggies side options that you can serve with this Italian Chicken and potatoes.
Other comfroting chicken Recipes to try
Italian Chicken and potato Bake
Ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken thighs and legs with bone and skin on ( 7-8 pieces)
- 4 medium Potatoes Cut into quarters
- 1 jar Marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 Tablespoon oil
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- fresh Italian basil
Instructions
- Pra-heat oven to 200 C / 400 F.
- Pat dry chicken with a kitchen towel. Mix Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Season chicken pieces with the seasoning mix on both sides.
- Heat an oven-proof skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil. Place chicken pieces skin side down and sear for 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat, flip and sear for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add quartered potatoes to the skillet. Pour marinara sauce carefully in the gaps between chicken and potatoes. ( don't pour over the chicken and cover with sauce, so that chicken skin will brown and crisp up nicely).
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until chicken is cooked and potatoes are tender. (Bast chicken pieces with the pan juices a couple of times in between)
- After taking out of the oven, sprinkle grated parmesan on top. Garnish with fresh Italian basil.
- Serve with grilled veggies, mashed potatoes or crusty bread to scoop the sauce.
Notes
- I have used a mix of bone-in chicken thighs and legs. You can use only thighs or legs too.
- For some extra flavor, add a splash of wine while adding marinara.
- You can add red chilli flakes for some heat.
Nutrition
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