This Easy Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes gives you a flavor-packed Mediterranean dinner with almost no effort—a bright, comforting sheet-pan meal that’s budget-friendly, family-friendly, and perfect for busy weeknights.
For more easy chicken dinners, check out our Greek chicken and bean stew, Mediterranean chicken and rice stir fry, chicken kebab, and Greek chicken souvlaki.
Why This Recipe Makes Dinner Easier, Faster, and More Delicious
We first fell in love with this dish while cooking from Yiayia, one of our favorite Greek cookbooks—but Louise and I simplified it to make a truly weeknight-friendly version you can cook anytime. 🍋
The recipe is still authentically Greek, just streamlined: the “marinade” is really a creamy lemon-garlic coating that sticks beautifully to the chicken without needing any marinating time. Honestly, we never plan our dinners ahead—when we crave Greek lemon chicken, we want it on the table in under an hour.
And this recipe delivers: bold flavor, crispy potatoes, and a simple weeknight chicken dinner that fits naturally into a Mediterranean-style eating pattern.
Of course, if you’re more organized than us, you can toss the chicken in the same yogurt-lemon sauce up to 24 hours in advance and let it rest in the fridge for even deeper flavor. 🇬🇷✨
Nico Pallotta
Ingredients
For quantities, see recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Potatoes: Waxy or all-purpose potatoes hold their shape best. Substitute sweet potatoes for extra color and a naturally nutritious twist.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Adds Mediterranean flavor and helps everything crisp. Substitute avocado oil or light olive oil.
- Paprika: Sweet paprika brings color and mild warmth. Substitute smoked paprika for a deeper, cozy flavor.
- Chicken thighs: Bone-in, skin-on thighs stay juicy and make a high protein dinner idea. Substitute boneless thighs or chicken breasts (reduce bake time).
- Chicken drumsticks: Add variety and great texture. Substitute more thighs or even whole leg quarters.
- Greek yogurt: Use regular or low-fat Greek yogurt. Substitute Skyr for an even more protein-rich option, or sour cream in a pinch.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the best flavor. Substitute garlic powder for convenience.
- Lemon: Essential for brightness. Substitute a splash of white wine vinegar.
- Dried oregano: Classic Greek herb. Substitute thyme or Italian seasoning.
- Mustard: Helps emulsify the coating. Substitute whole grain or yellow mustard.
- Salt and black pepper: Adjust to taste.
- Chicken broth: Adds moisture and prevents burning. Substitute vegetable broth or water.
- Fresh parsley: Adds freshness. Substitute dill or green onions.
How to Make Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Step 1: Prep the Potatoes
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Cut the potatoes into wedges and toss them with olive oil, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Spread them out on a large rimmed baking sheet so they get space to crisp up. This already sets you up for a one pan chicken and potatoes dinner that feels cozy and effortless.
Step 2: Make the Lemon Yogurt Coating
In the same bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, grated garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, mustard, salt, and pepper. This isn’t a marinade you need to plan for—it’s a quick, creamy coating that sticks to the chicken immediately and keeps everything moist while baking. Perfect for nights when you need a healthy Mediterranean chicken recipe fast.
Step 3: Coat the Chicken and Assemble
Add the chicken thighs and drumsticks to the bowl and coat them well. Nestle the coated chicken pieces between the potatoes on the sheet pan. Spoon any remaining yogurt mixture on top of the chicken. Gently pour the broth around the potatoes (not over the chicken) to keep the skin crispy.
Step 4: Bake and Serve
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken pieces, until they reach 165°F (74°C) and the potatoes are golden brown on top. Finish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Serve straight from the pan with some Kalamata olives while everything is hot, crispy, and full of bright Greek flavor. SO good!
Tips
- Cut the potatoes evenly so they roast at the same speed and get those perfectly crispy edges that pair so well with crispy oven baked chicken thighs.
- If wet, dry the chicken with paper towels before adding it to the yogurt mixture; this helps the coating stick and promotes browning.
- Use a large, low-rimmed metal sheet pan (like a Nordic Ware half-sheet pan). The roomy surface lets the potatoes brown beautifully instead of steaming.
- Pour the broth around the potatoes only so the chicken skin stays golden and never turns soggy.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving to keep the juices inside.
- Use a kitchen thermometer for perfect results – check the thickest part of the chicken and pull it from the oven when it reaches 165°F (74°C). This prevents undercooking or overcooking and guarantees juicy, tender meat every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This is a flexible recipe. You can use all thighs, all drumsticks, or even bone-in breasts. Adjust the baking time as needed. It still turns into a truly easy weeknight chicken dinner.
You can use regular yogurt, Skyr, sour cream. The coating still keeps the chicken moist and flavorful.
Absolutely. You can add bell peppers, red onion, or zucchini, but add them in the last 25 minutes so they don’t get mushy. Just make sure not to overcrowd the pan—too many vegetables will make the potatoes steam instead of brown, and you’ll lose that delicious roasted flavor.
Nope. Leave the skins on for better texture and more natural nutrition.
Yes. Mustard helps emulsify the sauce, but you can leave it out or replace it with a little tomato paste or tahini.
Yes, but reduce the bake time by about 10 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. This is especially true for boneless thighs.
Definitely. It’s a one-pan, mix-and-bake style simple chicken drumstick recipe—easy, forgiving, and full of flavor.
More Easy Mediterranean Dinners
- Baked cod
- Italian tuna pasta
- Chicken gyros
- Greek chicken with lemon and orzo
- Honey harissa chicken
- Greek eggplant pasta
- Mediterranean chicken and potatoes
- Tuna patties
Tried this Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes recipe? We'd love to hear what you think! Leave a 🌟 star rating and drop a comment below—we read every single one. 💬💛
Recipe
Easy Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes (Sheet Pan Dinner)
Ingredients
For the Potatoes
- 6 medium potatoes cut into wedges (~2 lb or 900 g)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika + salt and black pepper
For the Chicken
- 4 chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- 4 chicken drumsticks bone in, skin on
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 4 cloves garlic grated/pressed
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon mustard Dijon or yellow
- 1 teaspoon salt + black pepper
- ¼ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 handful fresh parsley + optional Kalamata olives
Instructions
- Prep the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Cut 6 medium potatoes into wedges and place them in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons paprika, salt, and black pepper. Toss well, then spread the potatoes out on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Make the yogurt lemon coating: In the same bowl, whisk together ½ cup Greek yogurt, 4 cloves garlic (grated), zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken thighs and drumsticks. Toss until the chicken is fully coated.
- Assemble the sheet pan: Nestle the coated chicken pieces between the potatoes. Spoon any of the remaining yogurt mixture over the chicken. Gently pour ¼ cup chicken broth into the bottom of the pan. Keep the liquid around the potatoes, not over the chicken.
- Bake: Bake for about 35-45 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C). Sprinkle with 1 handful fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon, and optional Kalamata olives.
Notes
- Potatoes → Waxy or all-purpose; or sweet potatoes for color + nutrition
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil → Avocado oil or light olive oil
- Paprika → Smoked paprika for deeper, cozier flavor
- Chicken Thighs → Boneless thighs or chicken breasts (reduce bake time)
- Chicken Drumsticks → More thighs or whole leg quarters
- Greek Yogurt → Skyr for extra protein or sour cream
- Garlic → Garlic powder
- Lemon → White wine vinegar splash
- Dried Oregano → Thyme or Italian seasoning
- Mustard → Whole grain or yellow mustard
- Salt + Black Pepper → Adjust to taste
- Chicken Broth → Vegetable broth or water
- Fresh Parsley → Dill or green onions
- Cut potatoes evenly so they roast at the same pace and get ultra-crispy edges.
- Pat chicken dry before coating so the yogurt mixture sticks and browns beautifully.
- Use a large, low-rimmed metal sheet pan to help potatoes brown instead of steam.
- Pour broth around the potatoes only to keep chicken skin crisp, never soggy.
- Rest chicken for 5 minutes to lock in juices before serving.
- Use a kitchen thermometer and pull chicken at 165°F (74°C) for perfectly juicy results.
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