Chicken Vesuvio Recipe tastes like garlicky, herby roast chicken with crispy potatoes swimming in a lemony, olive oil and white wine style pan sauce that feels like a cozy Italian restaurant at home. It suits busy home cooks who want a one-pan chicken dinner in about 1 hour that still feels special enough for guests. I first cooked this on a tiny apartment stove in Chicago, and my smoke alarm cheered me on the whole way.
Why You Should Try This Chicken Vesuvio Recipe
This Chicken Vesuvio Recipe gives you juicy chicken with shatteringly crisp skin, golden potatoes, and a bright, garlicky sauce that clings to everything. You cook it mostly in one pan, so cleanup stays easy, and the oven does most of the work while you pretend you worked way harder than you did.
The recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, but the flavor tastes restaurant level. You can serve it straight from the skillet to the table, which always impresses people and saves you from extra dishes.
“This Chicken Vesuvio Recipe tastes like a cozy Italian bistro dinner made at home, and everyone at my table asked for seconds. ★★★★★”
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
- 3 to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
Vegetables
- 1½ to 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into thick wedges
- Yukon Golds hold shape and still turn creamy inside.
- Russets work in a pinch, but handle them gently so they do not break.
- 1 cup frozen peas, no need to thaw
- Any basic store brand peas work fine.
- 4 to 6 garlic cloves, sliced or lightly smashed
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced (optional but adds sweetness)
Pantry & Flavor Boosters
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Use a decent everyday extra virgin olive oil, not your fancy finishing bottle.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- Boxed broth works well; choose low sodium so you control the salt.
- ½ cup dry white cooking wine or extra chicken broth
- If you avoid wine, just use more broth plus a squeeze of lemon.
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 to 2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat)
Fresh Herbs
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or thyme if you have it
Optional Add Ins
- ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved
- ½ cup sliced mushrooms
- Extra lemon wedges for serving
Equipment List
- Large oven safe skillet or Dutch oven (12 inch works well)
- Tongs for turning chicken and potatoes
- Cutting board and sharp chef’s knife
- Small bowl for seasoning mix
- Instant read thermometer for checking chicken doneness
- Wooden spoon or spatula for scraping browned bits
Tips & Tricks
- Pat chicken very dry with paper towels so the skin browns and crisps instead of steaming.
- Season the chicken generously on all sides before it hits the pan so flavor reaches the meat, not just the surface.
- Brown chicken in batches so you do not crowd the pan and lose that golden crust.
- Cut potatoes into similar sized wedges so they cook evenly and finish with tender centers and crisp edges.
- Start potatoes in hot oil in the same pan so they soak up chicken flavor from the browned bits.
- Use medium high heat to brown, then lower the heat slightly if the pan starts to smoke.
- Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan when you add broth and wine; those bits carry huge flavor.
- Taste the sauce before it goes into the oven and again before serving, then adjust salt, pepper, and lemon.
- Add peas near the end of cooking so they stay bright green and do not turn mushy.
- Let the chicken rest a few minutes after baking so juices settle and the sauce thickens slightly.
How to Make Chicken Vesuvio
1: Season the chicken
Pat the chicken pieces dry on all sides with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, dried oregano, and dried thyme. Sprinkle this mixture all over the chicken and gently press it in so it sticks to the skin and meat.
2: Brown the chicken
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the oil shimmers, place the chicken pieces skin side down in a single layer. Cook about 5 to 7 minutes until the skin turns deep golden and crisp, then flip and cook the second side for 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and keep it nearby. Work in batches if needed so the pan does not feel crowded. Add a little more oil between batches if the pan looks dry.
3: Brown the potatoes
Add the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same pan. Place the potato wedges in the hot oil in a single layer with as many cut sides touching the pan as possible. Cook 4 to 5 minutes per side until the edges turn golden and lightly crisp.
Sprinkle the potatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper while they cook. Stir gently so they do not break apart. Transfer the browned potatoes to a separate plate or push them to the edges of the pan if you have enough space.
4: Sauté aromatics
Lower the heat to medium. Add the sliced onion to the pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes until it softens and turns lightly golden. Stir in the sliced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, not browned.
If you use mushrooms or artichokes, add them now and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir often so the garlic does not burn. If anything sticks too much, splash in a tablespoon of broth to loosen it.
5: Build the Vesuvio sauce
Pour in the white cooking wine or extra broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid simmer 2 to 3 minutes so the alcohol cooks off and the flavor concentrates. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then stir to combine.
Taste the sauce and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon if needed. The sauce should taste bright, savory, and slightly tangy. Stir in red pepper flakes if you want a gentle kick.
6: Nestle chicken and potatoes
Return the browned potatoes to the pan if you removed them. Nestle the chicken pieces into the sauce and potatoes, skin side up, so the skin sits mostly above the liquid and stays crisp. Spoon a little sauce over the exposed meat, but keep the skin uncovered.
Scatter peas around the chicken and potatoes. If you use artichokes and did not add them earlier, tuck them in now. Sprinkle a tablespoon of chopped parsley over the top.
7: Bake until tender and juicy
Preheat your oven to 400°F if you have not already. Place the skillet or Dutch oven in the oven and bake 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Check with an instant read thermometer; the thickest part of the meat should reach 165°F.
During the last 5 minutes, you can switch the oven to broil if you want extra crisp skin, but watch closely so nothing burns. The potatoes should feel tender when you pierce them with a fork, and the sauce should bubble gently around the edges.
8: Finish with herbs
Remove the pan from the oven and let the Chicken Vesuvio Recipe rest 5 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining fresh parsley and any extra fresh oregano or thyme over the top. Taste the sauce one more time and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve the chicken and potatoes with plenty of pan sauce spooned over each portion. Add lemon wedges on the side so everyone can squeeze more brightness if they like. I always snag an extra potato wedge straight from the pan as a cook’s treat.
What to Serve with Chicken Vesuvio
Serve Chicken Vesuvio Recipe with a simple green salad tossed with olive oil, lemon, and a pinch of salt to echo the flavors in the pan. Crusty bread or warm garlic bread soaks up the garlicky lemon sauce and keeps plates extra clean. Steamed green beans or roasted broccoli pair nicely and keep the meal balanced.
You can also spoon the chicken and potatoes over plain white rice or buttered noodles for a heartier dinner. A light fruit salad on the side adds a fresh, sweet contrast that kids usually love.
Storage Options
- Store leftover Chicken Vesuvio Recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
- For freezer storage, cool completely, then place chicken and potatoes with some sauce in freezer safe containers and freeze up to 2 months.
- Reheat in a covered skillet over medium low heat with a splash of broth or water until the chicken warms through and the sauce loosens.
- You can also reheat in a 350°F oven, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, then uncover for a few minutes to crisp the skin again.
Chicken Vesuvio Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels.
- Season the chicken and potato wedges with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down first, until golden brown on both sides, 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate.
- In the same pan, add the potatoes in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on the edges.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Pour in the white wine and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Return the chicken pieces to the pan, skin side up, nestling them among the potatoes. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and roast for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
- Stir in the peas and lemon juice, then return the pan to the oven for 5 more minutes to heat the peas through.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed before serving.
Notes
Approximate per serving (1/4 of recipe): 620 calories; fat 32 g; saturated fat 8 g; carbohydrates 36 g; fiber 4 g; sugars 4 g; protein 40 g; sodium 780 mg. Values will vary based on specific ingredients, brands, and portion sizes.