Greek Roast Chicken

WRITER BYCassie

POSTEDJuly 31, 2020

Bring a taste of the Mediterranean to dinner with this Greek Roast Chicken and Potatoes. This one pot is filled with Greek flavours like lemon garlic and oregano - a fresh twist on the classic roast. The chicken is oven roasted to perfection and you'll love the crispy skin and juicy, tender meat.

greek roast chicken and potatoes on a white plate.

Looking for a fresh twist on the classic roast chicken? Try this One Pot Greek Roast Chicken and Potatoes! It'll bring a taste of the Mediterranean to your home with minimal effort.

This dish is filled with Greek flavours like oregano and lemon, and the chicken is roasted to perfection. Wait until you try the crispy golden skin and juicy meat!

If you haven't prepared a chicken to roast before rest assured that it really is a simple process. You'll have this Greek roast chicken in the oven in around 10 minutes. There's also some step-by-step photos included below that are a great guide.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE...

Easy to prepare
Big flavours
Crispy skin and tender meat
One pot - less washing up

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

ingredients on a wooden board.

Here's what you'll need to make this Greek Roast Chicken at home (full measurements listed in the printable recipe card below)...

Onion
Potatoes
Olive Oil
Whole Chicken
Butter
Oregano
Garlic
Lemon
Garlic Powder
Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper

HOW LONG TO COOK A WHOLE CHICKEN FOR?

There isn’t a hard and fast cooking time when it comes to whole chickens as it can vary depending on how large your chicken is as well as your oven.

As a guide, once you’ve done the initial 10 minute roast at 200c / 390F, you’ll need to add 25 minutes for every 500g / 1 lbs at a temperature of 180C / 350F.

So for a 1.5kg / 3.3 lbs chicken, you’ll cook for 75 minutes at 180C / 350F after the initial 10 minute roast.

Of course this is a guide and you’ll need to ensure the chicken is cooked through before serving.

I love using my meat thermometer to confirm the chicken is ready. Simply cook the chicken until it registers an internal temperature of 75C / 165F.

If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can use a skewer to pierce the thickest part of thigh and ensure that the juices run clear.

roast chicken and potatoes on a white plate.

HOW TO MAKE GREEK ROAST CHICKEN - STEP BY STEP

Remove chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking it to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F.

Place potatoes and onion in a cast iron or roasting pan, and cover with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.

potatoes in a cast iron pan.

Mix together melted butter, juice from ½ the lemon, 2 tsps oregano and minced garlic in a small bowl.

lemon butter in a glass jug.

Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and onion in the roasting pan. Look for a spot at the chest cavity opening where the skin and meat of the chickens breasts are a little separated. Use a dessert spoon to gently seperate the skin from the meat of the chicken breast on both sides, keeping the skin intact in the middle.

whole chicken on a white plate.

Prop the chicken upright by its legs and pour the lemon butter under the skin between the breasts, reserving 2 teaspoons of the butter for later.

whole chicken on a white plate.

Lay the chicken down, breast side up. Pour the juice of the remaining ½ lemon on top of the chicken skin and around the potatoes. Fill chicken cavity with used lemon halves, then tie the legs of the chicken together at the ankle with kitchen string and tuck the wings under the chicken.

whole chicken and potatoes in a cast iron pan.

Drizzle the top of the chicken skin with the reserved lemon butter, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then season with remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

whole chicken and potatoes in a cast iron pan.

Pour chicken stock onto the potatoes (don't pour any directly on to the chicken).

Transfer the cast iron or pan into the oven and roast the chicken, breast side up, for 10 minutes on 200C / 390F. Turn the oven down to 180C / 350F and roast, basting with the pan juices every 20 minutes or so for an additional hour and 15 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. The potatoes will be golden and crisp around the edges.

greek roast chicken and potatoes in a cast iron pan.

Remove the chicken from the oven, carefully move to a large plate and leave to rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Put the potatoes back into the oven (turned off) to keep warm.

Carve the chicken and serve!

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE

Pick a good starchy potato, like sebago or brushed potatoes in Australia, or russet / yukon in the US.
The potatoes won't be "crispy". They're soft and tender and take on so much flavour from the lemon, stock and chicken juices.
To check if the chicken is done, simply use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature is 75C / 165F or use a skewer to pierce the thickest part of thigh and the juices should run clear.
If using a larger chicken you'll need to modify the cooking time. You'll want to cook your chicken for roughly 25 minutes per 500g / 1 lbs.
If you find the skin on top of the chicken is drying out too quickly, simply baste with pan juices. I recommend doing this about every 20 minutes anyway, but if you need to do it sooner go for it.

roast chicken and potatoes in a white baking dish.