Roasted Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs with Potatoes

Impress your guests with this roasted lemon rosemary chicken thighs with potatoes. Minimal effort and simple ingredients are all you need! The chicken is perfectly juicy, the sauce is bright and lemony, and every bite is better than the last.

This lemon rosemary chicken is one of my favorite chicken recipes on the blog! It is raved about whenever I make it for my family or friends. The chicken thighs are roasted until tender and juicy, along with hearty potatoes, and both are cooked in a luscious lemon & rosemary sauce that sets this dish over the top!

The best part is, that this is such an easy dinner to prepare. The preparation isn’t complicated. All that needs to be done is the sauce preparation, then everything bakes in the oven! I make this dish often, whether, for a large gathering or just dinner for Drew and me, it never disappoints.

Key Ingredients

The ingredients for this dish are simple, and each one is intentionally used to layer as much flavor as possible into the chicken. Find the ingredient list below!

Use the recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and exact measurements.

Chicken thighs – boneless + skinless chicken thighs are my preferred cut to use in this dish. They are super tender and moist when roasted and easily absorb the sauce flavors.
Potatoes – it’s best to use a small potato for this recipe so it cooks faster. I like baby or fingerling potatoes! You can also cut larger yellow potatoes into smaller pieces too.
Lemon – the juice and the zest are used to add brightness to the sauce.
Rosemary – to add herbaceous flavor to the sauce. You can use dried or fresh rosemary, although I think fresh rosemary adds a brighter flavor!
Chicken broth – I prefer to use broth as the base for the lemon sauce. You can also swap this for white cooking wine.
Olive oil – adds richness to the sauce and helps brown the chicken and potatoes.
Honey – or maple syrup can be used to sweeten the sauce and help balance the acidic lemon juice.
Garlic – adds depth of flavor to the lemon sauce!

Recipe Highlights

Once you try this lemon rosemary chicken, you’ll find that it is…

BRIGHT & LEMONY. The brightness of the sauce is what sets this recipe apart. The sauce sings with fresh flavor From using fresh lemon zest and lemon juice!

LIGHT BUT COMFORTING. One of the reasons I make this recipe often is because it’s lighter and fresh, while also being a really comforting dish. It warms the soul while also nourishing the body!

PERFECT FOR HOSTING. This dish is ideal for hosting a dinner party because it’s no fuss. You can have a beautiful, elegant meal on the table without being tied to the kitchen with tons of work. Serve it with a few simple side dishes, and the meal is set!

How to Make Roasted Lemon Rosemary Chicken – Step-by-Step

Add all of the sauce ingredients to a measuring cup and whisk together.

Then halve the baby potatoes and cut lemon slices.

Then sprinkle salt and black pepper over the chicken. In a skillet pan, brown the chicken thighs in olive oil for 2-3 minutes on each side.

When chicken is browned, arrange potatoes and lemon slices around the chicken. Then pour all of the lemon rosemary sauce over top. Bake chicken for 30-35 minutes at 425F.

Recipe Variations

Add different herbs – instead of rosemary, you can also use fresh thyme, lemon thyme, or fresh sage!

Use white wine instead of broth – if you don’t have chicken broth, you can also use white cooking wine instead. If you use a white wine that isn’t for cooking, be sure it’s not sweet – I recommend a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

Instead of chicken thighs – you can swap them for chicken breast, cutlets, or even drumsticks.

Tips for Success 

Browning the chicken is optional – I have made this dish many times, with browning the chicken and without. Browning the chicken gives a better texture and skin, but if you want to save time, you can skip it and bake it slightly longer in the oven. Both methods work and yield delicious results!

Make sure potatoes are small enough – I like to use baby potatoes or fingerlings because they cook the fastest. The last thing you want is the chicken to be done and have raw potatoes in the pan that need more time. If using baby potatoes or fingerling, I still like to slice them in half. If you want to use russet or yellow potatoes, cut them small or boil them for a few minutes before baking to soften them.

Season the sauce well. It’s the main source of flavor! – the sauce has 1/4 teaspoon of salt, but personally, I like to taste it and make sure the flavor is just right. So sometimes it requires more salt. This will depend on how flavorful the chicken broth is, so always taste the sauce and salt as needed because it’s the main source of flavor!

What to Serve with It

This lemon chicken is delicious all by itself! But to complete the meal, we love to serve it with…

Rice/grains. Because of the vibrant lemon sauce, this chicken really sings when paired with rice or your preferred grain. The rice soaks up the sauce and is a great pairing with the juicy chicken.

Roasted vegetables. On the side, we always love to serve this with a roasted vegetable such as a medley of seasonal vegetables, roasted asparagus, broccolini, or butternut squash.

Salad. We always pair this with a salad that is seasonal! We love it with our pear and gorgonzola salad, our Greek chickpea salad, or this Tuscan artichoke salad.

More Chicken Recipes to Try

If you loved this chicken recipe, you might enjoy our honey dijon grilled chicken thighs, 15-minute lemon chicken piccata, or my mom’s chicken cacciatore!