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This roast chicken and potatoes recipe is so savory and satisfying. Add a simple salad and some wine, and you’ve got an easy dinner party for four to six in one pan.
Why we love this recipe
With so many great ways to roast a chicken, it’s worth noting when one method is so good that you go back to it again and again. That’s what’s transpired between me and this particular oven roasted whole chicken and potatoes for well over a decade. It’s:
- Super-savory and flavorful, with prosciutto, lemon, thyme, and sage (a.k.a. all the best things)
- Beautifully moist and tender, thanks to the compound butter
- Flexible — make it with or without gravy, and add or swap in different vegetables
This recipe makes an excellent family dinner, and I highly recommend it for an easy and cozy dinner party of up to six people. Just add a simple salad and plenty of wine — and maybe a nice fire and some sultry jazz.
I first published this recipe here in 2017, after having cooked and evolved a Jamie Oliver recipe many times since 2008. I’ve since updated the post for clarity and tweaked the recipe to streamline the process.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- One fairly large whole chicken works well here, or you can roast two smaller ones side by side in the same pan. See the section below for my favorite sources for organic chicken.
- You can use diced Yukon Gold potatoes or small new potatoes in this recipe. These days I always use diced Yukons, because they cook perfectly without parboiling. If you’re using whole small potatoes, parboil them in well-salted water for 10 minutes before adding to the pan.
- You’ll zest a whole lemon to use in the compound butter and then tuck the lemon itself into the chicken before roasting.
- If you’re making gravy, you’ll need a nice dry white wine that you like to drink (serve the rest of the bottle with dinner), chicken broth, and flour. To make this recipe gluten-free, either skip the gravy or use your favorite GF flour blend to make it.
My favorite sources for meat & pantry staples
For years, I’ve been sourcing our meat from ButcherBox. We love this curated meat delivery service, which provides grass-finished beef, heritage breed pork, organic chicken, and more from small farms direct to the customer. You can learn more in my extensive Butcher Box review and unboxing.
I love Thrive Market for a wide variety of products. Often described as one part Whole Foods, one part Costco, they’re a membership-based online market for healthier products at discounted prices. Plus, they’re mission-driven, engaged in the community, and not currently owned by a giant corporation. You can learn more in my Thrive Market review and unboxing.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a beautiful dinner of roast chicken and potatoes. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- To make the compound butter, mash together the butter, prosciutto, garlic, sage, lemon zest, and pepper.
- Place the chicken in a roasting pan and separate the skin from the breast to make two pockets. Fill the pockets with some of the compound butter, then rub the rest all over the outside of the chicken.
- Roast for 20 minutes, then add the diced potatoes to the pan and return to the oven until chicken is cooked through.
- Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving. Either spoon potatoes out of pan or return to oven if you want them cooked more. When potatoes are done, make gravy in the roasting pan if you like.
Expert tips and FAQs
Definitely. Either alongside or instead of potatoes, you can dice carrots, celery root, parsnips, turnips, yellow or red onion, and/or fennel. Toss them together before adding to the pan. You don’t need to make further changes to the recipe.
Whether for a dinner party or family meal, it’s worth cooking this recipe shortly before serving so all the components will be at their best on the first night.
After that, the sky’s the limit. Leftover chicken keeps for a week in an airtight container in the fridge and is wonderful reheated and served in the same way, or remixed into virtually any dish, from tacos to chicken salad. Store potatoes and gravy the same way.
More favorite roast chicken recipes
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Roast Chicken and Potatoes with All the Best Things
Ingredients
For the chicken and potatoes
- 1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds (1815 to 2270 grams)
- 4 tablespoons (56 grams) butter, softened
- 4 ounces (114 grams) thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 fresh sage leaves, minced
- 1 lemon, zested and cut in half
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 pounds (907 grams) Yukon Gold potatoes, diced small (about 1/2 inch)
For the gravy (optional)
- ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in the center. Choose a roasting pan that will accommodate the chicken and potatoes. (A good old 13" x 9" metal roasting pan that's on the deeper side and safe for the stovetop usually works well.)
- Place the chicken in the pan breast-side up and slide your fingers gently between the skin and the breast to make a pocket on each side.
- In a small bowl, mash together the butter, chopped prosciutto, garlic, sage, lemon zest, and pepper.
- Use your hands to spread most of the butter mixture between the skin and breast of the chicken, then rub the rest all over the outside of the bird.
- Tuck the thyme sprigs and lemon halves into the cavity of the chicken.
- Roast for 20 minutes.
- Use tongs to lift up the chicken for a moment and add the diced potatoes to the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Roast for 40+ minutes more, until an instant thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (but not touching the bone) reads 165°F.
- Let chicken rest on carving board for 15 minutes. If potatoes are done to your liking, spoon them into a serving bowl. If not, return to oven while chicken rests.
- If making gravy: Set roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stove (one or two burners, depending on the size of your pan).
- Whisk flour into pan drippings and let brown for a minute. Then whisk in wine and simmer for a minute or two. Pour in stock, whisk to remove any lumps, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until nicely thickened.
- Carve chicken and serve with potatoes and gravy to pass at the table.
Notes
- To make this meal gluten-free, use a good gluten-free flour blend (such as this one) to make the gravy.
- You can use diced Yukon Gold potatoes or small new potatoes in this recipe. These days I always use diced Yukons, because they cook perfectly without parboiling. If you're using whole small potatoes, parboil them in well-salted water for 10 minutes before adding to the pan.
- Either alongside or instead of potatoes, you can dice carrots, celery root, parsnips, turnips, yellow or red onion, and/or fennel. Toss them together before adding to the pan. You don't need to make further changes to the recipe.
- Whether for a dinner party or family meal, it's worth cooking this recipe shortly before serving so all the components will be at their best on the first night.After that, the sky's the limit. Leftover chicken keeps for a week in an airtight container in the fridge and is wonderful reheated and served in the same way, or remixed into virtually any dish, from tacos to chicken salad. Store potatoes and gravy the same way.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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