Mediterranean Chicken Dinner
Recipe video above. Infused with classic Mediterranean flavours of garlic, lemon, oregano and paprika, this is a terrific quick dinner idea. The sauce is the star of this and marinating is optional! I made this with drumsticks but you can make this with bone-in chicken thigh fillets too.
Servings: 4 - 5 people
Calories: 90cal
Ingredients
Marinade / Sauce
- 1kg / 2lb bone in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup 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 1/2 tsp paprika , sweet/regular (or smoked)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, +50% for flakes)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Bake
- 300g / 10 oz starchy potatoes, cleaned and skin kept on or peeled, cut into small 2.5cm/1" pieces (Aus: the dirt brushed potatoes from grocery stores, US: Russet, UK: Maris Piper) (Note 3)
- 2 red onions , quartered
- 1 cup chicken broth/stock , low sodium
- 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes (whole)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black 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 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced).
- Put everything in pan - Place potatoes and onion in baking pan, top with chicken. Pour over the chicken stock then marinade from the bowl.
- Bake 1 - Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven.
- Bake 2 - 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!
Notes
1. Chicken - To make this with other cuts of chicken:
- Boneless skinless thigh fillets: Add the chicken into the pan 20 minutes into the baking time. If you leave it in for the whole time per the recipe, they will overcook.
- Chicken breast: not recommended, because there is a high risk of being dry and the cook time is very variable. However, it can be done - just add the chicken for the last 20 minutes of bake time.
2. The Dijon mustard adds another slight layer of flavour into the sauce and also thickens it. But the dish can be made without it.
3. Potatoes - You need to use starchy potatoes (ie floury potatoes) as they cook faster than waxy ones. If you have waxy ones or baby potatoes, give them a 20 minute head start before adding everything else, to make sure they cook through.
4. General notes:
- Marinating - benefits from marinating but not critical. Sauce has so much flavour (and there's lots of it) it compensates;
- Pan size - 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
Serving: 503g | Calories: 90cal | Carbohydrates: 50.6g | Protein: 31.5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 1285mg | Fiber: 7.5g | Sugar: 14.4g | Vitamin A: 700IU | Vitamin C: 85.8mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3.6mg