Chicken Thighs With Saffron, Lemon, and Red Potatoes Recipe

By
Yasmin Fahr
Yasmin Fahr: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Yasmin Fahr is a food writer, recipe developer and author of the cookbook Keeping it Simple. She has a penchant for cheesy phrases, lemons, fresh herbs, feta and cumin.
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Updated August 29, 2018
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Crisp chicken thighs are braised in a lemony, saffron-packed broth that gets soaked up into red potatoes in the oven. . Yasmin Fahr

This one-skillet chicken dish starts with thighs that are seared in the pan for super crispy skin and then get finished in the oven with a flavorful cooking liquid seasoned with saffron and lemon. Red potatoes are cooked alongside the chicken so that they soak up the lemon-saffron juice and soften.

Why this recipe works:

  • Searing the chicken first ensures extra crisp skin and more flavor in the braising liquid.
  • Saffron gives the dish depth of flavor and a gorgeous yellow-gold color.
  • Braising the chicken keeps the skin crisp and the meat extra tender while giving the potatoes ample time to soak up flavorful juices.

Recipe Details

Chicken Thighs With Saffron, Lemon, and Red Potatoes Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 60 mins
Serves 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

  • 6 red potatoes, quartered

  • Pinch of saffron

  • 6 tablespoons fresh juice from 3 lemons

  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

  • Warm pita bread or rice for serving

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a large straight-sided sauté pan over high heat until shimmering. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in pan skin side-down. Cook without moving until well browned on first side, about 6 minutes. Flip and brown lightly on second side, about 4 minutes longer.

  2. Add chicken stock to skillet. Nestle in potatoes. Add saffron, lemon juice, and whole black peppercorns, and season lightly with salt. Transfer to oven and cook uncovered, stirring and flipping potatoes occasionally, until the chicken and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary and serve immediately with pita bread or rice.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
761Calories
15gFat
121gCarbs
38gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories761
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g19%
Saturated Fat 3g17%
Cholesterol 115mg38%
Sodium 883mg38%
Total Carbohydrate 121g44%
Dietary Fiber 9g34%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 53mg265%
Calcium 94mg7%
Iron 7mg38%
Potassium 2650mg56%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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