These Braised Chicken Thighs with potatoes, lemon and olives are an easy one-pan dinner made in a cast-iron skillet. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are seared until golden, then oven-cooked with small potatoes, garlic, fresh lemon wedges, green olives and thyme in savory chicken stock.
If you enjoy this combination of chicken thighs, lemon and fresh herbs, try my Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs for another cast-iron chicken dinner with savory herb flavor.
Quick Look: Braised Chicken Thighs with Potatoes Lemons and Olives
- 🧁 Serves: 6
- ⭐ Features: Fresh Flavor ✓ Crispy Chicken ✓One Pan ✓
- ⌛️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍪 Cook Time: 48 minutes
- 🕑 Total Time: 58 minutes
- 👩🍳 Skill Level: Intermediate
- 🏆 Why make THIS version? A flavorful one-pan dinner with tender chicken, potatoes, bright lemon, and briny olives all cooked together in a savory pan sauce.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I personally love cooking with chicken thighs because dark meat is flavorful, forgiving, and well suited to braising. Here, the lemon brings a bright, fresh flavor, the olives add a pleasant briny bite, and the potatoes cook right alongside the chicken. The result is a satisfying one skillet meal with tender chicken, flavorful potatoes and a savory lemon-infused pan sauce.
- One-pan convenience. The chicken, potatoes, lemon, olives and herbs cook together in one oven-safe skillet, which means fewer dishes to wash.
- Flavorful dark meat. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs offer rich flavor and hold up well to oven cooking.
- Bright Mediterranean-inspired flavors. Fresh lemon and green olives balance the savory chicken stock, garlic and thyme.
- A built-in side dish. Small potatoes cook alongside the chicken, making this a practical dinner without having to prepare a separate starch.
- An easy stovetop-to-oven method. Brown the chicken first, add the remaining ingredients, and let the oven do most of the work.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You don’t need a long list of ingredients to make this flavorful chicken dinner. Each ingredient has a purpose.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: I prefer bone-in, skin on thighs for their rich flavor and for the golden-brown skin attained by frying before adding the liquid.
- Small Yukon Gold or fingerling potatoes: These potatoes cook alongside the chicken and soak up some of the savory stock. Choose small potatoes so they have time to become tender during the oven cooking.
- Olive oil: Used to brown the chicken and develop flavor in the skillet.
- Chicken stock: Creates the flavorful cooking liquid that brings the chicken, potatoes and other ingredients together.
- Fresh lemon: Cut into wedges, lemon adds brightness and balances the richness of the chicken. For another way to enjoy citrus with chicken, try my One-pot Chicken Thighs with a creamy lemon sauce, a stovetop dinner with a richer, creamier finish.
- Green olives: Their salty, briny flavor complements the lemon and savory chicken.
- Garlic: Smashed garlic cloves release flavor into the cooking liquid as the dish cooks.
- Fresh thyme: Adds an earthy, herbal note that complements the chicken, lemon and olives.
- Kosher salt: Seasons the chicken and helps bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Cornstarch: Mixed with reserved chicken stock, cornstarch thickens the remaining pan liquid into a more substantial sauce.
How To Make Braised Chicken Thighs with Potatoes, Lemon and Olives
- Step 1: Brown The Chicken Thighs: Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Swirl in oil. When oil is shimmering, add chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes, then flip them over.
- Step 2: Add The Potatoes: Add potatoes nesting them in between the thighs.
- Step 3: Save out ¼ cup of the chicken broth and pour the rest of the can to the skillet. Avoid pouring the broth directly over the crispy chicken, pour it around them. Sprinkle smashed garlic, olives, lemon wedges, and thyme.
- Step 4: Finish In The Oven: Transfer skillet to a 425 degree oven. Roast until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Return skillet to the stovetop. Stir the cornstarch into the reserved ¼ cup of chicken stock until smooth. Bring the liquid in the skillet to a boil, then stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until the sauce thickens. Served immediately.
Chef Lea Ann’s Tips For Success
- Dry the chicken before browning. Pat the skin thoroughly with paper towels. Moisture on the surface makes it harder to develop a golden crust.
- Use a skillet large enough for the chicken and potatoes. The ingredients should fit without excessive crowding. A large, oven-safe cast-iron skillet works well here.
- Let the skin brown before turning the chicken. Give the chicken time to develop color and release naturally from the pan. If it sticks, it may need a little more time.
- Add the stock around the chicken. Pouring liquid directly over the browned skin can soften it. Keep in mind that oven cooking with liquid may still reduce the skin’s crispness. Browning chicken before adding liquid is a useful way to build flavor, and my Chicken en Escabeche recipe uses that same general principle in a different dish.
- Choose small potatoes. Yukon Gold or fingerling potatoes are good options. Keeping the potatoes relatively small helps them cook through during the oven time. But don’t cut them so small that they are immersed in the broth or they won’t brown. Check for tenderness with a fork rather than relying on the clock alone.
- Check the chicken for doneness. The suggested cooking time is a guide. Chicken thigh size, starting temperature and oven performance all affect how quickly the meat cooks. Use a digital read thermometer to determine internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Finish the sauce gradually. Mix the cornstarch with cold stock before adding it to the hot skillet liquid. Stir while the sauce boils so the starch thickens evenly.
What To Serve With It
Because potatoes are cooked right alongside the chicken, this recipe already has a substantial side dish built in. If you’d like to round out the meal, serve it with a simple Green Vegetable Medley or a crisp salad topped with Red Wine Vinegar Dressing.
Crusty bread is another good option for soaking up the savory sauce. Keep the accompaniments simple so the lemon, olives, garlic and thyme remain the focus of the meal.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate leftover chicken and potatoes promptly in an airtight container. For food safety, refrigerate within two hours of cooking and use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days.
- To reheat leftovers, return thighs and potatoes to the skillet and cover with foil. Reheat gently stovetop and check that the center of the chicken is thoroughly hot before serving.
Braised Chicken Thighs with Potatoes Lemon and Olives FAQ’s
Yes, a Dutch oven works well. I happen to prefer a cast iron skillet due to the lower height of the sides of the pan for better browning, stovetop and in the oven.
Technically you can, but you’ll be disappointed in the end result. Skin on, bone-in works best for this recipe.
Explore More Chicken Recipes
If you enjoy this one-pan chicken dinner, here are a few more recipes to try.
If you're looking for more chicken dinner ideas, browse my collection of Chicken Recipes. You'll find lots of popular recipes including one of the most popular on my site for Chicken Breasts in White Wine Sauce topped with Gremolata.
If you’re looking for another easy chicken skillet dinner, my Chicken Skillet with Mushrooms and Spinach is a savory alternative for your weeknight menu.
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Braised Chicken Thighs with Potatoes , Lemons and Olives
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ pounds chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 15 ½ ounce canned chicken stock
- 18 ounces Yukon Gold Petite Potatoes Or Fingerling potatoes
- 5 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 4 ounces green olives
- 1 lemon rinsed and cut into 8 wedges
- 6 thyme sprigs
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil until shimmering.
- Place the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin side down. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and releases easily from the pan. Turn the chicken over.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the chicken stock. Add the remaining stock to the skillet, pouring it around the chicken. Nestle the potatoes between the thighs. Add the smashed garlic, green olives, lemon wedges and thyme. To smash garlic, use the wide part of a chef's knife. Lay it flat, on top of the garlic and use the palm of your hand to give it a good smack to smash it. Remove skin.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for approximately 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F in the thickest part, away from the bone.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and return it to the stovetop. Mix the cornstarch with the reserved ¼ cup of chicken stock until smooth.
- Bring the liquid in the skillet to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until the sauce thickens. Serve the chicken with the potatoes, olives, lemon and pan sauce.
Notes
- Dry the chicken before browning. Pat the skin thoroughly with paper towels. Moisture on the surface makes it harder to develop a golden crust.
- Use a skillet large enough for the chicken and potatoes. The ingredients should fit without excessive crowding. A large, oven-safe cast-iron skillet works well here.
- Let the skin brown before turning the chicken. Give the chicken time to develop color and release naturally from the pan. If it sticks, it may need a little more time.
- Add the stock around the chicken. Pouring liquid directly over the browned skin can soften it. Keep in mind that oven cooking with liquid may still reduce the skin’s crispness.
- Choose small potatoes. Yukon Gold or fingerling potatoes are good options. Keeping the potatoes relatively small helps them cook through during the oven time. Check for tenderness with a fork rather than relying on the clock alone.
- Check the chicken for doneness. The suggested cooking time is a guide. Chicken thigh size, starting temperature and oven performance all affect how quickly the meat cooks.
- Finish the sauce gradually. Mix the cornstarch with cold or cool stock before adding it to the hot skillet liquid. Stir while the sauce boils so the starch thickens evenly.
