Cast Iron Chicken & Potatoes
My new favorite dinner, delicious cast iron chicken and potatoes in a delicate lemony olive oil sauce is a simple yet elevated dinner.
I LOVE lemon butter sauces. I mean who doesn't, right? But they aren't the healthiest. So I tried to create that taste while cutting back on some of the unhealthy qualities of the adored sauce. Using olive oil instead of butter for a healthier fat, and not adding too much salt. Instead, letting the flavors speak for themselves through a high temperature roasting. And the results? Delicious lemony sauce, tender and juicy chicken, and creamy on the inside, crispy on the outside baby potatoes...it's a meal that's hard to beat.
I do recommend cooking the potatoes beforehand half way, since chicken doesn't take long at all to cook, especially at the high temperature we are going to use here. And potatoes like to take their sweet sweet time roasting. This will just ensure that everything is done at the same time and we aren't in a situation where we have to pull the chicken out while potatoes still want to cook for another hour, totally ruining dinner!
All made in a cast iron pan, this is a healthy, fast way to get a wholesome dinner on the table. Chicken breast (or thighs) are first seared then put in the oven with potatoes, stock, and herbs to merry all the flavors together and make for a light yet filling meal.
Ingredients
Scale1x2x3x
4 chicken breasts (thighs can also be used)
1 pound baby potatoes. halved lengthwise (my favorite is golden)
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup chicken stock
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
1 onion, quartered
1 tablespoon herbs de providence (or any combination of Italian herbs)
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a saucepan, bring water to a boil and add baby potatoes. Boil for 5 minutes. This is so that the potatoes cook faster in the oven. You can skip this step and just soak them in hot water instead. To do that, get a large bowl of hot water and add potatoes. Snack for 10-15 minutes.
Heat cast iron pan to medium heat and add olive oil.
Sauté garlic until fragrant.
Add chicken breasts and sear on each side for about 1 minute.
Sprinkle herbs de providence over the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Remember that the stock will also add saltiness, so be careful not to overdo it!)
Pour in chicken stock.
Arrange potatoes and quartered onions in pan around the chicken.
Top with sprigs of rosemary.
Carefully place cast iron in oven. Bake for approximately 17 minutes or until chicken is cooked throughout.*
Remove from oven and eat immediately.
Notes
Please don't overcook your chicken! If chicken has finished cooking but potatoes still need more, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside while potatoes continue to cook. Nothing is worse than overly cooked. rubbery chicken! This is why precooking or soaking those potatoes is such an important step.