Chicken is one of the greatest and most versatile proteins this world has on offer. Generally cheap and amenable to a variety of preparations, you can see why it is one of the most prolific ingredients among home cooks and professional chefs alike. Grill it? Great. Fry it? Even better (bonus points if you're too drunk to taste this chicken).
This roasted chicken recipe is a one-pan wonder, an easy weeknight meal, and a Sunday comfort that's sure to satisfy. This recipe does not skimp on flavor or fat (just like Grandma would want it), but rest assured you can adjust and tailor your seasoning and most of this recipe to fit your needs. Think of this recipe like a template, a guide, a roadmap to Flavor Town (off the chain!). The destination is the same, but how you get there, and the stops you make along the way, are entirely up to you.
Without further ado, the dish that needs no further introduction, I present to you "Chicken in the Oven."
Chicken in the Oven
Prep Time: ~20 mins
Cook Time: ~1 hour
Serves: 3-5
Ingredients
4 bone-in skin-on chicken leg quarters (thigh and drum attached) OR 4lbs of chicken of your choice (whole chicken broken down, breasts, etc.)
4 russet potatoes
2 white OR yellow onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bag frozen peas OR 2 16oz cans
1 stick butter
Olive oil
Salt
Black Pepper
Adobo
Dried rosemary
Dried Thyme
Italian herb seasoning blend (or a mix of dried parsley, oregano, basil)
2 lemons (1/2 sliced into thin rounds, other 1/2 for juice)
Paprika
Lemon Pepper
Preheat oven to 380 degrees (F); remove chicken from package and pat dry with a paper towel
Cut the stick of butter into 8 tablespoons and set aside; place chicken on work surface and using two fingers (or the handle of a utensil) gently separate the skin from the meat until a pocket is formed, being careful not to tear it
Place two slices of butter under the skin of each piece of chicken (1 slice for the drum, 1 for the thigh); drizzle all sides of the chicken with a light coating of olive oil and season on all sides with an even coating (about 1tsp total seasoning for each piece) of salt, pepper, adobo, rosemary, thyme, Italian seasoning, and lemon pepper
Make sure all chicken pieces are skin-side up, and lightly dust with a sprinkle of paprika; set chicken aside
Peel the potatoes and cut into wedges (I recommend cutting the potatoes in half horizontally first and then slicing into wedges about 1/4 inch thick); place into large bowl
Peel the onions and cut in half; slice into 1/4 inch thick slices and place into bowl with potatoes
Peel and crush both cloves of garlic and add into bowl with potatoes and onions
Drizzle about 1/4 cup of olive oil over the vegetable mixture, and add about 2 tsp total combined seasoning of salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, and paprika
Cut both lemons in half, and squeeze juice from 1/2 of 1 lemon over the vegetables and mix thoroughly until evenly coated; slice the remaining 1/2 lemon into thin rounds and set aside
Take a large roasting pan, baking sheet, or other oven pan with medium or high walls and drizzle in enough olive oil to coat the pan; place sliced lemon rounds from end to end in the bottom of the pan
Place potato/onion mixture into the pan and spread evenly, making little wells for the chicken pieces; place seasoned chicken into the pan, allowing some space between other pieces
Squeeze the juice from 1/2 of the remaining lemon over the pan and place into preheated oven on the middle rack; allow to cook for about 45 minutes
Gently mix the potatoes and onions, add in the bag of frozen peas (or both cans with liquid drained), a drizzle of olive oil, and mix again; allow to cook for another 10 minutes or until chicken has reached 165 degrees (F) internal temperature and the potatoes are fork-tender
For extra-crispy skin, place pan on the top rack in your oven (or broiler tray) and broil on low for another 2-3 minutes, or until skin is nicely browned
Serve as-is in a shallow bowl with the chicken placed on top of a hearty scoop of the potatoes, onion, and pea mixture and accompany with a piece of crusty bread to soak up the rich, lemony jus from the roasting pan (arguably the best part of this whole dish)
Let me know how this recipe turned out for you in the comments below! And, as always, if you have any questions, comments, insults, or praise do let me know!
-MT
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