Mediterranean Baked Chicken Dinner – this is a midweek chicken dinner idea that’s one of those “throw it all in a pan” recipes with high returns for minimal effort. With chicken, potatoes, onion and cherry tomatoes, you’ll love how everything sucks up the tasty lemon garlic sauce in this sheet pan dinner!
Mediterranean Baked Chicken Dinner
This is a chicken sheet pan dinner that ticks a lot of boxes for midweek cooking:
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complete meal – no need to bother with side salads
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low effort prep – no finely chopping anything, no fiddly assemble, just throw it all in a pan
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no need to watch over it – pop it in the oven, set the timer and walk away;
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no gourmet or hard to find ingredients – plus plenty of substitutions
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IT’S TOTALLY DELICIOUS!!! The tasty Mediterranean sauce is not only very, very tasty in its own right, it also keeps everything nice and moist while it’s in the oven (you will love how juicy the chicken is).
I especially love how the potatoes suck up the sauce as they bake. It reminds me of Greek Lemon Potatoes (but a lot less effort!).
What you need for this Chicken Dinner
Here’s what you need for this one pan Mediterranean Baked Chicken Dinner:
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Chicken – thighs and drumsticks (bone in, skin on = juicy flesh and golden skin!)
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Lemons, lots of garlic, paprika and oregano – to make the tasty Mediterranean sauce;
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Honey and mustard – to thicken/sweeten/flavour the sauce;
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Potatoes, onion and cherry tomatoes
Customise it!
I’ve used onions, potatoes and cherry tomatoes here but you could really use whatever vegetables you have.
Zucchini, pumpkin, sweet potato, corn cobs spring to mind as ideal substitutions. Rummage around in your fridge and see what you’ve got!
Also, in there spirit of Mediterranean food, I’ve used oregano and garlic here. Try it with rosemary or thyme instead, or give it a Middle Eastern spin by adding a touch of cumin and coriander!
How to make this One Pan Chicken Dinner
Obscenely simple: mix Sauce, toss in chicken, optional marinade, toss it all in a pan and bake.
OK, I skipped one step here. 😇 I add cherry tomatoes partway through the bake time so they don’t turn into unidentifiable mush. But if you’re ok with extremely squishy tomatoes, just add them right in at the beginning!
And here’s what you end up with in this one pan Mediterranean Chicken Dinner:
1. Very, very juicy chicken infused with Mediterranean flavours -the chicken isn’t submerged in sauce because we want the skin to go nice and golden. But the underside is partially in the sauce / steamed which keeps it ultra juicy.
2. Juicy pops of cherry tomatoes and potatoes that suck up the lemon garlic sauce:
Another nice thing about this chicken dinner is that marinating is optional. It definitely adds flavour if you can marinate overnight because then the chicken is flavoured all the way through.
However, there is plenty of sauce in this recipe – enough to mop and dunk and douse every bite you take. So it’s fine to make even without marinating! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Mediterranean Chicken Dinner
Ingredients
Marinade / Sauce
- 1kg / 2lb bone in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) lemon juice
- 6 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard (Optional - Note 2)
- 2 tbsp honey or 1 tbsp sugar (or maple or other sweetener)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp EACH salt and pepper
Bake
- 5 smallish potatoes (7.5cm/3" wide) , quartered (Note 3)
- 2 red onions , quartered
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken broth/stock , low sodium
- 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes (whole)
- 1/2 tsp EACH salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp Olive oil (or oil spray)
- Fresh oregano , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Mix Marinade ingredients in a bowl, then add chicken and toss to coat. If time permits, marinate for 24 hours, otherwise proceed to next step.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Place potatoes and onion in baking pan, top with chicken. Pour over the chicken stock then marinade from the bowl.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven.
- Scatter over cherry tomatoes, drizzle everything with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for a further 30 - 35 minutes until chicken is golden and potatoes are cooked.
- Remove from oven, garnish with fresh oregano if using and serve!
Recipe Notes:
- Marinating - benefits from marinating but not critical. Sauce has so much flavour (and there's lots of it) it compensates;
- Pan size -Â ingredients should fit snugly. If they are too spaced out, too much of the liquid will evaporate while baking and you won't end up with much sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published November 2015, updated March 2020 with new photos, new video and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added!
More Dinner in One Pot!
Life of Dozer
This is a 3 seater lounge – or one Dozer. 🙄
I made this the other night and it was delicious. I roasted capsicum with the other veggies and had broccolini on the side. The only issue I had was that there was waaaaay too much liquid and I ended up having to remove some and let the veggies cook on their own for some time. Unfortunately the potatoes didn’t soften in the timeframe suggested in the recipe (and I only used mini potatoes cut in half). Despite that, it still turned out nice and I know what to do for next time.
Yum, so much flavour!! I love a one pot dinner. I added Feta cheese for the last minute of baking! Perfect addition! Served with cous cous, it was a huge hit!
Hi Nagi, how can I modify this recipe to cook a whole chicken?
Seems like a great recipe. But the potatoes and the chicken did not cook after 55 minutes at 350. Followed everything to the letter. Recommend pre-boiling your potatoes for a few minutes before putting them in.
Hi Nick, they should definitely be cooked in that time, you may of cut them slightly too large (or it could be the type of potato you’re using). If your chicken didn’t cook through as well it could be that your oven runs on the cooler side. A good way to check is by purchasing an oven thermometer to ensure your thermostat is correct! N x
Perfect for easy, midweek dinner. Lovely light blend of flavours. Veg (potato, carrot, onion) took waaay longer than the chicken to cook so I’ll start them separately next time.
I made this yesterday night and it was so good!!!! My daughter couldn’t stop eating. I had with Couscous and it was sooo yum. Thank you. You are a lifesaver.
I made the Mediterranean Chicken and we really loved it. I was hesitant about how my husband would like it, but it was a hit. It’s definitely on our list to make again.
Love this recipe and it’s now a go to in our household! Can highly recommend getting some gorgeous crusty bread to soak up the juices and parboiling the potatoes for a few minutes then throw them into the pan. This recipe really packs a punch of flavour and I love it!
Awesome recipe. The taste is perfect and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. Very very yummy.
Made it tonight. I marinated the chicken like you suggested since yesterday. Really yummy. I added some leftover feta I wanted to use up. Thanks again Nagi.
Hi Dozer
This dish is bloody genious, all on one tray and bursting with flavours, the only thing I regret not doing is not buying fresh crusty bread to soak up all them juicies, but not to worry because this is a dish that I will be making again and again and again just like so many others that you´ve posted,. TAKK! (thank you in Icelandic) x
I have made so many of your recipes over the years and loved them all. This one is my all time favourite, the blend of flavours are amazing, so subtle, so delicate. Yummo! I do have to say the potatoes did take longer, so next time I will pre cook them. Thank you
I’ve fallen in love with your blog — I’m a very finicky eater, but I’ve found so many recipes I plan to make !!!
I’ve found a few (like this one) that use skin-on chicken. I really really don’t like chicken skin.
In a recipe like this one, would it work to use boneless skinless chicken breasts, or would it lack too much flavor?
I’m so glad you’re loving the blog Robin!!! I talk about this cut of chicken in the recipe notes too. N x
Another 5 star recipe Nagi. Those flavours are incredible! I think I did not cut the potato quite small enough as I had to cook about another 20 minutes. I added corn cobs as well. Think this will be on rotation as the family all loved it too.
My 13yo son has taken an interest in cooking and he cooks 2-3 times a week and always comes to your site for recipes as he likes to watch the video first.
We are having this recipe tonight and I look forward to not having to cook!
Hi Nagi,
I made this again tonight. It is always a hit and seems to get better every time I make it. I paired it with Ottolenghiish bean salad and they were excellent companions. Thank you for gracing my table with your terrific recipes.
YUM!!! N x