Baked Chicken with Potatoes
The baking dish goes into the oven covered with foil for the first 45 minutes so the potatoes cook in the chicken steam, and then uncovered for 25–30 minutes at a higher heat so the skin browns. If you uncover it from the beginning, the chicken will dry out before the potatoes cook, and if it stays covered until the end, it will come out boiled and pale.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 80 min
- Total
- 140 min
- Calories
- 810
Photo: Michael J. Bennett / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roasted_Chicken,_Butterflied,_on_Potatoes,_Baking_Pan_01.jpg
Baked chicken with potatoes is Friday's lunch in many Egyptian homes: a chicken cut into quarters with a garlic, lemon, and spice marinade, resting over a layer of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes that soak up the chicken juices. One single baking dish, with no standing by the stove, served with white rice and green salad.
Method
-
1
Preparing the Chicken
Remove excess fat and feathers, and pat the pieces dry well with paper towels — only dry skin browns. Make 2–3 slits in the thigh and breast down to the bone so the marinade penetrates and the thick part cooks along with the thin one.
⏱ 10 min -
2
The Marinade
Mix the garlic, lemon, oil, paste, paprika, cumin, turmeric, spices, salt, and pepper. Rub the chicken well under the skin and inside the slits, and leave it for at least half an hour — or overnight in the fridge.
⏱ 5 min -
3
Oven Preheating and Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick fingers or 1.5 cm slices — thinner than this will mash, and thicker won't finish cooking with the chicken. Toss them with the tablespoon of oil and salt.
⏱ 10 min -
4
Assembling the Dish
Spread the potatoes, onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes in a wide baking dish, and arrange the chicken on top skin side up. The chicken juices drip down onto the potatoes as they cook so they take on its flavor.
⏱ 5 min -
5
Water on the Sides
Dissolve the spoonful of tomato paste in one cup of hot water, and pour it on the sides of the dish and not over the chicken. The water creates steam to cook the potatoes, while the skin stays dry so it browns later.
⏱ 2 min -
6
Covered Baking
Cover the dish tightly with foil on all sides, and put it in the middle rack for 45 minutes. The tightly sealed foil traps the steam that cooks the potatoes without drying out the chicken.
⏱ 45 min -
7
Uncovering and Browning
Remove the foil, raise the oven heat to 220°C, and return the dish for 25–30 minutes. Halfway through, baste the chicken with two tablespoons of the pan juices. It is ready when the skin is golden and a knife inserts into the potatoes easily.
⏱ 30 min -
8
Doneness Test and Resting
Pierce a knife into the thigh near the bone: the juices must come out clear not pink, and if you have a thermometer it should be at least 75°C. Take the dish out and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting so the juices reabsorb back into the meat instead of running out onto the plate.
⏱ 5 min
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Tips that actually matter
- If your oven only heats from the bottom, move the dish to the high rack for the last 10 minutes, or turn on the broiler if available — and keep an eye on it.
- For crispier skin: leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge for a few hours after seasoning — the cold air dries out the skin.
- You can substitute half of the potatoes with carrots or sweet potatoes, and zucchini should be placed on top rather than underneath because it cooks faster.
- Don't throw away the pan juices: strain them and pour over the rice or serve them as a sauce alongside the chicken.
People also ask
Why do the potatoes stay hard while the chicken is cooked?
The potatoes were cut too thick, the dish was uncovered too early, or there wasn't enough water at the bottom. Cut them to 1.5 cm, and keep the foil sealed for the first 45 minutes. If the chicken cooks before them, take the chicken out and leave the potatoes for another 10 minutes.
Why does the chicken come out pale instead of browned?
The skin was wet, the chicken was drowning in water, or the dish wasn't uncovered long enough at high heat. Dry the chicken well, pour the water only on the sides, and don't forget the last half hour uncovered at 220°C.
Can I make baked chicken without potatoes?
Yes: arrange the chicken in a baking dish by itself with half a cup of water underneath, and put it in at 200°C for 50–60 minutes uncovered from the start, basting with its juices every 20 minutes. Without potatoes, you don't need foil because nothing needs to cook in steam.
Can I season it the night before?
Yes and it's even better, provided it stays in the fridge in a closed container. Don't exceed 24 hours because the lemon makes the surface of the meat mushy if it sits in it for too long.
Cook mode
Baked Chicken with Potatoes
-
1
Preparing the Chicken
Remove excess fat and feathers, and pat the pieces dry well with paper towels — only dry skin browns. Make 2–3 slits in the thigh and breast down to the bone so the marinade penetrates and the thick part cooks along with the thin one.
-
2
The Marinade
Mix the garlic, lemon, oil, paste, paprika, cumin, turmeric, spices, salt, and pepper. Rub the chicken well under the skin and inside the slits, and leave it for at least half an hour — or overnight in the fridge.
-
3
Oven Preheating and Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick fingers or 1.5 cm slices — thinner than this will mash, and thicker won't finish cooking with the chicken. Toss them with the tablespoon of oil and salt.
-
4
Assembling the Dish
Spread the potatoes, onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes in a wide baking dish, and arrange the chicken on top skin side up. The chicken juices drip down onto the potatoes as they cook so they take on its flavor.
-
5
Water on the Sides
Dissolve the spoonful of tomato paste in one cup of hot water, and pour it on the sides of the dish and not over the chicken. The water creates steam to cook the potatoes, while the skin stays dry so it browns later.
-
6
Covered Baking
Cover the dish tightly with foil on all sides, and put it in the middle rack for 45 minutes. The tightly sealed foil traps the steam that cooks the potatoes without drying out the chicken.
-
7
Uncovering and Browning
Remove the foil, raise the oven heat to 220°C, and return the dish for 25–30 minutes. Halfway through, baste the chicken with two tablespoons of the pan juices. It is ready when the skin is golden and a knife inserts into the potatoes easily.
-
8
Doneness Test and Resting
Pierce a knife into the thigh near the bone: the juices must come out clear not pink, and if you have a thermometer it should be at least 75°C. Take the dish out and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting so the juices reabsorb back into the meat instead of running out onto the plate.
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