Roasted chicken and potatoes are quite a common meal in Mexico. It makes for an easy and delicious meal and is often found as a takeaway to be enjoyed at home. They are usually sold with a bunch of corn tortillas and salsa on the side. This is our take on that idea. A one-pan meal, roasted to golden perfection with a nice, hot chunky salsa and some corn tortillas on the side for a taquito or two. Delicious and comforting full of Mexican flavours.
One Pan Chicken & Potatoes
-4 medium potatoes or the equivalent of baby potatoes, cut into even-sized chunks
-6 skin-on chicken pieces (or equivalent, we used two large boneless chicken breasts)
-Lemon Pepper Seasoning, to taste
-extra garlic powder, onion powder, to taste
-salt and black pepper, to taste
-1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped (we used thyme, oregano and parsley)
-olive oil, the necessary
-butter, the necessary
-1 lemon, sliced
1 Set oven to 200C
2 Add the potato chunks to a baking tray and season with olive oil and Lemon Pepper Seasoning to taste. Toss so everything is evenly coated.
3 Pat dry the chicken pieces and season with Lemon Pepper plus garlic and onion powder and olive oil. Rub all over and place on the tray with the skin side up, making sure there are no potatoes under the chicken pieces. Sprinkle everything with black pepper and fresh herbs. Wedge the lemon slices all over the place.
4 Add a slice of butter on top of the chicken before placing it into the oven. Be generous, add a good amount of butter on top of every piece of chicken. This will crisp the chicken and will melt and mix with the beautiful chicken juices that you can serve over the chicken once cooked.
5 Roast for 25 minutes at 200C and then bring the temperature down to 178C for 25 more minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and thoroughly cooked. The juices must run clear. This second part can take longer, depending on the thickness of your chicken pieces. Legs and thighs cook faster than breasts.
Notes
- You really want the chicken and the potatoes to brown, this is helped by the butter that we added last minute but also by keeping it the right amount of time inside the oven. Make sure to lower the oven temperature after the first 25 minutes to make sure it continues roasting and cooking slowly without burning first.
- The quantities and ingredients can be changed to your taste. Most potatoes will work as any chicken pieces too. We used chicken breasts but you can use only lets or thighs.
- Using skin-on chicken will help to keep the chicken juicy and it will make delicious drippings too!
- Adding butter on top of the chicken is key for extra crispy chicken skin and flavour.
- The juices at the bottom of the pan are gold! Squeeze the baked lemon with a fork and mix it with the chicken juices. You can then spoon it over the chicken pieces. It is so beautiful.
Spicy Chunky Salsa
-3 cups cherry or plum tomatoes
-2 large garlic cloves with skin on
-½ large white or red onion, chopped into large chunks
-2 large jalapenos, thickly sliced
-5 Arbol chiles (this will make quite a spicy salsa, use less if you want it less spicy)
-¼ cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
-lime or lemon juice to taste
-salt and black pepper to taste
-1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 Set a frying pan to medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot add the onions, jalapenos and skin-on garlic pieces. Allow them to get soft and burnt. Once they start to get some golden colour, add the Arbol chiles and the tomatoes.
2 Continue frying and charring the veggies and pay close attention to the garlic and the Arbol chiles as they can burn easily. Keeping the skin on the garlic allows them to stay a bit longer in the pan. Once they are ready, squeeze them out from the peel and place them in a blender or a food processor. The Arbol chiles are ready once they puff up and start to get some darker colour. A little bit toasty is fine, just don’t let them go black. Remove them from the pan and add them to the blender with the garlic.
3 Once the tomatoes start to burst, remove them and add them to the blender. Now, blend together the tomatoes, garlic and Arbol chiles until smooth. Pour the salsa onto a bowl and mix in the charred jalapenos and onions. Season with salt, pepper and fresh lemon/lime juice. Once is ready, fold in the fresh coriander.
Notes
- This salsa is beautiful! The smooth tomato base, the chunky onions and the jalapenos together with fresh coriander are just fantastic!
- Adding Arbol chiles adds so much flavour and heat! If you want your salsa less spicy, add less (or more if you want an extra kick!)
- Making this salsa with cherry or plum tomatoes is great because the sweetness balances the rest of the ingredients really nicely.
- This is a perfect salsa to go with everything! Tacos, quesadillas, on its own with tortilla chips. Any leftovers can be stored in a sealed jar inside the fridge for over a week.
To Serve
You can enjoy this super easy and delicious meal on a plate, but why stop there? Warm corn tortillas and add potatoes and plenty of chicken to them. Make sure to spoon some of those delicious drippings from the pan and add a good amount of salsa. Taco perfection!
#mexicanfood #mexicanflavours #foodie #madeinmexico #mexicantwist #mexicanfoodporn #easyandtasty #mexicanfoodlover #freshfood #foodphotography #eatfreshfood #beautifulfood #cocinamexicana #mexicanproducts #mexicaningredients #mexicandishes #onlinegrocerieslondon #mexicanproductsuk #wholesomemeals #homemademexican #mexicanflavours #Mexicantwist #mexicanadobos #adobomexicano #driedchiles #driedchillies #ontheblog #mexicangastronomy #mexicancuisine #homemademexicanfood #mexicanchickenandpotatoes #mexicanroastedchicken #pollitoconpapas #chickentacos #corntortillas #glutenfree #glutenfreemexicanfood #tortillachingona