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This one pan chicken recipe is weeknight comfort food at its best and a total family favorite! Just 6 ingredients plus oil, salt, and pepper and a little time in the oven are all you need for this easy chicken dinner.
This dish is one of the first family dinners I remember having with my husband and his parents back when we first started dating.
I loved that his family sat down for meals together every night. My situation was a bit more casual, involving lots of TV shows with just me and my mom.
And while that was fun, too, there's just something special about sitting down at the dinner table at the end of the day and enjoying a meal together. I do that with my husband and son now, but we sometimes throw the TV on while we eat, too.
It's all about balance.
My father-in-law has been making this one pan chicken dish for yeeeears now. It was a childhood favorite of my husband's. I think his grandma used to make a version of this, too.
It's just straight-up, easy-to-make comfort food.
When I told my husband I was going to take notes on how his dad made it, and then do it myself to post here on Big Flavors, he gave me the side-eye. He said it's not really a recipe because everyone knows this meal. But I didn't! It just goes to show that what is "standard fare" for some people is not at all for others!
And I wanted to be sure that other people could enjoy this comfort food meal in their own homes with their families.
Plus, I've been getting a lot of requests for simple, one-pan recipes, so this totally fits the bill!
So I bought all the ingredients and had my father-in-law come over to cook with me.
One thing that I changed up a bit was the type of potatoes we used. He usually makes it with larger Yukon gold potatoes that he cuts down, but I figured smaller potatoes would be easier.
Plus, I'm a sucker for those colorful bags of baby potatoes.
And when it comes to a dish like this there's not a ton of color, so a little bit here went a long way!
I don't typically care for canned peas (I prefer frozen), but they're so right in this dish. The creamy texture is really nice with the chicken and potatoes.
This recipe comes together in just one dish, but the main ingredients all have different cooking times, so we're going to work in stages.
The potatoes get tossed with garlic, oil, dried thyme, salt, and pepper and hop into the oven tor 30 minutes. While they're roasting, you score the chicken skin with your knife a few times - this helps it crisp up in the oven. Soggy chicken skin is not a good thing!
The chicken gets added to the partially cooked potatoes, then back into the oven. Lastly, the peas go in and get heated with the potatoes and chicken.
The result is beautifully crispy, tender chicken, deliciously roasted potatoes, and warm, creamy peas.
My husband's family is big on dunking crusty bread into the pan juices, so feel free to have a loaf handy!
What are your favorite one pan meals? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section below!
Looking for more one pan recipes? Check out some of our favorites:
- Skillet Lasagna with Lamb, Ricotta + Mint
- Spanish Chicken + Sausage Skillet
- Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Tomatoes
- Iron Skillet Chicken + Carrots with Toasted Lager Mustard Sauce
- Sausage and Peppers
- Our Favorite Steak Fajitas
- Single-Skillet Bacon-Rosemary Chicken Thighs with Roasted Tomatoes
- Pan Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fairy Tale Eggplant & Tomatoes
- Latin-Spiced Pork + Squash Skillet with Chili Lime Cherries
📖 Recipe
Baked Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Peas
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This one pan chicken recipe is weeknight comfort food at its best and a total family favorite! Just 6 ingredients plus oil, salt, and pepper and a little time in the oven are all you need for this easy chicken dinner.
Ingredients
- 24 ounces baby potatoes, halved
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- ½ small red onion, sliced
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
- 2 (15-ounce) cans sweet peas, drained
- Crusty bread, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a 3 quart baking dish, toss potatoes with garlic, onion, 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon thyme, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- While potatoes are cooking, trim excess skin from chicken thighs. Score the chicken 4 times (I like to make an XX pattern crossing in opposite directions) on the skin side, about ¼-inch deep. Toss with remaining oil, salt, thyme, and pepper and set aside until potatoes are ready.
- Place seasoned thighs on top of potatoes in a single layer, skin-side up, and return to the oven for 40 minutes.
- Add drained peas, tucking them down around the chicken, and cook another 15-20 minutes, until warmed.
- Serve chicken with crusty bread for dunking into the pan juices, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 661
- Sugar: 4.7 g
- Sodium: 666.5 mg
- Fat: 42.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.3 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 38.6 g
- Cholesterol: 189.1 mg
Dominique | Perchance to Cook says
This sounds amazing! Peas are literally my favorite food ever and I love the idea of baking them with potatoes and chicken.
Ashley says
Thanks so much, Dominique! Do you like all sorts of peas, or one kind more than the other? I don't generally like canned peas (I prefer fresh or frozen), but in this dish they're key!
Matthew Augugliaro says
This is one of my moms best too. She now has Alzheimer's and really can't remember much. Glad I loved her food and like cooking so I always payed attention. How about Pasta con Sarde and Caponata. Ask your husband. His family must have been Sicilian Italian.
Oh, one last thing. You must add a little oregano.
Ashley says
Thanks so much for sharing a bit about your mom, Matthew. And that's so great that you paid attention while she was cooking. I'm glad that this recipe brought back some good memories, and I love the suggestion of adding oregano! My father-in-law used a lot of oregano in his cooking and it would work great here.
Funny enough, my husband's family isn't Sicilian (they're Calabrian), but he has told me stories for YEARS about a friend that he grew up with whose mom was Sicilian and he said she made that pasta dish and he loved it so so much. Do you have a favorite recipe for it? I haven't tried making it yet (or caponata, though we do love it!).
Charles Sadler says
Definitely oregano!
Rachel says
This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight or a sit down family dinner! On of my favorite things about cooking chicken bone-in thighs with veg is how the juices from the chicken flavor the vegetables. Yummy!
Ashley says
OMG yessss - that makes everything so much more flavorful! My husband absolutely loves dipping bread in those pan juices, too!
Veena Azmanov says
This sounds so delicious. My kids love peas and I always cook with chicken thighs so this would be a perfect meal for our family. yum!
Ashley says
Thanks so much, Veena! I hope your family loves it if you decide to give it a try! 🙂
Jenni says
This sounds like a great comforting meal - perfect for a family dinner!
Paige says
Ashley this is a sweet post - love the picture of your father in law. This is the kind of cooking that reminds you of good old home cooking and family. I bet it tastes great, too.
Leslie Haasch says
It's so rare that I make chicken thighs, but seeing this recipe is making me want to do it soon!
Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade says
I usually always take the skin off my chicken, but I made a sheet pan meal recently and left the skin on...what a game changer! And I am absolutely a dark meat girl with chicken, so I love that you use thighs with this dish. Looks really good
Anne Murphy says
Love the seasoning, and I"ll have to try scoring the chicken skin. I can see how that would help!
And I'm not a fan of canned peas myself, so I'm intrigued by your note that they work, here. I bet the roasting helps...
Rezel Kealoha says
This is so perfect to make when you still want a home cooked meal, but don't have the time. Thank you for sharing it!
Kristina says
Perfect easy dinner!
Kerry j klein says
I grew up on a recipe very similar to this except my Grandma added stewed tomatoes and used italian dressing. I loved it.
Ashley says
That’s so cool, Kerry! Did she use the dressing as a marinade for the chicken? And I’m always a fan of adding tomatoes. Sounds delicious!!
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
How fun to have your father in law come over to cook with you. The hubby and I both live quite a ways away from our family. . .so I'm always a bit jealous when others get to have family meals. Also good call to sub in a bag of colorful potatoes as they add just a little bit more fun to this easy weeknight meal.
Britt @ A Lil' Sweet, Spice, & Advice says
Yes, for the bone-in skin-on chicken thighs! They are so much more flavorful. My mom used to always bake chicken with potatoes so this really reminds me of that.
leah says
Although I didn't use the recipe word -for-word (ie, I braised my frozen peas - didn't have any canned ones - in some water and tomato puree for 10 minutes before adding them to the dish) the flavours came out fantastic. Thank you so much for a great recipe!
Steve says
Love this dish ...I grew up making this with wings......and to honest I hate peas but baked with chicken onions and garlic ......they are a different animal ooops vegetable .....I pretty use the chicken for flavor and devour 5he peas first..
Ashley says
Isn’t it crazy how much better canned peas are when they’re cooked this way? I love fresh and frozen peas but this is really the only way I enjoy the canned ones. I’m so glad you enjoy it, too!
Stefanie says
Like your husband, this recipe has been a staple in my childhood also. I've made this recipe using both canned or frozen peas and prefer it with the frozen. The trick with using frozen peas is to add them in with about 30 min cooking time left. You add to the juices in the bottom of the pan. Usually when making this recipe I add a bit of chicken broth to the bottom of the pan, which mixes wonderfully with the fat from the chicken thighs. This broth helps to soften and flavor the peas as they cook. It's delicious, and if you prefer fresh/frozen peas to canned..I know you'll love it too!
Ashley says
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Stefanie! My husband loves canned peas but I may just need to switch it up this way sometime soon to see if he likes it as much with frozen. I appreciate the tip!
Ellyn says
Ashley, this is in the oven now and smells fantastic! I also don't eat canned peas but I bought some canned veggies during covid in stocking the pantry, so I knew what they were going to be used for! The texture seems essential for a creamy dish. My husband is anxiously awaiting dinner- me too 😉
Ashley says
Oh I’m so glad to hear you’re going to try this one! I hope it’s a great comfort food dinner for you
Bernadette Foley says
I had this meal at a friends house, with her family, several years ago. When she presented the dish to the table her adult siblings & family were all very excited. It was one of their mothe's. who had recently passed away, favorite recipes.. Now I'm not a fan of peas, but being a guest at their family's dinner I figured I eat without a fuss. Well I was so delighted! I absolutely loved it!
Cooking the peas with the chicken gave them the most marvelous flavor! My friend never gave me the recipe, so I've been looking for one since. Making it tonight.Thank you so so much for posting this! Can't wait until it done..
Kathleen Lorenzen says
Saw Papa Dino’s recipe and WOW! So so sooo good! Very much a comfort meal and I was thinking of Papa Dino while I enjoyed it. We had lots of extra chicken so I look forward to sending some home with my Mama tomorrow
Ashley says
I’m so so glad this was such a hit, Kathleen! It’s such a good comfort food meal.
Toni Gentile says
Hi my mother used to cook this dish a lot but now she has Alzheimer's disease and l'm can't remember her recipes. How long do I cook this delicious recipe in the oven the peas, potatoes chicken thighs without the skin. Thank you.
Ashley says
Hi Toni - thanks so much for the comment! I hope this recipe brings back memories of your mom's cooking. That's so special! If you're doing boneless, skinless thighs, I'd advise you to start the recipe the same way, but let the onions, potatoes, and garlic bake for the first 25 minutes without the chicken on top. Then add the chicken and bake another 15 minutes, then proceed with the recipe as directed (adding the peas and baking another 15-20 minutes). You may want to check the internal temperature of the chicken and make sure it's at 165 degrees farenheit just to be sure the meat is fully cooked. If you're doing skinless thighs but the bone is still in, I'd just stick with the recipe as written. Let me know how it goes!
Gretchen says
I made this for years when my sons were at home. I I always used a whole chicken about 4-5 lbs and always frozen peas. It was THE requested birthday dinner every year for my youngest son and my husband. I always cooked the chicken on top of the potatoes, then added the frozen peas the last 30-40 min making sure to get them down in the juices. Creamiest, best peas ever! And the potatoes were browned and flavorful.
I hardly ever make it now that is just me and my husband but this makes me want to make again this week!!
Loved the story and pic of you FIL.
Ashley says
Thans so much for the kind words, and for sharing your family story, Gretchen! I'd love to try this with frozen peas, as those are my favorite. I hope you enjoy this one when you make it again - I may just need to do the same over here 🙂
Mary-Ann says
A family favorite growing up. Mom would make 2 pans, 5 kids devoured this dish. Cut up whole chicken was used and seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, oil and added some water. Delicious combo of potatoes, onions and peas. Introduced it to my kids and husband and they loved it.
Ashley says
That sounds delicious, Mary-Ann! I'd love to try this out with a whole cut up chicken, as I usually prefer white meat but my husband prefers dark.