6 Easy Dinners With Chicken and Potatoes
Chicken and potatoes is classic Sunday dinner, but it works any night of the week. These six use pantry basics and most take 30 to 45 minutes, a lot of it hands-off in the oven.
1. Sheet pan chicken and potatoes
Time: 40 min · Also need: olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, a vegetable
One pan, almost no cleanup, and crispy potatoes every time.
Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss 1½ lb cubed potatoes with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika on a sheet pan. Roast 15 minutes.
Add 1½ lb chicken thighs or breast chunks, seasoned the same way, plus a vegetable like green beans or broccoli.
Roast 20 to 25 more minutes until the potatoes are golden and the chicken reaches 165°F.
Giving the potatoes a head start is the trick to everything finishing together.
2. Garlic butter chicken and potatoes
Time: 35 min · Also need: butter, garlic, Italian seasoning
A skillet dinner that tastes like a restaurant dish.
Microwave 1½ lb small or halved baby potatoes for 5 minutes. Then brown them in oil in a large skillet, about 8 minutes.
Push them aside and brown 1½ lb seasoned chicken pieces until cooked through.
Add 3 tbsp butter, 4 minced garlic cloves and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Toss everything for 1 minute.
A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens it up.
3. Chicken pot pie skillet
Time: 40 min · Also need: frozen mixed vegetables, flour, milk, broth, a tube of biscuits
All the comfort of pot pie, without making a crust.
Brown 1 lb diced chicken and 2 cups small-diced potatoes in an oven-safe skillet, about 10 minutes.
Stir in 3 tbsp flour, then 1½ cups broth and ½ cup milk. Add 2 cups frozen vegetables and simmer until thick.
Top with refrigerated biscuits and bake at 375°F for 15 to 18 minutes until golden.
No biscuits? Serve it over toast or in bowls just as it is.
4. Lemon herb roast chicken thighs and potatoes
Time: 45 min · Also need: lemon, garlic, dried thyme or rosemary
Bone-in thighs get crispy skin and keep the potatoes underneath full of flavor.
Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss 2 lb quartered potatoes with oil, salt, pepper and herbs in a baking dish.
Set 6 to 8 bone-in, skin-on thighs on top. Season and add lemon slices and smashed garlic around them.
Roast 40 to 45 minutes until the skin is crisp and the thighs reach 165°F.
Spoon the pan juices over everything before serving.
5. Loaded chicken and potato bake
Time: 45 min · Also need: bacon bits, cheddar, sour cream, green onion
Loaded baked potato flavors with chicken for a full meal.
Toss 1½ lb cubed potatoes with oil, salt and paprika. Spread in a baking dish and bake at 425°F for 20 minutes.
Stir in 1 lb small-diced, seasoned raw chicken. Bake 15 to 18 more minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Top with cheddar and bacon bits, bake 5 more minutes, then add sour cream and green onion.
Cut the chicken small so it cooks in the same time as the potatoes.
6. Creamy chicken and potato soup
Time: 35 min · Also need: onion, carrots, broth, milk or cream
Thick, creamy and filling on a cold night.
Soften a diced onion and 2 carrots in a pot. Add 2 lb diced potatoes, 1 lb chicken breast and 6 cups broth.
Simmer 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the chicken is cooked. Shred the chicken.
Mash some of the potatoes right in the pot to thicken it, and stir in 1 cup milk or cream. Season to taste.
Top with cheese and crumbled crackers.
Quick answers
What temperature should chicken be cooked to?
The USDA recommends 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part. Without a thermometer, cut into the thickest piece: the juices should run clear with no pink.
How do I get crispy roasted potatoes?
Cut them evenly, dry them, don't crowd the pan, and roast at 425°F. Flip once halfway.
Which potatoes are best?
Yukon Golds roast and mash well and hold their shape in soup. Baby potatoes are great halved for skillets.
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