Life has been so hectic! Fortunately, I’ve still been eating like a QUEEN because of my very favorite chicken dinner recipe.
I can’t believe it’s been several weeks since I last posted a recipe here, but whew. It’s been a stressful period for me. I was promoted at my job, and life has just been really chaotic. I’ve been making meals that I really want to share, but I just haven’t had a lot of time to give them the care and attention they deserve. But here I am! Back with a new recipe that I have been making on REPEAT.
My favorite chicken dinner recipe
This chicken dinner recipe has three parts: the chicken, a simple avocado cucumber salad, and the potatoes. You can skip the avocado salad, but I find it so refreshing on a hot summer evening!
You can pick your protein here. I’ve served the potatoes and the avocado salad with leftover London broil, pork chops, and chicken breasts; anything works! Candidly…this recipe is really all about the potatoes, so the protein really plays second fiddle. Look how crispy they are!
How to make it
- Start with the chicken. You’ll use bone-in, skin-on thighs. You can use boneless, but bone-in is the superior choice for the best flavor. Pat the chicken dry and place it on a baking sheet. You can line it with parchment paper if you want, but I never do this. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pop it into a 400ºF for 40 minutes. You can broil the skin at the end if you like. Personally, I don’t find that necessary. But broiling is the way to go if you like extra crunchy skin.
- Make the potatoes: Place halved baby potatoes on a second baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and more Italian seasoning. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper and use your hands to coat the potatoes in the oil. Flip them so they are cut-side down and transfer to the oven on the unused rack for 20 minutes. They’ll be baking up right alongside the chicken! Try to time this so that you’re adding the potatoes to the oven after the chicken has baked for about 10 minutes. After the potatoes roast for 20 minutes, remove them from the oven. Add a diced zucchini to the other side of the baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and 2 teaspoons of freshly minced oregano. Pop it back into the oven for 10 minutes or until the zucchini is nicely browned.
- Make the avocado salad: While the chicken and potatoes finish roasting, make the avocado salad. Combine 1 diced avocado with half of a diced English cucumber. Season with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon freshly minced oregano. Add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
If you don’t have fresh oregano, you can omit it, or substitute it with dry oregano instead.
I hope you loved this recipe as much as I did! If you make it, please drop a comment below to let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you.
My Favorite Chicken Dinner Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Roast chicken thighs:
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon wedges, optional, for serving
Roast potatoes and zucchini:
- 1 pound baby potatoes (halved)
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
- ½ pound zucchini, trimmed and medium-diced
- 2 teaspoons freshly minced oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Crushed red pepper
Avocado salad:
- 1 small avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
- 6 ounces English cucumber, diced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced oregano
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Make the chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Place the chicken on a baking sheet. Drizzle the oil on top and sprinkle the Italian seasoning all over. Season well with salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the oil and spices into the chicken on both sides. Arrange the thighs into an even layer, ensuring space between each thigh.
- Transfer to the oven for 40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165ºF with an instant-read thermometer. At the end, you can broil the skin for 2–3 minutes if you like.
Make the potatoes and zucchini:
- Meanwhile, arrange the potatoes on a second baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and add salt and pepper all over. Use your hands to rub the spices into the potatoes and ensure they are evenly coated with oil. Arrange the potatoes on one side of the baking sheet in an even layer, cut side down.
- After the chicken has baked for 10 minutes, transfer the potatoes to the unused rack in the oven and roast them for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the potatoes from the oven. Add the zucchini to the other side of the baking sheet and drizzle with the ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and the remaining ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning. Add the oregano, salt, and pepper to the zucchini. Use a spatula to coat the zucchini.
- Return the potatoes and zucchini to the oven for 10–12 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender, golden, and crispy and the zucchini is tender and browned around the edges.
Make the avocado salad:
- As the potatoes and zucchini roast, make the salad. In a bowl, combine the avocado, cucumber, red wine vinegar, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.
To serve:
- Remove the potatoes and zucchini from the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Arrange the chicken on a second serving platter with lemon wedges.
- Serve each plate with a chicken thigh, a serving of potatoes and zucchini, and a spoonful of avocado salad on the side. Enjoy!
Delicious!