One-Pan Italian Garlic-Herb Baked Chicken

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Bone-in chicken thighs rubbed with garlic, oregano and lemon, then roasted hot on a single sheet pan with potatoes and tomatoes until the skin shatters and the meat stays juicy. A weeknight-cheap Italian-American dinner that tastes like it took far more effort than it does.

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lb)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges

• 1 1/2 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for pan juices)

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels — dry skin is the whole game here. Set them skin side up on a plate and let them sit uncovered while you prep everything else.
2. In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the grated garlic, oregano, dried basil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and the lemon zest into a loose paste.
3. Rub the paste all over the chicken, including under the skin where you can lift it, then wipe the top of the skin lightly with a paper towel and sprinkle it with a pinch more salt. (Keeping the garlic mostly under and around the skin stops it from burning at high heat.)
4. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper third. On a rimmed half sheet pan, toss the halved potatoes and onion wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the Italian seasoning. Spread in a single layer and roast alone for 15 minutes.
5. Pull the pan out, push the potatoes toward the edges, and nestle the chicken thighs skin side up in the center directly on the hot pan. Scatter the cherry tomatoes into the gaps. Do not crowd the thighs — leave a little space around each so steam escapes and the skin crisps.
6. Return to the oven and roast 30 to 35 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crackly and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of a thigh (not touching bone) reads 175 to 180°F. Thighs are forgiving; 175°F is where they turn silky, not dry.
7. If the skin needs more color, run the pan under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching constantly.
8. Transfer the chicken to a board or platter and let it rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile, swirl the butter into the tomato-y pan juices with the potatoes, crushing a few tomatoes with a spoon to make a rough sauce, and scrape up any browned bits.
9. Spoon the potatoes, tomatoes and pan juices around the chicken, shower with Parmesan and parsley, and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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