Skillet Chicken and Potatoes

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Skillet Chicken and Potatoes – an easy weeknight dinner with loads of flavor from the fresh thyme, garlic and lemon butter sauce.

Made on the stovetop in about 45 minutes, this family friendly chicken and potatoes recipe is sure to please!

What kind of potatoes work best in this recipe?

Any small potato will do nicely in this easy skillet chicken dish. Fingerling, red, tiny new potatoes or small white potatoes all work well. If you have larger potatoes on hand, just cut them into quarters for pieces  so they’ll cook quickly. It’s all good!

Garlic and lemon is a great combo, especially when paired with chicken and potatoes!

The simplicity of this dish is one of  the things I love most about it. The fresh and dominant flavors of lemon and garlic are front and center in both the chicken and potatoes. To compliment the bright lemon flavor, we use plenty of fresh thyme leaves for that herby punch. If you don’t have fresh thyme on hand, feel free to substitute dried thyme.

Can you use anything other than chicken breast pieces in this recipe?

I’m one of those folks that loves chicken breasts, so they’re often my first choice. For this dish you can use chicken tenders, chicken cutlets or boneless, skinless chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts. They all work very well in one skillet meals like this. If you use something other than chicken breasts, adjust the cooking time, up or down as needed. As with most chicken breast recipes, make sure you don’t over cook the chicken!

Serve this skillet chicken and potatoes with a fresh green vegetable, or salad, for a complete meal.

We usually serve something green and fresh with a dish like this. Our favorite roasted green beans are a great choice, or in spring there’s nothing better than fresh asparagus. If you’re craving a tossed salad, this homemade Creamy Italian Dressing has the perfect flavor profile to compliment the lemon infused chicken.

Whatever you have on hand that is fresh and light will be the perfect side for our skillet chicken and potatoes.

Our chicken and potatoes are pan roasted, not simmered in sauce.

This dish does not have a lot of sauce to simmer the chicken and potatoes. Everything is pan seared then tossed in garlic, butter and lemon juice. You can always add more butter or lemon juice, or even a little splash of chicken broth. Personally, I prefer the crispy edges on the potatoes and those would be lost if the spuds are steamed.

Think of this recipe more like a sheet pan meal, made on the stove top!

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5 from 4 votes

Skillet Chicken and Potatoes

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

Yield: 4

Course: Dinner

Author: Tricia

PRINT RECIPE

An easy weeknight dinner with loads of flavor from the fresh thyme, garlic and lemon butter sauce

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pound small potatoes, fingerling, red, tiny new or white halved

For the chicken:

• 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1+ pound)
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 lemon sliced thin

For the butter sauce:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

Instructions

For the potatoes:

• In a large skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and toss gently to coat. Arrange the potatoes cut side down, then cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove potatoes to a clean plate, tent loosely and set aside.

For the chicken:

• While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the chicken. Dry chicken breasts with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in the now-empty skillet. Add the chicken and cook until well browned on one side, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the chicken and sprinkle with the garlic and 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves. Cover each breast with sliced lemon.
• Push the chicken to one side the skillet. On the empty side of the skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Add the potatoes back into the pan and toss in the garlic butter sauce. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (160°F) and the potatoes are tender.
• Drizzle the chicken and potatoes with fresh lemon juice and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if desired.

Here are a few more chicken breast recipes you might enjoy:

Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Wine Sauce

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

Chicken Francese (Chicken French)