This tasty cast iron roasted chicken and potatoes is an easy one pan weeknight meal. It features bone-in chicken breasts roasted in a cast iron skillet with baby potatoes and topped with a rich and flavorful pan sauce.
One pan chicken recipes with potatoes like this one and my Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes are perfect weeknight meals when you’re craving simple comfort food. The combination of the juicy roasted chicken with crispy skin and roasted potatoes with their soft creamy interior is so satisfying and cozy.
What chicken to use
For this recipe I like to use bone-in skin on chicken breasts because I love the flavorful crispy golden brown skin. You can also use thighs if you prefer.
Boneless breasts or thighs will work too, but will only need to around 20 minutes. So you will likely need to remove the chicken and let the potatoes finish cooking or parboil the potatoes for 5-7 minutes to give them a head start.
Pan seared bone-in chicken breast
To ensure beautifully browned, crispy skin we'll pan sear the chicken for a few minutes before roasting.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Drizzle a little olive oil on the chicken then season on all sides with Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet on your stove over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, then place the chicken breasts in the pan, skin side down.
- Sear the chicken for around 2 to 3 minutes until the skin is browned, then flip and cook for another minute. Be careful not to burn the skin. It will brown more in the oven so you don't need to get it too dark at this stage.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate.
TIP: For even crispier skin try to maximize the skin directly contacting the skillet by placing a heavy object on top of the chicken. A grill press works perfect for this. If you don't have a press, wrap the bottom of another cast iron skillet, a heavy pot, or even a brick with foil and place on top of the chicken.
Cast Iron Baked Chicken and Potatoes
Roasting the chicken and potatoes together in the skillet not only cuts down on the dirty dishes, but it also allows the potatoes to soak up some of the juices from the chicken while they cook adding extra flavor.
- Add the chopped carrot, celery, and onion to the pan, then place the seared chicken breasts on top.
- Cut your potatoes in half , or quarters for larger ones. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper.
- Arrange the potatoes around the chicken and place the pan in the oven.
Bake the chicken and potatoes in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. If the chicken skin begins to burn while roasting, cover loosely with foil.
Transfer the roasted chicken and potatoes to a platter and discard the other vegetables.
I recommend checking the temperature using an instant read digital thermometer after around 20 minutes because chicken breasts can vary greatly in size.
How to make a pan sauce
To top this dish off we'll make a quick pan sauce using those wonderful juices leftover in the pan.
- Set the pan back on the stove over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup of good quality chicken stock (I use Swanson Unsalted Chicken Stock) to the pan and scrape up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Then add the remaining stock.
- Bring to a low simmer then stir in the butter.
- Once the butter has melted, stir together 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1-2 Tablespoons of water, then whisk into the stock. Simmer until slightly thickened, around 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in fresh chopped parsley and thyme then spoon over the chicken and serve.
TIP: For a brighter and more complex sauce replace the initial ¼ cup of chicken broth with a dry white wine when deglazing the pan.
A cast iron skillet or stainless steel pan will work best to get crispy chicken skin but you can use an oven safe non-stick pan for this recipe if necessary.
You can totally use other veggies in this dish. Just make sure to use vegetables that will cook in around 25-30 minutes and can stand the high roasting temperature. Carrots, diced sweet potatoes, green beans, and Brussels sprouts would all work well.
To get a super crispy skin we want it to be as dry as possible so it's best to avoid marinating the chicken for this recipe. If you're not after that crispy skin, then a marinade such as my chicken souvlaki marinade would be a tasty addition!
For more one pan meals check out the recipes below
- Sheet pan Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
- One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Soy Ginger Glazed Salmon with Broccoli
One Pan roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound bone-in skin on chicken breasts
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1½ teaspoon Kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ medium onion sliced
- 1 large carrot rough chopped
- 1 stalk celery rough chopped
- 1.5 pounds baby gold potatoes halved
Pan Sauce
- 1 cup low sodium chicken stock divided
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1-2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, plus additional for garnish
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Drizzle the chicken with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil then season on all sides with 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the pan, then place the chicken breasts in skin side down.
- Sear the chicken for around 3 minutes until the skin is browned, then flip and cook for another minute. Be careful not to burn the skin.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the chopped carrot, celery, and onion to the pan, then place the seared chicken breasts on top.
- Cut the potatoes in half and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground pepper.
- Arrange the potatoes around the chicken and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the potatoes are cooked through.
- Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a platter and tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Discard the onion, carrots, and celery but do not wipe the pan.
Pan Sauce
- Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add ¼ cup of the chicken stock. Scrape up any brown bits from the pan. Stir in the remaining stock and butter and bring to a low simmer.
- Once the butter has melted, stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl then whisk into the stock. Simmer until slightly thickened, around 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in fresh chopped parsley and thyme, then spoon over the chicken and garnish with additional chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
Denise
This made a delicious dinner! Do not skip the pan sauce...it took the dish to whole other level. Will make again.
Scott
Thanks so much!!!