The smell of lemon and garlic is therapeutic to me – meals that fill the house with the smell of garlic remind me of my mom and her wonderful cooking and the smell of lemon makes me feel happy. It is a brilliant combination. This recipe brings this combination to life, and it also tastes delightful!
It is amazing how easy this dish is to make, and the ingredients are simple but so flavorful. If I think of it the day before I plan to prepare this dish, I will marinate the chicken overnight. If I don’t, it is still fantastic!
This is one of my favorite dishes to serve guests. They love it and the presentation is lovely – they will think you spent all day cooking!
Ingredients
6 Tbsp. olive oil – Divided (1 Tbsp. and 5 Tbsp.)
2 lemons – 1 very thinly sliced and 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic – minced
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¾ lb. trimmed green beans
8 small red potatoes – quartered (make sure you use small red potatoes)
4 chicken breasts – bone-in with skin (this will be about 3 ¼ lbs. of chicken)
Directions
Prepare Chicken to Marinate Overnight – Recommended
In a large bowl, combine 5 Tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Add the chicken to the olive oil and lemon mixture, coat each piece well. Cover and refrigerate until the next day. A few times during the marinating, stir the chicken around in the marinade to re-coat.
When assembling the dish, the next day, remove the chicken from the marinade and proceed with coating the green beans, then the potatoes. From here, continue with the recipe.
When Ready to Prepare the Dish
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil.
Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
If You Did Not Marinate the Chicken Overnight
In a large bowl, combine 5 Tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices.
Add the potatoes to the same olive oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans.
Place the chicken in the same olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet.
Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
Cover the baking dish or skillet with foil and place in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and roast for 20 minutes or the chicken has reached 165° F. If you want to make sure the potatoes get a rich brown color and are crispy, you can uncover after 20 minutes
Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet and place on a plate to rest – set aside.
Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender.
For a beautiful presentation, place a chicken breast in the center of each of 4 plates, divide the green beans and potatoes equally, and arrange around the chicken.
Serve with crusty dinner rolls or a baguette to dip in the sauce. You can also add a salad if you desire.
Notes
• Chicken: Instead of chicken breasts, bone-in chicken thighs are a fantastic substitution. For optimal flavor, marinate the chicken overnight – combine the olive oil and lemon mixture in a large bowl, place the chicken in the mixture, and make sure each piece of chicken has a nice coat of marinade. Cover and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare the dish. About 3-4 times while the chicken is marinating, stir the chicken around in the marinade to re-coat and keep the flavors on the chicken.
• Potatoes: Make sure you use small red potatoes. If you use ones that are too large, they will not get crispy and caramelized – they will turn mushy which is not what you want.
• Olive Oil and Lemon Mixture: When coating the green beans, potatoes, and chicken, make sure you have coated everything well, so the seasoning gets into each component of the dish.
• Green Beans: Use only fresh green beans, not canned or frozen.