Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs with lemon, seared crispy, then finished in the oven with potatoes and olives. The result is chicken thighs and potatoes that are tender and juicy on the inside and bursting with beautiful fresh lemony flavor.
Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
You all know how much we love juicy braised chicken recipes here on the Ranch. And one of our favorites is this recipe for Yucatan Roasted Chicken Breast. But if given the choice, my preference is to select chicken thighs.
- They’re so forgiving and less likely to dry out.
- It seems you simply can’t over cook them.
- Dark meat is juicier with more flavor.
- And please, bone in, skin on for the most delicious results
And roast chicken thighs with potatoes and you’ve got a meal everyone will love and devour. Every ingredient in this meal comes together so wonderfully, and every ingredient ends up tasting better that if cooked by themselves.
It’s a beautiful combination.
Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs
With a cast iron skillet as your partner, you can’t go wrong. And that skillet didn’t fail me for this easy one pan chicken dinner.
A well seasoned cast iron skillet will easily and quickly place a crispy brown crust on chicken skin. And it’s perfect for oven roasting as its high sides snuggle ingredients and sauces together to simmer flavors into a delicious savory marriage.
I’m a member of the Amazon Affiliate Program. I have included a link to Lodge Cast Iron Skillet (above). If you purchase that skillet, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
This roasted chicken with lemon and potatoes fell right into this category.
Your cast iron skillet will do most of the work for you, but let’s take a look about how to make sure those chicken thighs have a super crispy skin before adding liquid and moving them to the oven to braise.
Tips for Crispy Chicken Skin
- Pat skin dry with a paper towel.
- Avoid using a non-stick pan. Non stick pans are famous for not reaching a heat level to properly brown meats.
- Heat your cast iron skillet or over medium high heat before adding oil.
- Don’t overcrowd the chicken pieces. Allow a little space between each thigh so air can circulate.
- Once you add the oil, let it come to a shimmer before adding the chicken thighs.
- Add chicken thighs, skin side down. Once the skin is golden and will easily pull away from the skillet, start turning the thighs. No need to brown the bottom side of the thighs. The oven will take care of cooking through.
- When adding liquid for roast chicken, add it to the base of the skillet to avvoid drenching and softening that crispy skin.
Recipe for Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs With Lemon and Potatoes
I hope you give this one pan chicken dinner a try. It’s an easy and very satisfying recipe. Elegant enough for entertaining and easy enough for a weeknight meal.
The chicken thighs soaks up and deliver soft lemony goodness. Accompanied with a bite of briny olives, smooth potato cubes that have oven browned, and fresh sprigs of thyme, it’s truly delightful.
And if you do make this, please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a comment about your experience. I love hearing from my readers.
Let’s take a look at some of the braised chicken recipes you’ll find on my site:
- Chicken Marengo: Flavored with raisins, carrots, tomatoes, black olives in a sweet tangy basil and rosemary sauce. Exciting.
- Tarragon Chicken: Simply a tarragon tomato sauce. Savory.
- Sticky Lips Chicken: White wine, scallions in a veal demi-glace. Omg.
- And Chicken Galliano: Mushrooms and goat cheese and simmered in an anise flavored liqueur. Divine.
- Rosemary Chicken. No description necessary 🙂
- And if you love chicken dinners, don’t miss my Chicken Category. You’ll find tons of ideas like this Easy Baked Chicken Parmesan. (most popular)
And if you’re a braising fan like us, don’t miss my post which features a great line up of Braised Chicken Recipes. I’m positive you’ll find something you’ll fall in love with.
And if you’re looking for even more chicken recipes, don’t miss my Chicken Category, you’ll find lots of great recipes including the most popular on my site for Quicker Chicken Bolognese.
Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs with Lemon, Potatoes and Olives
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 pounds chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 12 ounces Small Potatoes Yukon gold, or fingerling
- 5 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
- 1/2 cup green olives
- 1 lemon washed well, cut into wedges
- 6 thyme sprigs
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken with salt.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil.
- When the oil starts to shimmer,. place chicken thighs, skin side down, in skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Flip chicken. Add 1 1/4 cup stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add potatoes nesting them in between the thighs. Bring to a boil. Add garlic, olives, lemon wedges, and thyme to liquid. Return to a boil.
- Transfer skillet to oven. Roast until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
- Return skillet to stove top. Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup stock, and stir into pan. Bring to a boil to thicken sauce. Serve immediately. A large shallow bowl works well for presentation.
Notes
Tips for Crispy Chicken Skin
- Pat skin dry with a paper towel before adding to the hot oil.
- Avoid using a non-stick pan. Non stick pans are famous for not reaching a heat level to properly brown meats.
- Don’t overcrowd the chicken pieces. Allow some air in between each thigh.
- Heat your cast iron skillet over medium high heat before adding oil.
- Once you add the oil, let it come to a shimmer before adding the chicken thighs.
- Add chicken thighs, skin side down. Once the skin is golden and will easily pull away from the skillet, start turning the thighs. No need to brown the bottom side of the thighs. The oven will take care of cooking through.
- When adding liquid for roast chicken, add it to the base of the skillet to avoid drenching that crispy skin.
Nutrition
Braised Chicken with Lemon and Potatoes and Olives …It’s What’s For Dinner
i thought this was quite good, although, unfortunately, my potatoes did not brown like the ones pictured. I also made some very minor additions. After the chicken was browned on both sides, I removed it from the pan and sauteed a large sliced onion, and then sauteed a bunch of roughly chopped mushrooms. Finally, I added about 1T of Dijon mustard with the broth/cornstarch mixture. There was a fair amount of liquid, so it might have been nice to have added some spinach or other green. next time.
I’d love to know how you were able to get your potatoes to brown so nicely with the amount of liquid in the pan. i had to use a dutch oven because my cast iron was too small.
Lea Ann, as you said, this is very similar to the chicken with lemon and olives that I have recently fallen in love with. I’ll have to try your potatoes in it. Funny that I paired mine with potatoes as a side dish. I found my recipe in one of my favorite new cookbooks “The Lazy Gourmet.” I’m going to link to yours so my readers can see another version.
Sam
Yes, this is my kind of dinner. Looks so appetizing.
Thanks Norma!
Not so sure I can promise to only make this in the summer …
Cheers!
You don’t have to promise! But do try it with fresh tomatoes. 🙂
We’re dining out with friends tonight and if this were on the menu, I’d order it! It sounds so delicious – I can’t wait to try it soon.
Thanks Susan. I really look forward to making it again…and again. 🙂
I was so sad the first time I tried chicken with lemon. Sad because I didn’t realize what I’d been missing for so long! Martha comes up with a good recipe every now and again, doesn’t she? 😉
Couldn’t agree more Karen. I remember the first time I roasted a chicken with lemons inside and zest and oil all over the skin. Fabulous.