Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Lemon chicken and potatoes features well-seasoned chicken thigh atop petite red potatoes that roast in a combination of seasonings, lemon juice and olive oil for a delicious, hearty dinner that gives a nod to traditional Greek potatoes.

In what I know is not an overly popular opinion, I must confess that I’m not a big fan of lemon being the star flavor in a savory dish.

I don’t mind some lemon pepper, along with other seasonings, on some spicy pretzels, and if we’re talking dessert, I’m all about a lemon bar, lemon meringue pie or any other baked good that includes juice or zest.

But when I see something like lemon chicken on a menu, I tend to avoid it.

When Joey shared a dinner recipe for something lemon-y with me last week, I kind of put it off a bit, until he pointed out that we happened to have a nice, big bag of petite red potatoes on the counter, just begging to be used in a new recipe.

I acquiesced, and don’t tell him I said so, but he was right. This dish, while having lemon as one of the key ingredients, was very well balanced, and I enjoyed every last bite.

This was based on the Greek potatoes recipe by Chef Steven Droulis of the Resto Vivaldi restaurant in Pierrefonds, Quebec. He can be found on Instagram @restovivaldi. I added chicken and other seasonings to this dish.

Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Print Recipe

Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Lemon chicken and potatoes features well-seasoned chicken thigh atop petite red potatoes that roast in a combination of seasonings, lemon juice and olive oil for a delicious, hearty dinner that gives a nod to traditional Greek potatoes.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: chicken broth, chicken stock, chicken thighs, extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh thyme, garlic salt, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, onion powder, oregano, paprika, petite potatoes, red potatoes, rosemary, yellow mustard, yellow potatoes

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
  • 48 ounces petite red or yellow potatoes
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chicken stock or broth

Rub Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Add the potatoes in an even layer over the bottom of a nine-by-13-inch baking dish.
  • Trim the excess fat from the thighs. Add the rub ingredients to a small bowl, and stir to combine. Rub the mixture under the skin of the thighs and on the bottoms of each.
  • Place the thighs on top of the potatoes.
  • In a bowl or mixing cup, add the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, mustard and salt, and whisk to combine.
  • Pour the mixture all over the thighs and potatoes.
  • Pour the stock around the edges of the dish, and cover the dish with aluminum foil
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the aluminum foil and put the dish back in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the internal temperature of the chicken is at 165 degrees.
  • Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes and serve, along with the potatoes.

This was fresh and flavorful and the perfect hearty dinner.

We ended up using the leftover liquid from the potatoes to make some rice to go with more chicken later in the week, and it was awesome, too.

So I suppose savory lemon dishes aren’t all bad. I may try to give a few more a try in the future. I just can’t let Joey get a big head about it.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 24, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.