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This garlic confit roasted chicken with potatoes recipe is made with slow roasted garlic confit, olive oil, lemon zest, and seasonings. Cooked in the oven, the chicken comes out crisp and golden on the outside while remaining tender and juicy in the center. And don’t even get me started on the potatoes. Infused with lemony, garlicky flavors, they take the meal to a whole new level of delicious!
A simple comfort food, this one pan chicken and potatoes is gluten-free, dairy-free, and foolproof to prepare, making it perfect for easy weeknight dinners and special occasions!
What is Garlic Confit?
Garlic confit is a French cooking method or preservation technique where garlic cloves are covered in oil and cooked slowly at a low temperature. As a result, they become super soft and tender with an incredible sweet, buttery taste.
Mashed into a spreadable consistency and combined with oil, lemon zest, and seasonings, garlic confit becomes a flavorful spread that infuses this one-pan chicken and potatoes dish with rich flavors while keeping the chicken moist and juicy and contributing to a beautiful golden crust.
I know it might sound like a lot of work, but trust me. I’ve been adding garlic confit to everything I can, like my tomato garlic confit caprese pasta salad, and it’s the easiest way to elevate any dish. The process is simple, and the results are SO worth it. This is honestly the best chicken you’ll ever make!
Ingredients and Notes
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list!
- Garlic Confit: I peel several heads of garlic cloves and roast them with olive oil and just a pinch of salt to bring out a sweet, almost nutty taste. Some garlic confit recipes use butter, but I don’t recommend it. The milk solids make it tricky to work with and easy to burn.
- Wet Rub: Olive oil, the garlic confit cloves, lemon zest, fresh parsley, fresh lemon thyme, paprika, salt, and black pepper create a flavorful rub that infuses the chicken and potatoes and helps lock in moisture. If you can’t find fresh lemon thyme, I’ve also substituted regular thyme, and it’s just as tasty.
- Chicken Pieces: I see many recipes use a whole chicken, stuffing the cavity, and tying it up with kitchen string. However, I much prefer to use bone-in, skin-on, dark meat chicken pieces, such as thighs, drumsticks, or a mix of both. Not only does this reduce the cooking time, but the dark meat pieces tend to stay more flavorful and juicy!
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes work best, becoming super tender and buttery, absorbing the flavor of the pan drippings.
Where I Buy My Chicken
- Wild-Caught Seafood
- 100% Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished Beef
- Free-Range Organic Chicken
- Humanely Raised Pork
Delivered to your door! The latest ButcherBox deal can be found right here.
How to Make Garlic Confit Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
- Make the garlic confit: Add peeled garlic cloves to a baking dish, cover them with oil, and add a sprinkle of salt. Then, bake until the garlic is tender, golden, and fragrant.
- Prepare the wet rub: Mash the confit garlic with a fork, and whisk it with oil, lemon zest, and seasonings.
- Prep the dish: Arrange the thinly sliced potatoes in an even layer in the bottom of a large braising pan, and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Pat the chicken dry, and arrange it on top of the potatoes before seasoning generously with salt and pepper.
- Season and rest: Rub the garlic confit mixture evenly over the chicken and potatoes. Then, set the pan aside to rest at room temperature. Add a sprinkle of paprika before baking.
- Bake: Cover the dish with foil, and bake. Remove the foil, baste the chicken with the pan juices, and continue baking uncovered until the chicken is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, basting the chicken with pan juices every ten minutes or so. This prevents it from drying out!
- Broil: Spoon the pan juices over the chicken again, and broil just until the skin is crispy and browned. Be careful not to burn!
- Serve: Rest the chicken for a few minutes. Then, transfer it to a cutting board to slice, if desired. Or, plate the pieces whole, and enjoy with the potatoes on the side!
Kitchen Tools I Use
My Favorite Ways to Serve
I always add a veggie side dish or two to make this roasted chicken with potatoes dish a little more well-rounded. Some of my favorite options include my garlicky blistered green beans, honey glazed carrots, air fryer asparagus, and maple roasted Brussels sprouts.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
Garlic Confit Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
Ingredients
Garlic Confit:
- 2-3 heads of garlic cloves peeled
- Olive oil enough to fully submerge the garlic, about 1/2 cup or so
- Pinch of salt
Chicken & Potatoes:
- 3-4 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, or a mix)
- 4-6 Yukon gold potatoes scrubbed and thinly sliced
- Salt and Pepper
Wet Rub:
- Olive oil from garlic confit
- 7-10 garlic cloves from the confit
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme or sub with regular thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika more for sprinkle before cooking
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper more to taste
Instructions
Make the Garlic Confit:
- Preheat the oven to 250°F. Add the peeled garlic cloves to a small baking dish and cover with olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Bake for 1 hour, or until the garlic is soft and golden. Let cool.
Prepare the Wet Rub:
- In a bowl (or use the confit dish), mash the confit garlic with a fork. Mix with olive oil, lemon, zest, parsley, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper to create a paste.
Prep the Dish:
- In a large braising pan, place the thinly sliced potatoes in an even layer on the bottom. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pat the chicken dry and place on top of the potatoes. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Rub the garlic mixture all over the chicken and onto the potatoes until well coated. Let sit for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Top with extra paprika before baking.
Assemble the Dish:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. If needed, transfer the potatoes and chicken to a large baking dish or roasting pan, layering the potatoes evenly on the bottom with the seasoned chicken on top.
Bake:
- Cover the dish with foil or a braising lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, baste the chicken with pan juices, and continue baking uncovered for another 30–40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 165°F and golden.
Finish Under the Broiler:
- Spoon pan juices over the chicken, then broil on high for 2–3 minutes until the skin is crispy and browned.
Serve and Enjoy:
- Serve warm with a spoonful of pan juices and crispy potatoes on the side.
