This tasty cast iron chicken breasts and potatoes recipe features juicy bone-in chicken breasts roasted in a cast iron skillet with baby gold potatoes, and it's all topped with a rich and flavorful pan sauce. It's a complete one-pan meal that's perfect for busy weeknights.
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Why This Recipe Works
Roasted chicken and potatoes is a classic comfort food combination, right up there with pot roast and mashed potatoes. It's a perfect meal when you’re craving simple, cozy flavors.
The combination of the juicy roasted chicken with crisp, golden brown skin and the roasted potatoes with a soft creamy interior is so satisfying, and the rich flavor from the simple pan sauce truly sets this dish apart.
And one-pan chicken recipes like these cast iron skillet chicken breasts and my Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken are perfect weeknight meals. They're quick and easy, with minimal cleanup. Another combination that's hard to beat!
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: For this cast iron chicken recipe, I use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, also known as split breasts, because I love the flavor and texture of the crispy skin and the moist, tender white meat. They're also much less likely to dry out.
I don't recommend using boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe.
You can use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs if you prefer. For a similar dish with chicken thighs, check out my Baked Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Thyme.
Potatoes: For the potatoes, I recommend baby gold potatoes. The buttery flavor and soft creamy texture are perfect in this dish. But you can substitute other varieties of baby potatoes or cut up larger potatoes if you prefer.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Pan Sear Bone-in Chicken Breasts
To ensure golden brown, crispy skin, you'll pan-sear the chicken breasts for a few minutes before roasting them.
- 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 lightly 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: To maximize the skin contact, place a heavy object on top of the chicken. A grill press works perfectly for this. But, if you don't have a press, wrap the bottom of another cast iron skillet, a heavy pot, or even a brick wrapped in foil, and place on top of the chicken.
Roasting Cast Iron Chicken and Potatoes
Cooking the chicken and potatoes together in your cast iron 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. The rest of those tasty juices get used to create the flavorful pan sauce in the end.
- 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 it loosely with foil.
- Transfer the roasted chicken and potatoes to a platter and tent loosely with foil. You can serve or discard the other vegetables, but do not wipe the pan!
Split chicken breasts can vary greatly in size, so I recommend checking the temperature after around 20 minutes using an instant-read digital thermometer or using a thermometer with a leave in probe to monitor the temp.
How to Make a Pan Sauce
To top this dish off and take it to the next level, we'll make a quick pan sauce using those wonderful, flavor-packed juices and brown bits left over 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.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
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. Just make sure it's rated to withstand at least 425°F.
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!
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 325°F oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through.
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
📖 Recipe
Cast Iron Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds 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
- 1½ 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
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
Connie
This was a great recipe to stumble upon! I had potatoes cooked already, so I sliced zucchini and onions and cooked them with it instead. Fabulous!!
Scott
Thanks so much!!!
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!!!