Crockpot Greek chicken and potatoes is a slow cooker dinner of bone-in chicken thighs over chunky yellow potatoes, cooked with lemon, garlic, oregano, basil and rosemary until the chicken is falling-off-the-bone tender and the potatoes have soaked up the lemony, herby juices. It is bright, savory and comforting, and the meat and the side dish cook in the same pot. Twenty minutes of work in the morning gives you dinner by evening.
How to make crockpot Greek chicken and potatoes: Layer potato chunks and onion in a slow cooker with chicken broth, garlic and dried herbs. Sear chicken thighs skin-side down until golden and set them over the potatoes. Pour lemon juice over the chicken and add more garlic, herbs and lemon zest. Cook on low for 5 1/2 to 7 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- A full meal in one pot. Chicken and potatoes cook together.
- Lemon, garlic and herbs. Fresh, bright flavor in a slow cooker dinner.
- Tender chicken. Bone-in thighs stay juicy for hours.
- Potatoes with flavor. They cook in broth, lemon and chicken juices.
- Hands-off. Twenty minutes of prep, then leave it alone.
Ingredient Notes
Yellow potatoes. Two pounds, cut into large chunks of about 2 inches. Big pieces hold their shape through a long cook.
Yellow onion. Half a medium onion, cut into chunks.
Garlic. Five cloves, minced. Half goes on the potatoes and half on the chicken.
Dried herbs. Two and a half teaspoons of oregano and 1 teaspoon each of basil and crushed rosemary, also divided.
Chicken thighs. Three pounds, bone-in and skin-on, with excess skin trimmed.
Olive oil. One and a half tablespoons, for searing.
Chicken broth. Half a cup.
Lemon. Three and a half tablespoons of fresh juice and 2 teaspoons of zest. Zest the lemon before you juice it.
Fresh parsley. Three tablespoons, for serving.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes, cut into large 2-inch chunks
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into chunks
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- Salt, to season
- Freshly ground black pepper, to season
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, divided
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley
How to Make Crockpot Greek Chicken and Potatoes
1. Layer the potatoes. Place the potatoes and onion in an even layer in a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth. Add half the garlic, oregano, basil and rosemary, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Sear the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, pat the skin side of the thighs dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and sear skin-side down until golden brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker over the potatoes.
3. Add lemon and herbs. Pour the lemon juice evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle on the remaining garlic, oregano, basil and rosemary, followed by 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Refrigerate the remaining 1 teaspoon of zest until serving.
4. Cook and check doneness. Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 to 7 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
5. Serve. Spoon some of the slow cooker juices over each serving. Sprinkle with the parsley and the reserved lemon zest.
Can Raw Chicken and Potatoes Cook Together in the Crockpot?
Yes. They cook in the same pot for the same time, as long as they are stacked in the right order. Potatoes go on the bottom and chicken goes on top.
The order matters because the two cook at different speeds. Dense vegetables like potatoes cook more slowly than meat in a slow cooker. The bottom of the pot is the hottest place, and it is where the liquid is. So the potatoes go down into the broth, and the chicken sits above them, where its juices drip down as it cooks. USDA FSIS gives the same advice: vegetables in first.
| Layer | What goes there | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom | Potato chunks and onion, with the broth | They need the most heat and cook in the liquid |
| Top | Seared chicken thighs, skin-side up | They cook in the steam and baste the potatoes |
| Over everything | Lemon juice, garlic, herbs and zest | The flavors run down through both layers |
At the end, check both. Push a fork into a potato from the bottom of the pot. It should be tender all the way through. Then take the temperature of the chicken in the thickest part of a thigh, away from the bone. It should read 165°F.
Tips for Success
Why sear the chicken first?
A slow cooker cannot brown anything. Four minutes in a hot pot gives the skin color and adds a deeper, roasted flavor to the whole dish.
Can I get the skin crisp?
Slow-cooked skin is soft. For browned skin, set the cooked thighs on a sheet pan and broil them for a few minutes, watching closely.
How big should the potatoes be?
Large, about 2 inches. Small pieces turn to mush over a long cook.
Can I use frozen chicken?
No. Thaw chicken in the refrigerator before it goes into a slow cooker.
Why save some lemon zest for the end?
Zest loses its brightness as it cooks. A fresh teaspoon over the top wakes the dish back up.
How Long Does It Take?
About 440 minutes: 20 minutes of prep and about 7 hours on low. The chicken may be ready sooner, from 5 1/2 hours, so start checking then.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow, covered containers, and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave to 165°F, with a spoonful of the juices to keep the chicken moist. Do not reheat leftovers in the slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
A Greek salad and a bowl of tzatziki are the natural partners, with warm pita to mop up the juices. For more chicken and potato dinners, try chicken and potatoes with Dijon cream sauce, the chicken bacon ranch casserole with potatoes or slow cooker Amish chicken and sweet potatoes. For other slow cooker favorites, there are 4-ingredient slow cooker chicken, the slow cooker chicken pot pie and slow cooker glazed herb baby potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cook raw chicken and potatoes at the same time?
Yes. In a slow cooker, put the potatoes on the bottom and the chicken on top, and cook until both are done.
Which goes into the slow cooker first: chicken or potatoes?
Potatoes. Vegetables cook more slowly than poultry, so they go in first.
How do you know when the chicken and potatoes are done?
The potatoes are fork-tender and the chicken reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
What do you serve with Greek chicken and potatoes?
Greek salad, tzatziki and pita bread.
Final Notes
I zest the lemon into two small piles before I cut it, one for the pot and one for the table. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Crockpot Greek Chicken and Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes cut into large, about 2-inch chunks
- 1/2 yellow onion medium, cut into chunks
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary crushed
- salt to season
- black pepper freshly ground, to season
- 3 pounds chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on, excess skin trimmed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest divided; refrigerate 1 teaspoon for serving
- 3 tablespoons parsley fresh
Instructions
- Place the potatoes and onion in an even layer in a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth. Add half the garlic, oregano, basil and rosemary, and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, pat the skin side of the thighs dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and sear skin-side down until golden brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker over the potatoes.
- Pour the lemon juice evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle on the remaining garlic, oregano, basil and rosemary, followed by 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Refrigerate the remaining 1 teaspoon of zest until serving.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 to 7 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Spoon some of the slow cooker juices over each serving. Sprinkle with the parsley and the reserved lemon zest.
Notes
Nutrition
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