This roasted chicken and potatoes with sun dried tomato pesto is bursting with flavor and a cinch to make. It’s an easy one pan meal that tastes surprisingly fancy.
Roast chicken is great and a staple on pretty much everyone’s meal rotation, but it’s not always super exciting is it?
I love finding ways to make a plain roast chicken feel like a special meal, and this is a super easy way to do it. Last week I posted this amazing sun dried tomato pesto recipe that you can whiz up in 10 minutes or less, and this is one of my favorite ways to use it.
That said, if you want to go ahead and use a store bought pesto, that is totally fine! I still recommend checking out that post for plenty of other ideas on how to use this incredible condiment.
If you make the homemade recipe, you’ll use half of it and you can freeze the other half for another use. By the way, regular pesto will also work great in this recipe!
Here’s how I make it!
How to Make Roasted Chicken with Sun dried Tomato Pesto
- While you could just slather the outside of the chicken with pesto, the absolute best way to get that flavor to really permeate the chicken is to get it under the skin. Don’t worry, it’s easy to do. Just slide a spoon under the skin of each breast and gently separate it from the flesh. Make an incision in each thigh and separate the skin from the legs with the spoon.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of pesto for the sauce.
- Of the remaining pesto, stuff about 1/3 cup under the skin with the spoon. Massage the chicken to spread the pesto under as much of the skin as possible. Believe me, this step makes a huge difference in the flavor.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Slather a bit more pesto on the outside of the chicken.
4. Spread the potatoes around the chicken and toss with a couple more tablespoons of pesto.
5. Roast the chicken and potatoes at 400 F for about an hour or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 F. The time will vary depending on the size of the chicken. If you find that the chicken skin is getting too dark too fast, or that the pesto on the outside is starting to burn, tent the chicken loosely with foil.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving platter.
7. Remove any black bits from the pan and place it over medium heat. Add the chicken stock and reserved 2 tablespoons of pesto to the pan and simmer, whisking occasionally until slightly thickened, 5-10 minutes. Season to tastes with salt and pepper and serve the sauce with the chicken and potatoes.
Enjoy! xx
One Pan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables with Sun dried Tomato Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (4-6 lbs)
- 1.5 lb red or yellow potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup sun dried tomato pesto (or use store bought)
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 F.
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Set aside 2 tablespoons of pesto in a separate bowl, for the sauce. Separate the skin gently from the breasts and thighs of the chicken by sliding a spoon under the skin. Stuff about 1/3 cup of the pesto under the skin with the spoon and massage it so it reaches as much of the chicken meat as possible. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Slather with additional pesto.
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In a roasting pan or large cast iron or stainless steel skillet, toss the potatoes with about 3 tablespoons of pesto until well coated. Move the potatoes to the sides of the pan and place the chicken in the middle.
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Roast the chicken and potatoes in the preheated oven for about 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should register 180F, and the juices should run clear when you separate the leg from the chicken.
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Remove the chicken and potatoes from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Allow the chicken to rest while you make the sauce.
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Remove any black bits from the bottom of the pan and set over medium heat. Slowly pour the broth into the pan and whisk in the reserved 2 tablespoons of pesto. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the chicken and potatoes.
