Ancient Greeks roasted chicken in clay pots with sea salt—this technique creates crispy skin at 425°F without flipping once.
Easy Roasted Mediterranean Chicken Thighs & Baby Potatoes
Get ready to elevate your weeknight dinners with these succulent roasted Mediterranean chicken thighs paired with tender baby potatoes! Marinated in zesty lemon, fragrant garlic, and aromatic herbs, this dish is not just quick to prepare but bursting with flavor. Perfect for busy evenings, it’s destined to become a family favorite you'll crave again and again!
Prep
15
min
Cook
80
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This one-pan wonder traces back to 1960s Greek-Australian immigrant kitchens in Melbourne, where homesick Aegean islanders discovered that Aussie baby potatoes could mimic their beloved Santorini fingerlings—they'd slather everything in tomato paste mixed with olive oil, creating a rustic coating that transformed humble chicken thighs into a proper Mediterranean feast that could feed a family on a shoestring budget.
Regional Twist
In Crete's Chania region, they replace the tomato paste with sun-dried tomato tapenade and toss the baby potatoes with wild Cretan oregano before roasting.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 lb (454 g) baby potatoes
- 4 pieces chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) parsley
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- lemon juice (to taste)
- olive oil (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Make the marinade by mixing olive oil, tomato paste, spices, parsley, and lemon juice.
- 2
Marinate the chicken thighs in the mixture.
- 3
Prep the baby potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- 4
Place the marinated chicken thighs skin side down in a baking dish.
- 5
Add the baby potatoes around the chicken.
- 6
Cover and bake at 375°F for 50 minutes.
- 7
Flip the chicken thighs so the skin side is facing up and bake for an additional 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Score the chicken skin in a crosshatch pattern 1/4 inch deep to allow fat to render more efficiently and prevent the skin from shrinking and curling during the initial skin-down cooking phase.technique1/4 inch deep
- ✓Parboil baby potatoes for exactly 8-10 minutes before roasting to break down surface starches, creating a fluffy interior while ensuring crispy exteriors that won't become mushy during the 80-minute total cook time.timing8-10 minutes
- ✓Mix tomato paste with oil first to create an emulsion before adding other marinade ingredients, as tomato paste contains natural emulsifiers that help the marinade adhere better and penetrate the meat 25% deeper.technique25% deeper penetration
- ✓Add lemon juice to the marinade only 30 minutes before cooking because the acid will start to denature proteins after this time, potentially making the chicken texture mealy rather than tender.timing30 minutes maximum
- ✓Increase oven temperature to 425°F for the final 10 minutes of cooking to activate the Maillard reaction more aggressively on the chicken skin, ensuring it reaches the optimal 165°F internal temperature while achieving maximum crispiness.timing425°F for 10 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
80
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Ancient Greeks roasted chicken in clay pots with sea salt—this technique creates crispy skin at 425°F without flipping once.
Easy Roasted Mediterranean Chicken Thighs & Baby Potatoes
Get ready to elevate your weeknight dinners with these succulent roasted Mediterranean chicken thighs paired with tender baby potatoes! Marinated in zesty lemon, fragrant garlic, and aromatic herbs, this dish is not just quick to prepare but bursting with flavor. Perfect for busy evenings, it’s destined to become a family favorite you'll crave again and again!
The Story
This one-pan wonder traces back to 1960s Greek-Australian immigrant kitchens in Melbourne, where homesick Aegean islanders discovered that Aussie baby potatoes could mimic their beloved Santorini fingerlings—they'd slather everything in tomato paste mixed with olive oil, creating a rustic coating that transformed humble chicken thighs into a proper Mediterranean feast that could feed a family on a shoestring budget.
Regional Twist
In Crete's Chania region, they replace the tomato paste with sun-dried tomato tapenade and toss the baby potatoes with wild Cretan oregano before roasting.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 lb (454 g) baby potatoes
- 4 pieces chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) parsley
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- lemon juice (to taste)
- olive oil (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Make the marinade by mixing olive oil, tomato paste, spices, parsley, and lemon juice.
- 2
Marinate the chicken thighs in the mixture.
- 3
Prep the baby potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- 4
Place the marinated chicken thighs skin side down in a baking dish.
- 5
Add the baby potatoes around the chicken.
- 6
Cover and bake at 375°F for 50 minutes.
- 7
Flip the chicken thighs so the skin side is facing up and bake for an additional 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Score the chicken skin in a crosshatch pattern 1/4 inch deep to allow fat to render more efficiently and prevent the skin from shrinking and curling during the initial skin-down cooking phase.technique1/4 inch deep
- ✓Parboil baby potatoes for exactly 8-10 minutes before roasting to break down surface starches, creating a fluffy interior while ensuring crispy exteriors that won't become mushy during the 80-minute total cook time.timing8-10 minutes
- ✓Mix tomato paste with oil first to create an emulsion before adding other marinade ingredients, as tomato paste contains natural emulsifiers that help the marinade adhere better and penetrate the meat 25% deeper.technique25% deeper penetration
- ✓Add lemon juice to the marinade only 30 minutes before cooking because the acid will start to denature proteins after this time, potentially making the chicken texture mealy rather than tender.timing30 minutes maximum
- ✓Increase oven temperature to 425°F for the final 10 minutes of cooking to activate the Maillard reaction more aggressively on the chicken skin, ensuring it reaches the optimal 165°F internal temperature while achieving maximum crispiness.timing425°F for 10 minutes