Lebanese Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
Lebanese Garlic Chicken and Potatoes was the first meal my Lebanese husband ever cooked for me and I was completely smitten by both him and the dish. Dark meat chicken rubbed in a bold Lebanese spice blend, baked over baby Yukon Gold potatoes, then drenched in a Lebanese garlic sauce that pools at the bottom of the pan into a savory sauce that you will be mopping up with Lebanese pita until the pan is completely clean!
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Servings: 6
Calories: 544kcal
Ingredients
Chicken and potatoes
- 3.5 lbs dark meat chicken legs, drums, and flat wings recommended
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes cut into even pieces
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon ground coriander
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Garlic sauce
- 10 garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
For serving
- Fresh parsley chopped
- Warm Lebanese pita bread
- Fattoush Salad
Instructions
Season the chicken and potatoes
- Preheat your oven to 375F. In a small bowl combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, coriander, salt, and black pepper and mix until evenly blended.1 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp dried oregano, ½ tbsp ground coriander, 1.5 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
- Place the chicken pieces in a large baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle three quarters of the spice blend over the chicken. Use your hands to really work the seasoning all over the chicken and into every crevice including under the skin where possible. The more thoroughly you rub it in the more flavor penetrates the meat.3.5 lbs dark meat chicken, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Add the cut baby Yukon Gold potatoes to the baking dish around the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining quarter of the spice blend over the potatoes and toss to coat evenly.1 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes
First bake
- Place the baking dish in the preheated oven uncovered. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes until the chicken starts to develop color on the surface. This first uncovered bake builds the spice crust and starts the browning process before the liquid goes in.
Make the garlic sauce
- While the chicken bakes make the garlic sauce. Add the garlic cloves, a small drizzle of the olive oil, and the salt to a food processor. Blend until the garlic is broken down into a rough paste. Add the remaining olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and water. Blend until smooth and fully combined. Taste and adjust salt if needed. The sauce should be bright, sharply garlicky, and well seasoned.10 garlic cloves, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup fresh lemon juice, ½ cup water, ½ tsp salt
Add the sauce and second bake
- Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the garlic sauce evenly over and around the chicken and potatoes making sure it reaches the bottom of the pan and covers the potatoes. Tilt the dish and spoon the sauce into every corner so the zoum can develop properly during the second bake.
- Return the baking dish to the oven and bake uncovered for another 50 minutes. During this time the garlic sauce reduces with the chicken drippings into the deeply flavored zoum at the bottom of the pan. The chicken should be cooked through to 165F and deeply golden.
- If the chicken needs more color after the 50 minutes, switch the oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes until the skin is as golden and caramelized as you want it. Watch it closely during those 5 minutes.
Serve
- Remove from the oven and scatter fresh chopped parsley generously over the top. Serve immediately directly from the baking dish with warm Lebanese pita alongside for dipping into the zoum at the bottom of the pan. Serve with my Fattoush Salad in a Pita Bowl on the side for a complete Lebanese dinner.Fresh parsley, Warm Lebanese pita bread, Fattoush Salad
Notes
Nutrition facts are only estimates.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The zoum thickens significantly as it cools. Add a small splash of water or chicken broth when reheating to loosen it back to its original consistency. Reheat covered in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes then uncover and broil for 3 minutes to crisp the skin back up. Store the fattoush salad separately. Not recommended for freezing as the potato texture and the garlic sauce both suffer once frozen and thawed.
Nutrition
Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 889mg | Potassium: 623mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 788IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg
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