Chicken Thighs With Saffron, Lemon, and Red Potatoes Recipe

Updated August 29, 2018

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.

One-Skillet Crispy Chicken With Saffron, Lemon, and Red Potatoes

Recipe Details

Chicken Thighs With Saffron, Lemon, and Red Potatoes Recipe

Active 15 mins

Total 60 mins

Serves 4 servings

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

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.
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

One-Skillet Crispy Chicken With Saffron, Lemon, and Red Potatoes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
761	Calories
15g	Fat
121g	Carbs
38g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	761
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g	19%
Saturated Fat 3g	17%
Cholesterol 115mg	38%
Sodium 883mg	38%
Total Carbohydrate 121g	44%
Dietary Fiber 9g	34%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 53mg	265%
Calcium 94mg	7%
Iron 7mg	38%
Potassium 2650mg	56%
*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.