Chicken Potato Bake is like a chicken potato casserole tossed in garlic and olive oil, baked to a golden brown, and topped with stretchy, melty cheese.
It's my go-to recipe for when I need inexpensive, no-fuss, quick dinner ideas! Your whole family will love the simple but timeless combination of baked chicken and potatoes.
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💚 Why You'll Love this Chicken and Potatoes Dinner
This might seem kind of crazy, but I often sit down to do my meal plan for the upcoming week, and I am stumped.
Well, I think it is a similar phenomenon as the one that causes Thing 1 and Thing 2 to meander into our fully stocked kitchen, look through the pantry and fridge, and declare that there is nothing to eat!
I have come to realize that I can never go wrong with baked recipes with potatoes and chicken for dinner. No one complains and everyone practically licks their plate (and the casserole dish too!).
Whenever I get that meal planning 'block', or whatever you want to call it, I pull up one or two of my go-to dishes and plop them in the meal planner. That jump-starts my brain so that I can finish the entire meal plan.
This Chicken Potato Bake is one of those go-to dishes. I have served it more times than I can remember, and every time it is a big hit in the family.
🥘 Ingredients Needed for Baked Chicken and Potatoes
I baked boneless chicken thighs in the oven along with the potatoes. If you don't have chicken thighs, you can substitute chicken breasts.
For the potatoes, choose between russet potatoes, red potatoes, or white potatoes. No need to peel! Just wash them and cut into ¾ inch cubes.
I keep the skin on because it adds texture and its also contains a lot of the nutrition.
Potatoes tossed in garlic and olive oil and baked to a golden brown right in the same dish with tender, juicy chicken thighs guarantees a successful meal every time. The melty mozzarella cheese on top then seals the deal!
Add a side salad or some steamed veggies like my easy roasted Brussels sprouts and dinner is complete!
The cheese in this recipe brings all the ingredients together and gives the casserole with chicken and potatoes that delicious crusty look. I found that using freshly shredded mozzarella works best.
However, if you don't have fresh mozzarella, using store-bought mozzarella will taste good too.
It only takes this chicken and potato casserole about 25 minutes to finish cooking. I serve it right after I remove it from the oven and I can still hear the sizzling!
When I remove it from the oven, it fills the whole house with a delicious baked chicken and potato aroma.
This aroma is so heavenly that I don't even have to call everyone to the dinner table. The aroma brings everyone running to the dinner table!
📖 Variations
- Add some dried rosemary or thyme to change up the flavor profile.
- Some red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne is a great way to spice it up!
- We like to add some paprika or even smoked paprika as well.
- Seasoned salt is another great way to amp up the flavor in this dish.
- Cook up some bacon, cut it into pieces, and then mix it in with the potatoes right before adding the chicken into the pan. YUM!
- To add some additional nutrition, mix in about 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the potatoes before baking them.
I find that dinner recipes with potatoes are just so versatile and perfect for busy weeknights. What are your favorite potato bake recipes?
🍗 More Chicken Recipes You'll Love
If you like baked recipes with chicken and potatoes, check out my other family favorites, like this Chicken Tray Bake with Potatoes!
Or if you prefer to use your pressure cooker, check out this Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes recipe, which is an easy and delicious dinner you can throw together at the last minute.
Here are some other tasty baked chicken recipes as well.
One of my family's favorites is this bright, lemony Breaded Lemon Pepper Chicken. So flavorful yet so delicious!
And it's oven-baked instead of fried so it's a lot healthier than fried chicken.
🔊 What readers are saying...
"Made this tonight and it was a big hit. Will definitely make again! Thanks for sharing the recipe!"
- Katynana
Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star ⭐ rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
📋 Recipe Card
Chicken Potato Bake
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes, cut into ¾ inch/2 cm cubes (russet, white, and red are all good choices, no need to peel)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (I like to use thighs)
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- parsley (optional, freshly chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F/220 degrees C.
- Place the potato cubes in a large bowl, add the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat.4 medium potatoes, cut into ¾ inch/2 cm cubes, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- Spray a large (9x13) baking dish with non stick spray. Spread potato mixture in dish and bake about 15 minutes.
- Remove baking dish from oven and place the chicken pieces in the dish, nestling them down into the potato mixture a bit. If desired, brush the top of each chicken piece with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- Bake 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked and potatoes are browned.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top, return to the oven and bake for a few more minutes to melt the cheese.¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- When serving, sprinkle chopped parsley on top (if desired).parsley
Notes
- You can definitely cut back on the olive oil if you are trying to minimize oil. I have used as little as ½ tablespoon and no one complained.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the chicken for doneness. The thermometer should read 165 degrees F.
- Change up this recipe with different herbs or spices. Some ideas: dried rosemary, thyme, paprika, smoked paprika, etc. Or use seasoned salt in place of the salt.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Happy cooking!
Jeremy Johnson
Do you have an estimated calorie count for this one? Trying to count my calories and would like to make this for my kids tonight.
Thanks,
Jeremy
Kristin King
Hi Jeremy! This is about 280 calories per serving, according to Yummly. You can check out more nutritional information here: http://www.yummly.co/#recipe/Chicken-Potato-Bake-1230703 . Hope you enjoy your dinner!
Rachael
Do you have to cover with foil while baking? I'm always afraid of cooking without cover since it seems to dry it out.
Kristin King
I have not ever covered this dish while cooking it and never had a problem with the chicken being dry. I usually use chicken thighs and they are a bit less prone to drying out than chicken breasts. You can certainly cover it if you are concerned, but check for doneness often because it might cook faster. Also, for the last step with the cheese, you may want to leave it uncovered so the cheese gets melty and a little browned. I hope that helps!
Sarah
Hi!! I am looking to make this dish and my chicken breasts are currently not thawed. If they are frozen, how long does the dish take to make? Will I need to thaw beforehand, or just cook for a different amount of time?
Kristin
Hi Sarah, I haven't ever used frozen chicken breasts in this recipe, I always thaw first. If you start with frozen, it will definitely take longer for your chicken to cook and the potatoes will then be overdone, so I recommend thawing first. I hope that helps! 🙂
Desiree
How long should I cook if I'm using already cooked chicken that um using from leftovers?
Kristin King
I think you should cook the potatoes a little longer than usual before adding the chicken, maybe 25 minutes or so. Then add the chicken and cook for another 10, or until it is warmed up. Check as you go, since these are estimates and I am not sure exactly how it will turn out. But if you watch, it should turn out OK!
Joe Dailey
Recipe purest won't like that I added tomatoes cubed but other than that it was the same. Yummy the garlic/olive oil was all the chicken and potatoes needed. Simple and healthy. Here, here.
Kristin King
Great idea to add tomatoes, I love that! I am going to try it next time I make it. Glad that you liked the recipe, thanks for stopping by to let me know!
Patti
Could I use already cooked chicken for this recipe? It sounds yummy..
Kristin King
I think you could, just cook the potatoes for longer first so that the chicken does not get overcooked. I hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Monique
What a delicious recipe! I substituted cheddar as it was what I had on hand, and used dry parsley, which I sprinkled on when I put in the chicken. I also made it for one, with no problems in reducing the recipe 🙂 .
Kristin King
That is great to hear! So glad you liked it!
Anne
I just made this tonight and used what I had on hand (baby gold potatoes, Mrs Dash+shredded parm+garlic powder). The cooking times were perfect, even in my little 11x7 dish and the instructions were very clear. I'm definitely adding it to our dinner rotation. It's hard to find recipes that work for just two people, so we were very happy with it. Thanks so much!!
Kristin King
That definitely sounds yummy! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by to share! 🙂
Tina
I am making this tonight.....only have 2 thighs in the fridge....next time I'll make sure I have more....lol.....I am sure it will be delicious!!
Jean johnston
I have people coming for a meal this week so I am going to make this dish looks tasty
Jane
Delicious. I tried this tonight and it was a big hit with all of us, not a scrap left! Thank you for sharing.
Kristin King
Hooray! So glad you guys liked it. And thanks so much for stopping by to let me know! 🙂