Baked Lemon Chicken With Potatoes / Pollo Al Limon Asado Con Papas Recipe

Prepare marinade

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 4 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon honey (if using) until combined.

Marinate chicken

Add the 6 chicken pieces to the marinade, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. If short on time, let sit 15 minutes at room temperature while prepping vegetables.

Preheat and prepare potatoes

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In a large bowl, toss 1.5 lbs halved/quartered potatoes, 1 medium sliced onion, and optional carrots with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 3 rosemary sprigs (tuck some sprigs whole among the vegetables). Spread the vegetables in an even layer in a 9x13-inch or similarly sized roasting pan.

Arrange chicken on vegetables

Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve marinade). Place the marinated chicken pieces skin-side up on top of and between the potatoes and onions in the roasting pan so juices will drip onto the vegetables. Tuck 1 lemon sliced into rounds among the pieces for additional flavor.

Add reserved marinade and broth

Pour the reserved marinade and 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth evenly around the pan (not directly over skin to avoid washing off seasoning). This will create steam and a pan sauce while roasting.

Roast

Roast in the preheated 425°F (220°C) oven for 35–45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken (not touching bone) reads 165°F (74°C). If the chicken skin is browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Broil for crisping (optional)

For extra-crispy skin, switch the oven to broil for 2–3 minutes at the end of cooking—watch closely to avoid burning.

Rest and finish

Remove the pan from the oven. If desired, dot the chicken and vegetables with 2 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter and let rest 5–8 minutes to allow juices to redistribute and sauce to thicken slightly.

Garnish and serve

Spoon pan juices over chicken and potatoes, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, and serve with the roasted lemon slices alongside. Taste and adjust with additional salt or lemon if needed.