Mediterranean Baked Chicken Dinner – this is a midweek chicken dinner idea that’s one of those “throw it all in a pan” recipes with high returns for minimal effort. With chicken, potatoes, onion and cherry tomatoes, you’ll love how everything sucks up the tasty lemon garlic sauce in this sheet pan dinner!
Mediterranean Baked Chicken Dinner
This is a chicken sheet pan dinner that ticks a lot of boxes for midweek cooking:
complete meal – no need to bother with side salads
low effort prep – no finely chopping anything, no fiddly assemble, just throw it all in a pan
no need to watch over it – pop it in the oven, set the timer and walk away;
no gourmet or hard to find ingredients – plus plenty of substitutions
IT’S TOTALLY DELICIOUS!!! The tasty Mediterranean sauce is not only very, very tasty in its own right, it also keeps everything nice and moist while it’s in the oven (you will love how juicy the chicken is).
I especially love how the potatoes suck up the sauce as they bake. It reminds me of Greek Lemon Potatoes (but a lot less effort!).
What you need for this Chicken Dinner
Here’s what you need for this one pan Mediterranean Baked Chicken Dinner:
Chicken – thighs and drumsticks (bone in, skin on = juicy flesh and golden skin!)
Lemons, lots of garlic, paprika and oregano – to make the tasty Mediterranean sauce;
Honey and mustard – to thicken/sweeten/flavour the sauce;
Potatoes, onion and cherry tomatoes
Customise it!
I’ve used onions, potatoes and cherry tomatoes here but you could really use whatever vegetables you have.
Zucchini, pumpkin, sweet potato, corn cobs spring to mind as ideal substitutions. Rummage around in your fridge and see what you’ve got!
Also, in there spirit of Mediterranean food, I’ve used oregano and garlic here. Try it with rosemary or thyme instead, or give it a Middle Eastern spin by adding a touch of cumin and coriander!
How to make this One Pan Chicken Dinner
Obscenely simple: mix Sauce, toss in chicken, optional marinade, toss it all in a pan and bake.
OK, I skipped one step here. 😇 I add cherry tomatoes partway through the bake time so they don’t turn into unidentifiable mush. But if you’re ok with extremely squishy tomatoes, just add them right in at the beginning!
And here’s what you end up with in this one pan Mediterranean Chicken Dinner:
1. Very, very juicy chicken infused with Mediterranean flavours -the chicken isn’t submerged in sauce because we want the skin to go nice and golden. But the underside is partially in the sauce / steamed which keeps it ultra juicy.
2. Juicy pops of cherry tomatoes and potatoes that suck up the lemon garlic sauce:
Another nice thing about this chicken dinner is that marinating is optional. It definitely adds flavour if you can marinate overnight because then the chicken is flavoured all the way through.
However, there is plenty of sauce in this recipe – enough to mop and dunk and douse every bite you take. So it’s fine to make even without marinating! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Mediterranean Chicken Dinner
Ingredients
Marinade / Sauce
- 1kg / 2lb bone in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) lemon juice
- 6 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard (Optional – Note 2)
- 2 tbsp honey or 1 tbsp sugar (or maple or other sweetener)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp EACH salt and pepper
Bake
- 5 smallish potatoes (7.5cm/3" wide) , quartered (Note 3)
- 2 red onions , quartered
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken broth/stock , low sodium
- 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes (whole)
- 1/2 tsp EACH salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp Olive oil (or oil spray)
- Fresh oregano , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Mix Marinade ingredients in a bowl, then add chicken and toss to coat. If time permits, marinate for 24 hours, otherwise proceed to next step.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Place potatoes and onion in baking pan, top with chicken. Pour over the chicken stock then marinade from the bowl.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven.
- Scatter over cherry tomatoes, drizzle everything with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for a further 30 – 35 minutes until chicken is golden and potatoes are cooked.
- Remove from oven, garnish with fresh oregano if using and serve!
Recipe Notes:
- Marinating – benefits from marinating but not critical. Sauce has so much flavour (and there’s lots of it) it compensates;
- Pan size – ingredients should fit snugly. If they are too spaced out, too much of the liquid will evaporate while baking and you won’t end up with much sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published November 2015, updated March 2020 with new photos, new video and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added!
More Dinner in One Pot!
Life of Dozer
This is a 3 seater lounge – or one Dozer. 🙄
I am making this for the third time. Everyone loves it. ❤️ from NYC.
Great recipe. Yes, the potatoes take a little while depending on the variety , but I cut them quite small and they do cook through. I find it quite lemony, but my home grown lemons are super sour, so cut the half cup to about a quarter. LOVE having the leftovers for lunch at work. Everyone always comments on the beautiful smell😍
Great recipe. Yes, the potatoes take a little while depending on the variety , but I cut them quite small and they do cook through. I find it quite lemony, but my home grown lemons are super sour, so cut the half cut to about a quarter. LOVE having the leftovers for lunch at work. Everyone always comments on the beautiful smell😍
I followed all the directions, and nothing g in the recipe cooked in the time it was supposed to. I know my oven is working just fine because I cook regularly.
Hi Nagi Can I add rice to this and cook altogether?
Hi Tanya, I’d need to test this as all the cook times/liquid ratios will change. N x
This recipe was good. I don’t think I’ve had a single fail following your recipes. They are not hard to follow and most of the ingredients are those easily found. Thanks!
Made this tonight and it was a real hit…added a few random veggies from the fridge..leek, zucchini, Sweet potatoes, cauliflower. Will define make again
Perfect Kathy! N x
So flavourful!
Absolutely adore the taste of this dish. Have made it 3 times now & it’s a firm favorite with me & friends.
Delicious!
Made this tonight for my friend.
Looks so good out the oven. And taste even better!
The potatoes in the recipe don’t cook thoroughly. I don’t know how to correct us.
Hi Arlene, they should definitely cook through. Can I ask what type of potatoes you used and how large you cut them? N x
I’m also experiencing very uncooked potato’s, I’m using red.
II’ve made this recipe several times. It’s delicious however no matter how small I cut the potatoes they are still hard. Can you offer any suggestions
This is so easy and delicious. This recipe is going to be a repeat on a weekly basis. Thanks Nagi! 🧡
Made this last night, however, I added the things you missed, firstly torn up basil leaves at the end instead of oregano and of course mixed olives , I also sprinkled dry oregano on the last cook.. amazing
Hi Henry, you could definitely add those if you like. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Are any adjustments needed if using fresh herbs instead of dry?
Hi just wanted to point out this recipe has conflicting instructions to the video. The video shows chicken being placed in tray, followed by veg but recipe says to place chicken ontop of potatoes. My husband made this and took that instruction literally and the potatoes didn’t cook. I have made it previously with no issues because I follwed the method on video but my husband didn’t look at the video and just read the recipe.
Made this recipe this evening for dinner. So easy and very delicious! My husband gave it a “thumbs up”. Will be making this one again for sure.
Wahoo! That’s great Joy! N x
I can’t have olive oil.. or most oils.. can I swap out the oil for melted butter? How much would you suggest?
Hi Negi!
Your recipes are magic and I cook up a storm when i pick one of them. I want to make this one but only have chicken breasts, is it possible to use them in this recipe?
Thanks!
x
Hi Zehra – I talk about this in the recipe notes. N x
Legend Nagi. This is a regular for me now! I use this recipe as the base with whatever veg are left in the fridge at eh end of the week, or whenever – tonight it’s half a red capsicum, a zucchini, red onion, a few florets of cauliflower, and the last of the cherry tomatoes. And of course some spuds. It’s a Stella recipe, and I thank you every time I throw everything into the pan with your marinade and it turns out a “gourmet meal” in the words of my husband and the neighbours. Thanks Nagi. Dozer hugs. K xx
Yes it’s so versatile Kate! N x