A simple dinner of baked chicken thighs layered with leeks and thinly sliced potatoes is a beauty for a midweek meal. It comes together (nearly) effortlessly. The leeks and potatoes cook in the chicken fat for a dish that brings much more flavor than you may anticipate.
My new favorite baked chicken thigh recipe
I love baked chicken thighs, but there’s something really special about this dish. It’s simple to prepare with just a few ingredients. I rely on the rendered chicken fat to lend extra flavor to the layers of leeks and potatoes for a salty, rich one-pot dinner that requires little effort.
What you need
You don’t need many ingredients for this super simple dinner.
- Leek: You need one leek to trim, scrub, and thinly slice into half moons. You can also use a yellow or red onion instead.
- Russet potato: I use just under a pound of russet potatoes. I use a mandoline to slice them very thinly into rounds. Though you can achieve this with a knife, it will take longer. I love the OXO Mandoline Slicer! You can use gold or red potatoes if you prefer. You could even make this with sweet potatoes. Yum!
- Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Everything cooks together, so bone-in thighs give the potatoes enough time to cook in the oven fully.
- Spices: I season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. You can add additional flavorings here if you prefer. Lemon pepper, paprika, or your favorite spice mix would all be delicious.
How to make it
The prep work will take the longest, but after that, it’s just a matter of layering everything in a baking dish.
- Step 1: Prepare the leeks and potatoes. Trim the excess fat from the chicken thighs and season them with chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Step 2: Grease a baking dish with olive oil. I got my beautiful baking dish from Arte Italica. It’s gorgeous and one that I hope to have for a lifetime!
- Step 3: Layer the leeks on the bottom of the baking dish with a light sprinkle of salt. Layer the potatoes on top and season with salt and pepper. It’s okay if the potatoes overlap in places.
- Step 4: Arrange the chicken thighs on top.
- Step 5: Transfer the baking dish to a preheated oven for 40 minutes. If your baking dish is broiler-safe, you can broil the chicken for a couple of minutes to crisp up the skin.
From there, simply remove the baking dish from the oven. I finish with freshly minced parsley, though chives, tarragon, or fried sage on top would be lovely.
After you’ve garnished it, simply spoon the potatoes and leeks onto plates and place a chicken thigh on top. I’m also in love with these beautiful shallow bowls from Arte Italica. Can you tell I’ve been treating myself lately? I just love how elegant the Bella Bianca style looks with this chicken dish!
I loved the feedback from Tasters on this recipe! Macie suggests this could be delicious with a spatchcock chicken, which I agree with! Vic suggests cream and cheese between the potatoes for his next iteration of this dish. I think Gruyère would be an outstanding layer between the leeks and potatoes, and I will be developing so many different versions of this! I’m really looking forward to trying a version with thinly sliced sweet potatoes and harissa butter. Yum!
Community-tested and community-approved. Here’s what Tasters are saying about this recipe.
“10/10; easy weeknight throw-together meal!
The leeks, which taste like onions were so flavorful from the juices of the chicken. This dish would also work great for a spatchcock chicken!”
–Macie S., Independent Recipe Tester
“Super simple weeknight meal!
Next time, I think I’ll add a little cream and cheese between the potatoes. I’ll probably make this again next week!”
–Vic S., Independent Recipe Tester
To join my recipe-testing program, sign up here.
Baked Chicken Thighs with Leeks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 1 leek (white and light green part only; trimmed, scrubbed, and thinly sliced crosswise)
- ¾ pound russet potato (scrubbed and thinly sliced into rounds; see Note 1)
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 thighs total)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley (minced; optional, for garnish)
Instructions
Prepare the baking dish:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Arrange the sliced sleeks in an even layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Add a light sprinkle of salt. Arrange the sliced potatoes on top of the leeks. It’s okay if there is some overlap. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. Set aside.
Prepare the chicken:
- Cut excess skin off the chicken thighs and discard it. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Use your hands to coat the chicken evenly with the spices.
Bake the chicken:
- Arrange the chicken on top of the potatoes. Transfer to the oven for 40 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165ºF.
Broil the chicken:
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and turn on the broiler.
- Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil over the chicken thighs. Place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp the skin. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle freshly minced parsley over the chicken.
To serve:
- Spoon the potatoes and leeks into shallow bowls. Place a chicken thigh on top. Enjoy!
