one-pan portuguese chicken and potato bake
This was SO tasty - an immediate hit. The chicken was so juicy and the potatoes have a separate flavour, which is excellent because then the whole pan doesn't taste the same. I don't looove peppers so we'll have to try different veg and report back!
ingredients
for the portuguese seasoning
3½ tsp paprika (sweet/regular or smoked)
1½ tsp garlic powder
1½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp coriander
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tbsp brown sugar (tightly packed)
¾ tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1½ tbsp lemon juice
for the potato vegetable bake
5 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on (about 1.2kg/2.4lb)
700g medium waxy potatoes, skin-on, sliced 5mm thick
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
1 large red capsicum / bell pepper, deseeded, cut into 3.5cm squares
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
steps
Preheat – oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced).
Prep ingredients – Slice up the potatoes, capsicum and onion, and put them straight into a roasting pan. Squeeze over lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, mince the garlic straight on using a garlic press, sprinkle with dried oregano, salt and pepper. Give it all a good toss with your hands.
25 minute head start – Then pop it in the oven to give it a head start. Because we’ve got a fair volume of potatoes here, they take longer to cook than the chicken.
Portuguese spice blend – Mix the Portuguese spice blend, olive oil and lemon juice in a large(ish) bowl. Then add the chicken and use tongs to turn and swipe, to coat all sides of the chicken with the bright red paste.
Top with chicken – Pop the chicken on top of the potatoes. I like to tuck the flappy skin under so the thighs are bundled up into a neat shape. This helps them cook more evenly, holds the juices in a bit more, plus it leaves more potato surface exposed so they can get a bit of colour on them.
Bake for 40 minutes or until the surface is beautifully caramelised, or if you have extra large or extra small ones, you might want to check the internal temperature – 76°C/161.6°F is what it should be (it will climb higher as it rests). Note on baking time – I know 25 minutes plus 40 minutes sounds like an unusually long time for the potatoes to cook, but because of various factors (using quite a bit of potato, waxy potatoes take longer to cook than starchy ones and chicken is added partway through cooking), they really do take this long.
Serve with the tasty lemon garlic broth. Bread for mopping is encouraged!
Note: chicken cut — bone-in, skin-on thighs work best. Drumsticks or Marylands work too. Boneless thighs/breasts need less time; add in the last 15 minutes, then finish under the grill/broiler.
Note: waxy potatoes — use varieties that hold their shape (red, baby, or Yukon Gold). Starchy potatoes work but go more delicate. No sweet potatoes.
Note: storage — leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.
