Sunday supper was sacred ground in my house growing up. It inevitably involved a roast of some sort, often accompanied by potatoes, always with a salad and vegetable on the side. Our attendance at the table wasn’t considered optional; and we didn’t want it to be since the meal was always top notch.
A Family Tradition
In my own home, we’ve maintained the tradition of sitting down together on Sunday nights, but the care and quality of that meal has slipped. Life and soccer games and the desire to lounge with the newspaper interfere with more thoughtful cooking. To be honest, it wasn’t something I’d realized until I thumbed through the lovely cookbook, Generous Table, sent to me by chef and entertaining expert Heather Christo. The fact that Heather dedicates one of the book’s 20 menus to Sunday supper, placing it on par with the cocktail parties and holiday feasts, put it in perspective for me.
Heather’s recipe for Greek Chicken with Potatoes is a delicious place to get reacquainted with Sunday supper. First off, nothing says family meal quite like a beautifully roasted bird. Plus, the tasty results bely how simple it is to prepare. You’ll be picking the lemon/oregano/olive oil-crisped potatoes right out of the roasting pan and popping bits of garlicky chicken into your mouth while nobody is looking.
Here’s How It’s Done
You start by splitting the chicken in half right through the center. Season the bird with loads of garlic, dried oregano, and lemon. A generous amount of olive oil makes magic with the flavors and textures of this meal (confession: I use half the olive oil called for in the original recipe; feel free to experiment with the full amount, if desired).
However, if ever, and whenever you make this chicken, it’s so scrumptious, you will remember why Sunday supper is indeed worth revisiting.
A Gorgeous Greek Chicken and Potatoes. Perfect for Sunday Supper. Share on X
Gorgeous Greek Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)
- 3 lemons
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 11 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 medium white or red potatoes, quartered
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper.
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Lay the chicken breast-side-down on a cutting board. Using a sharp chef's knife or kitchen shears, cut the chicken in half along the back bone, staying as close to the bone as possible. Turn the chicken over and cut the chicken through the center of the breast bone. Separate the two halves and lay them skin-side-up on the sheet pan.
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Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon onto the chicken, and rub it on the front and back of the chicken halves. Pour a little less than half of the olive oil over the chicken and rub again to evenly coat the skin. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the oregano and half the garlic over the chicken.
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Put the potatoes in a large bowl. Add the remaining olive oil, remaining garlic, remaining oregano, and the juice of the second lemon. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat the potatoes.
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Arrange the potatoes on the sheet pan around the chicken. Drizzle any liquid remaining in the bowl on top.
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Roast the chicken and potatoes until both are golden and crispy and the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
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Carve the chicken and arrange along with the potatoes on a serving platter. Pour any extra drippings from the pan over the chicken (be sure to scrape up all the browned bits from the pan along with the sauce -- those are the very best parts). Cut the remaining lemon into wedges and arrange alongside the chicken.
Adapted with permission from Heather Christo’s cookbook Generous Table (Kyle Books, 2013)
Comments
03.10.2014 at12:18 PM #
Heather Christo
Thank you so much for writing about my book Katie! This is one of my favorite recipes- I am so glad you enjoyed it!
03.10.2014 at12:56 PM #
Katie Morford
Your more than welcome. This chicken is such a keeper. I love your book.
03.11.2014 at11:15 AM #
erin @ yummy supper
Okay, I am drooling over these photos Katie! I want to make Heather’s recipe for my next Sunday supper.
Have fun at IACP.
xoxo
E
03.11.2014 at11:15 AM #
Katie Morford
Yes, make this! It also will make your kitchen smell amazing.
I especially appreciate your photo comment, since you are such a pro. x
03.12.2014 at7:09 AM #
anniemax
We make this often, but since we’re Sicilian we think it’s Sicilian chicken 😉
I toss the “spent” lemons with the potatoes and add quartered onions also. It is so good!
03.12.2014 at7:09 AM #
Katie Morford
Funny….I suppose Sicily and Greece have much in common in terms of climate and ingredients, so not surprising. Love the idea of roasting the lemons right in with the rest of it. Thanks for sharing.
03.16.2014 at6:24 AM #
Kate @ ¡Hola! Jalapeño
This looks incredible Katie! I’ll be putting it on the list for next week’s supper!
03.16.2014 at6:24 AM #
Katie Morford
If you have time to cook, that is…social media may edge out dinner prep 🙂
03.17.2014 at7:09 PM #
Lucy D.
Oh, Lordy! This was fabulous! An absolute hit in our household. Husband took leftovers to work… got a phone call of praise during lunch! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
03.17.2014 at7:09 PM #
Katie Morford
yay!…love that. Thanks for sharing Lucy D.
03.23.2014 at4:17 PM #
Pam H.
Making it tonight. Looks like a great way to kick off the week and recover from a late night last night.
03.23.2014 at4:17 PM #
Katie Morford
Oh good…hope it’s as much of a success in your house as in ours.
03.30.2014 at10:21 AM #
Alison
I am a big fan of Sunday dinners and this one looks fantastic. I have a bunch of fresh oregano that I want to use. Would that work? Do I just add more and add it later on in the cooking process? Thanks!
03.30.2014 at10:21 AM #
Katie Morford
I think I might be inclined to toss several whole sprigs of oregano in with the potatoes and then use a couple tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano on the chicken. I probably wouldn’t change when to add the herbs. Good luck! I’m sure it will be delicious with the fresh oregano.
04.27.2014 at5:48 PM #
Mary s
Made this today -Sunday. I happened to have rainbow carrots so added six of those with the potatoes. It was beautiful and delicious. My husband kept commenting about the excellent flavor in the vegetables and the meat was very moist after baking for 75,minutes. This is a keeper!
04.27.2014 at5:48 PM #
Katie Morford
A perfect Sunday supper indeed. Love the idea of adding the carrots to the mix. Thanks for sharing!
11.26.2014 at10:31 AM #
Yardena
Hi
Can I mix everything together day befor?
And bake it the next day?
I am worried that the potato will become black.
Did you ever tried it?
Thx
11.26.2014 at10:31 AM #
Katie Morford
I’ve never done it that way. I would probably prep the potatoes and put them in a bowl covered with water in the fridge overnight, chop the garlic and refrigerate that overnight, have the chicken cut properly, and then just assemble the day of. It will be easy to pull together since all the real prep will be done. Just be sure to drain the potatoes very well so they crisp up in the oil. It is delicious!
12.27.2014 at9:10 AM #
Lisa Sazer
Can this be modified for boneless skinless chicken breasts? If so, how do you suggest?
12.27.2014 at9:10 AM #
Katie Morford
Boneless skinless breasts will cook far more quickly than a bone-in bird. I’d probably roast the potatoes for at least 30 minutes and then add the breasts to the sheet pan, roasting until just cooked through. I’ve never done it with boneless skinless breasts, so don’t know how the results will be.
03.31.2015 at11:38 AM #
Nicole
I have a question!!! is parchment paper necessary in this recipe or can you just lay the chicken and potatoes on the pan?
Please let me know! thank you!
03.31.2015 at11:38 AM #
Katie Morford
The parchment is mostly to minimize the mess. There is enough oil in the recipe that you shouldn’t have a big issue with sticking.
04.15.2015 at7:06 PM #
Tessa
How many does this recipe yield? Would love to know? Thanks!
04.15.2015 at7:06 PM #
Katie Morford
I’d say 4 to 6 servings.
05.02.2015 at11:11 PM #
Helen Lofts
Hi, I modified this recipe and used little oil but made a chicken stock and after 15 mins cooking time added enough stock to cover the bottom of the pan. I added more after 15 mins just to keep the bottom of the tray wet. I also added more lemon juice and garlic to the stock the second time I made this. I posted my pics on Facebook and loads of friends asked for the recipe. I directed them here and told them my modifications. One friend made 2 days later! Instant hit! I’m making again today. I also use thighs and drumsticks as they are easier to dish up!
05.02.2015 at11:11 PM #
Katie Morford
Love that! Sounds like a delicious and lower fat spin on the recipe. Great tip on just using thighs and drumsticks! And thank you for sending your friends to my site.
05.05.2015 at6:42 PM #
Kathleen
Hi, I would like to use a chicken that is already cut up in 8 pieces. Will I need to adjust the cooking time? Thank you!
05.05.2015 at6:42 PM #
Katie Morford
If your pan is quite roomy and the chicken isn’t crammed in close together, it may cook a little more quickly. Best way to check is to take a little knife and have a peek at the fleshy part of a thigh.
11.02.2015 at6:21 PM #
Susan
This looks incredible. I have made this twice and it was great but i could not get the potatoes and chicken to brown. I ended up cranking up the oven to brown everything. Is it the parchment paper? What am I doing wrong?
11.02.2015 at6:21 PM #
Katie Morford
Hmmm. I find my food browns better in a darker, not-so-shiny roasting pan. That’s one thought. Other ideas: You could check to see that your oven temp is accurate; you could roast it in the top third of the oven; or you could try roasting at 400 degrees for a shorter period. Barring that, your method of a quick broil at the end is a smart one. Good luck.
11.08.2015 at1:12 PM #
julie
I spent time in Sicily and had a very similar dish. But in addition to the potatoes. And all the other yumminess in this recipe, it also had carrots some rosemary and kalamata olives and sometimes an olive medley. They called them “Gia arrosta” and they were sooooo good!
11.08.2015 at1:12 PM #
Katie Morford
Ooohhh….sounds like I need to make some additions to this next time I make it. Thanks for sharing.
01.06.2016 at7:11 AM #
Lynnette
I was wondering if you cover the chicken and potatoes or roast it uncovered? Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
01.06.2016 at7:11 AM #
Katie Morford
Hi Lynette
You don’t need to cover it. Hope you enjoy this as much as we do! 🙂
11.27.2017 at5:35 PM #
Michelle
Fantastic, made this for a monday night dinner. Goes together very easily. I used split chicken breasts (3 good sized ones) and quartered red potatoes. Delish. Broiiled at the end for 2min to get everything a bit crispy. Will be making this one again.
04.20.2018 at3:28 PM #
Debbie
Going to try but am substituting chicken thighs and may add some great green olives I got at Greek market and serving with asparagus and zucchini grilled with lemon and garlic. Thought side of blue cheese would top it off
04.20.2018 at3:28 PM #
Katie Morford
Green olives sound perfect with this!Sounds like a fabulous menu.
10.22.2018 at8:45 AM #
Alex
Hi there, I have two question: About the parchment paper… I don’t see it in the photo, I see from a previous comment that it is optional, can I substitute it for foil? Also do you peel the potatoes?
Thank you for the recipe, looks delicious
03.02.2019 at7:06 PM #
Raylene Rusthoven
This recipe was superb! I mixed the olive oil, oregano, lemon, garlic, chopped parsley, salt and pepper together, and put it all over chicken and potatoes on baking pan. Yum!
03.02.2019 at7:06 PM #
Katie Morford
You’re making me hungry 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it!
Katie
03.21.2020 at3:37 PM #
Debbie
Are the oven degrees in your recipes Center grade or Fahrenheit?
03.21.2020 at3:37 PM #
Katie Morford
Fahrenheit!