So I was craving the flavors and comfort of pot roast this week, but really wasn’t craving red meat. Hence this creation, Pot Roast Chicken.
An obvious take on pot roast, but with chicken, this recipe is a crave-able dish that the whole family will enjoy. Crispy chicken thighs sit right on top of delicious gravy-coated veggies like potatoes, celery and carrots.
While it takes some time to cook in the oven, this recipe is mostly hands-off, leaving you time to tackle emails, homework, house chores…you know, all the things. Pop this on the table and this one-pot meal will certainly satisfy you and yours.
Find my Classic Beef Pot Roast here!
Pot Roast Chicken
Serves: 4 people
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion halved and cut into ¼-inch slices
- 3 large carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 stalks celery cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp arrowroot flour
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 5-7 sprigs of thyme tied into a bundle using kitchen twine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lb yellow potatoes cut into 2-inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pat the chicken dry and season on both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe large, deep skillet (I use the Made In 3.5 quart saute pan) over medium-high heat.
- When hot, in batches so as to not overcrowd the skillet add the chicken, and cook until golden on each side (about 2 minutes per side) transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the dijon, tomato paste, and paprika and toss until well combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and the arrowroot flour until well combined. Slowly pour in the broth mixture while stirring until well combined. (*Your sauce will almost immediately thicken. Don’t worry-- when the chicken cooks down, it will add additional juices to the sauce and it turns out perfectly in the end).
- Remove from the heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar, add the bundle of thyme and the bay leaves. Place the chicken on top of the veggies, skin side up. Cover and transfer to the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and increase the heat to 400 degrees F.
- Remove the cover and carefully nestle the potatoes into the sauce, tucking them under the chicken (just be delicate moving around the chicken so the skin doesn’t fall off!). Transfer back to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the skin is a deep golden brown and crisp, the potatoes are tender, and the sauce has thickened, about 30 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes prior to serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
*Here is the 3.5 quart Saute Pan that I used in the recipe by Made In Cookware. (you can shop Made In using my code DEFINEDDISH for 20% off.) *affiliate link
55 Comments
Kayla
January 31, 2023 at 12:09 amAlex’s recipes always make my family think I am a chef! I made this in my cast iron skillet and my family claimed it was buttery! Little did they know there was no butter in this recipe. Great recipe for all your picky eaters.
Blair
November 19, 2022 at 2:05 amThis is so freaking good!!
Alex
November 19, 2022 at 7:39 pmYay! Thank you!
Cameron
November 29, 2022 at 11:37 pmHi! Made this tonight and it was so good! Simple ingredients and delicious!
How do you recommend storing and reheating leftovers?!
Alex
December 1, 2022 at 9:34 pmHi Blair!
I recommend storing in an airtight container. For best results, I like to reheat mine in the oven, in an oven safe dish, @ 350 until warm throughout, about 8-10 mins! It’s fine reheated in the microwave also!
Eileen
October 24, 2022 at 6:08 pmCan I use bone in chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs
Alex
October 26, 2022 at 3:07 pmYes, as long as it’s bone in it should turn out great
Jackie Schwartz
August 20, 2022 at 11:23 pmCan you do this with breasts?
Alex
August 27, 2022 at 11:33 pmI think with the lengthy cook time, they’d dry out.
Andrea Mion
March 15, 2022 at 12:44 amThis looks delicious and I’d love to try it.
Do you think I could make it in the crockpot?
I’ve made beef roast in the crockpot with carrots and potatoes, it cooks for about 8 hours. I’ve also made other chicken dishes in the crockpot and they’re all very good. I’ll give it a shot soon!
Alex
March 22, 2022 at 5:19 pmhi! yes it will work in the crockpot; however, you wont get the beautiful, crispy skin on the top of the chicken thighs.
Susan ML
February 7, 2022 at 3:48 pmMy daughter is big on the Whole 30 foods and recipes. She made this for my husband and I last week and it was absolutely delicious! I will be making it again this week. Thank you.
Rebecca Mason
January 27, 2022 at 1:05 amThis is now a family favorite! I made it for my son and my daughter, both grown adults with busy lives. They both request Alex’s Chicken Pot Roast as if you are a part of our family!!!!! Kudos girl! Job well done! I think it’s the Apple cider vinegar that gets them all!!!!
Jessica
December 31, 2021 at 12:46 amThis was amazing, Alex! There was no talking during the meal (a sign of an excellent meal in my house) and my husband asked 3 times if I pinned this recipe. I had to restrain myself from licking the pot😂
Alex
December 31, 2021 at 5:22 pmhaha, I am so glad!!!
Kellar
November 20, 2021 at 5:38 pmI made this and my whole family loved it! Another big winner, Alex! Do you think I could double this and do it in my big roaster?
Alex
November 22, 2021 at 5:49 pmAbsolutely!
Julie V.
February 1, 2022 at 4:54 amI just had to hop on here to say, this is literally the best dish I’ve ever tasted! Tonight was the 2nd time I made it and it’s obviously a no-fail recipe, where the flavors are perfection and the chicken falls off the bone. I am the biggest pot roast fan known to man (!!) and this is just another level. If it wasn’t so labor and time intensive, I would make it once a week! Thank you for your brilliance. 🥰
Paige
November 8, 2021 at 3:23 amThis recipe was delicious. I held off on salting the veggies and broth, but next time, I’ll had a few pinches before placing the dish into the oven. Even still, I was floored by how simple and and tasty this dinner was. I only cooked 4 thighs but kept the other ingredient amounts the same. Such an amazing and creative recipe!
Tracey
October 29, 2021 at 12:59 amMy husband and I loved this recipe! I didn’t have a few I ingredients on hand so I made a few modifications, but it was still super fantastic! I had to leave out the paprika, apple cider vinegar, and tomatoe paste. also I used ground thyme instead of fresh sprigs. But I will still make this again and again! Thank you so much!
Stephani Connell
October 28, 2021 at 1:55 pmMy sister and I both made this and loved it, but the sauce/gravy turned out very watery. I ended up thickening it up on the stove some with a slurry of broth and arrowroot but any tips to get it thicker without having to do that?
Staci
November 16, 2021 at 6:54 pmFour and cornstarch are both commonly used to thicken sauces or soups. I don’t know if there are other vegetables that could naturally give you the truly you’re looking for if you weren’t able to go shopping beforehand. Here’s to hoping it’s extra thick for you next time!
Staci
November 16, 2021 at 6:55 pm*flour
Zavier
December 16, 2021 at 11:16 amOkra is a vegetable thickener used in dishes throughout the south, such as gumbo. Buy some frozen and thaw it. Then fry it with the vegetable mix.
Isabelle
October 17, 2021 at 11:17 pmThis was very good and easy. Every night my family says what our favorite part of our day is and tonight my husband said dinner so it was a home run. I loved this because I don’t like red meat which is in a lot of fall time roast meals
Jill
October 6, 2021 at 2:30 pmThis is a lovely twist on classic pot roast. Thank you for the well-balanced recipe. It turned out perfectly on the first try! I think you mentioned in your IG story that you can use wine instead of ACV for another variation that’s not Whole 30. Would you use a similar amount (maybe more wine?) and add at the same time? So glad to have this new recipe heading into fall!
Alex
October 8, 2021 at 1:10 pmI would do 1/4 cup of dry white wine if you want to cook with wine! would be so good.
Sarah
October 3, 2021 at 10:53 pmThis is a Sunday dinner home run!! Easy, healthy, another defined dish classic. Thank you!
Alex
October 4, 2021 at 11:29 amThanks, Sarah!
Emily Fitzgerald
September 27, 2021 at 1:28 amYour recipes are literally the best! I was craving comfort food for Sunday dinner and this hit the spot. I decided to make mashed potatoes with it instead of adding potatoes to the dish, and it was sooo good. Thanks Alex!
Alex
September 27, 2021 at 11:41 amHappy you enjoyed it, Emily!
Bethany
September 26, 2021 at 2:28 amThis recipe is delicious!!!! The perfect recipe for the first weekend of fall!!
Kim
September 25, 2021 at 9:12 pmLOVE your recipes! We haven’t had a bad one yet!
I have chicken legs in the freezer. Do you think cooking time would be the same as the thighs?
Liz S.
September 24, 2021 at 9:14 pmWould you be able to use a Dutch oven? Would any cook times or temps need to be adjusted?
Alex
September 25, 2021 at 4:24 pmIf you use a dutch oven, it will work just the same!
Holly
September 23, 2021 at 4:22 pmIs there any way I could make this in the Instant pot?
Alex
September 23, 2021 at 7:53 pmI wouldnt do this one in a crockpot– as the crispy skin is one of the best parts of the dish!
RMPG
September 23, 2021 at 10:05 amYum!
Raechel
January 27, 2022 at 6:24 pmIs there a way to make this in the crockpot?
Alex
January 27, 2022 at 7:55 pmI wouldn’t do this particular one in the crockpot– as the skin won’t get crisp on the chicken (and it’s one of the best parts!)
Mary
September 23, 2021 at 5:24 amDo you usually trim/defat chicken thighs?
Alex
September 23, 2021 at 3:55 pmNo, with the bone-in, skin-on I leave them as is.
Mary
September 24, 2021 at 10:29 pmThank you! What if you use boneless skinless chicken thighs for a recipe. Do you defat then?
Erin
September 23, 2021 at 3:50 amHow would you adjust the cooking time if you used boneless/skinless chicken thighs?
Alex
September 23, 2021 at 3:57 pmoh– I think this cook time would be too high for this recipe to use boneless, skinless. The method would need to be adjusted… I haven’t tried it yet but I would almost just skip the whole first part of baking it covered. Go ahead and add the potatoes, top with chicken thighs, bake uncovered at 400 for 45 mins or so. Can’t say for certain, but this would be my guess.
Amanda Grass
October 13, 2022 at 2:38 pmI did this last night with boneless skinless thighs- I seared the thighs for 2 mins each side, added potatoes right off the bat, topped with thighs and baked for 30 mins and it was perfect!!!
Lauri
September 22, 2021 at 10:22 pmWhen do you put in the Apple cider vinegar?
Anna
September 22, 2021 at 8:15 pmLooks delicious! Could you make this with bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts? Would you have to adjust the cooking time at all? Thanks!
Alex
September 22, 2021 at 8:59 pmyes! as long as they are bone-in and skin-on it will work great!
Emily R
December 12, 2022 at 12:21 amSO so good!! Is there anyway to make & freeze?
Alex
December 21, 2022 at 8:56 pmHi! yes this is a fabulous make ahead and freeze recipe!!! one of my faves.
Morgan smith
September 22, 2021 at 8:01 pmAre you putting the sauté pan directly in the oven? Or transferring the goods to a deep baking Pan before putting in oven?
Alex
September 22, 2021 at 8:59 pmit’s all in that same skillet.
Dezi
September 23, 2021 at 9:40 pmLove your receipes so much!! A few questions though because I want to make sure I’m using the highest quality ingredients… what brand of avo oil do you normally use? And your favorite brand for the seasonings and chicken broth also! Thanks so much!
Alex
September 24, 2021 at 2:24 pmHi Dezi! Thank you!
I usually get Chosen Foods Avocado Oil! Kettle and Fire for the broth! and for seasonings, I love Frontier Co-Op brand, The Spice House, or I buy them from Thrive Market to restock!