Are you looking for that perfect, rustic, one-pan meal that is loaded with incredible, fresh flavor, requires minimal cleanup, and is on the table in under an hour? This amazing, from-scratch Skillet Rosemary Chicken, with its unbelievably crispy skin, juicy meat, and a hearty medley of roasted potatoes and mushrooms, is that perfect dinner you’ve been searching for.
This isn’t just another chicken recipe; it’s your guide to mastering the ultimate, foolproof, stovetop-to-oven skillet dinner. We’ll show you the simple secrets to achieving that shatteringly crisp, golden-brown chicken skin every single time, all while creating a delicious, built-in side dish right in the same pan. It’s an elegant, satisfying, and deeply comforting meal that is perfect for any night of the week.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate One-Pan Meal
What makes this Skillet Rosemary Chicken so spectacularly delicious is its simple yet brilliant cooking method and its classic, robust flavors. The entire meal—the protein and the vegetables—cooks together in a single, oven-safe skillet. We start by searing bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts on the stovetop to create a super-crispy skin and render out the delicious fat. Then, we add potatoes and mushrooms to the pan and transfer the whole thing to a hot oven to roast to perfection. The chicken is infused with a fragrant, classic paste of fresh rosemary, garlic, and lemon, creating a sophisticated and unforgettable flavor.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 45 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Rustic Skillet
This recipe uses a handful of simple, high-impact ingredients to create its signature fresh and herbaceous flavor.
- The Chicken (Bone-in, Skin-on is Essential!):
- For the absolute best, most flavorful, and juiciest result, it is crucial to use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. The skin, when seared first, becomes incredibly crispy and delicious and renders its flavorful fat, which then helps to roast the vegetables. The bone adds a huge amount of flavor and helps to insulate the meat, keeping it unbelievably moist and tender during the high-heat roasting.
- The Rosemary-Garlic Paste: This is the secret to the incredible, infused flavor.
- Fresh Rosemary & Garlic: We create a simple but potent flavor paste by finely mincing fresh rosemary leaves and smashed garlic cloves together with salt and red pepper flakes. This process releases all their fragrant essential oils, which then permeate the chicken.
- The Vegetables:
- Small Red-Skinned Potatoes: These are the perfect choice for roasting. They have thin skins (no peeling required!) and a creamy texture, and they become wonderfully golden brown as they roast in the delicious chicken drippings.
- Cremini Mushrooms: These add a wonderful, deep, earthy, and savory umami flavor to the dish.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Skillet Rosemary Chicken
This delicious, one-pan meal comes together in just a few simple stages.
Step 1: Par-Boil the Potatoes and Prepare the Chicken
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to a hot 450°F (232°C).
Step 2: Place your 3/4 pound of halved or quartered red-skinned potatoes in a saucepan, cover them with cold water, and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook the potatoes for about 8 minutes, until they are just tender. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.
Pro Tip: This “par-boiling” step is crucial! It gives the potatoes a head start on cooking and guarantees that they will be perfectly tender and creamy on the inside in the same amount of time it takes for the chicken to finish cooking in the oven.
Step 3: Now, make your flavor paste. On a cutting board, pile the 1 tablespoon of rosemary leaves, the 1 smashed clove of garlic, the 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and the pinch of red pepper flakes. Use a large, heavy knife to mince and mash everything together until it forms a coarse paste.
Step 4: Transfer this paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add your 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts and turn them to coat them completely in the mixture.
Step 2: Sear the Chicken for a Crispy Skin
Step 1: Heat a large, oven-safe skillet (a 12-inch cast-iron skillet is perfect here!) over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Carefully place the chicken breasts in the hot skillet, skin-side down. Cover the skillet and let the chicken cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes. This allows the fat to render out from under the skin, creating a beautiful, deep golden-brown, and super-crispy result.
Step 3: Assemble the Skillet and Roast to Perfection
Step 1: Flip the chicken over. Add the 10 ounces of halved cremini mushrooms and your par-boiled potatoes to the skillet, arranging them around the chicken.
Step 2: Drizzle everything with the juice of the remaining lemon.
Step 3: For a final, beautiful burst of flavor and aroma, add the 2 whole sprigs of fresh rosemary and the squeezed lemon halves directly to the skillet.
Step 4: Transfer the entire skillet to the preheated oven and roast, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is beautifully crisp.
Pro Tip: The only 100% foolproof way to guarantee a juicy, perfectly cooked chicken is to use an instant-read thermometer. The chicken is perfectly and safely cooked when the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast (not touching the bone) registers at least 165°F (74°C).
Transfer the finished chicken and vegetables to a large platter and serve immediately.
The Best Crispy One-Pan Skillet Rosemary Chicken
A rustic and flavorful one-skillet rosemary chicken dinner. This recipe features bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts marinated in a fragrant paste of fresh rosemary, garlic, and lemon zest. The chicken is seared skin-side down in a large cast-iron skillet until the skin is browned, then joined by par-boiled red potatoes and cremini mushrooms. The entire skillet is then transferred to a hot oven to roast until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is perfectly crisp.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Searing, Roasting
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved or quartered
- Kosher salt
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with salted cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 8 minutes until tender, then drain and set aside.
- Prepare the Marinade: On a cutting board, mince and mash the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt, and the red pepper flakes into a paste. Transfer the paste to a bowl and stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil.
- Add the chicken to the bowl and turn to coat it in the marinade.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin-side down. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until the skin is browned.
- Turn the chicken over. Add the cooked potatoes and the mushrooms to the skillet. Drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon.
- Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp.
Notes
- Using an oven-safe skillet, such as a cast-iron pan, is essential for this recipe as it goes directly from the stovetop to the oven.
- Par-boiling the potatoes before adding them to the skillet ensures they will be fully cooked and tender in the same amount of time it takes to roast the chicken.
- Searing the chicken skin-side down first is a key step to render the fat and create a crispy skin.
What to Serve With Your Skillet Rosemary Chicken
This beautiful skillet dinner is a fantastic, all-in-one meal. However, if you’d like to round it out, here are a few simple suggestions:
- A Simple Green Salad: A crisp green salad with a bright and zesty lemon vinaigrette is the perfect, fresh counterpoint to the rich, roasted flavors.
- Crusty Bread: A simple side of warm, crusty bread is a must-have for sopping up all the delicious, lemony, rosemary-infused pan juices from the bottom of the skillet.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: You can get a head start on this recipe by preparing the rosemary-garlic paste and par-boiling your potatoes up to a day in advance. Store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: The absolute best way to reheat the chicken and bring back its original crispy skin is in an air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for just 5-7 minutes. You can also place it on a baking sheet in a hot 400°F (200°C) oven for about 10-15 minutes.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Use a Different Cut of Chicken: This same delicious cooking method is absolutely fantastic with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. They will be even juicier and may require an extra 5-10 minutes of roasting time in the oven.
- Add a Different Vegetable: Feel free to customize this recipe with your favorite hearty vegetables. You could swap the potatoes for an equal amount of cubed sweet potatoes or butternut squash, or add other vegetables that roast well, like Brussels sprouts or thick-cut carrots.
- Add a Splash of White Wine: For an even more complex and delicious pan sauce, you can deglaze the pan after you have seared the chicken. Simply remove the chicken, add your mushrooms and potatoes, and then pour in about 1/2 cup of a dry white wine and scrape up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan before you return the chicken and place it in the oven.
Enjoy Your New Favorite One-Pan Meal!
You’ve just created a truly special skillet dinner that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, fresh, and delicious flavors. This Skillet Rosemary Chicken is a testament to the power of a simple, one-pan meal to be both incredibly fast and incredibly elegant. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new staple in your weeknight dinner rotation.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, easy, one-pan meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute secret to getting super crispy chicken skin in a skillet?
There are two main secrets! First, and most importantly, pat your chicken thighs completely dry with a paper towel before you season them. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear. Second, place the chicken skin-side down in a hot, preheated skillet and let it sear, undisturbed, for a full 5 minutes. Don’t be tempted to move it around! This allows the fat to render out from under the skin and for the skin to form a beautiful, deep golden-brown, and super-crispy crust.
Q2: Do I absolutely have to par-boil the potatoes first?
Yes, it is a highly recommended step for this quick-cooking recipe. Raw potatoes take a long time to cook through in the oven (often 45-60 minutes). By giving them a quick, 8-minute boil on the stovetop first, you are guaranteeing that they will be perfectly tender and creamy on the inside in the same, short amount of time that it takes for the chicken to finish roasting.
Q3: Can I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of bone-in?
You can, but you will need to be very careful not to overcook them, as they are much leaner and can dry out easily. You should pound them to an even thickness first, and you will likely need to reduce the final roasting time in the oven significantly (check them after 10-15 minutes).
Q4: What is the best kind of skillet to use for a stovetop-to-oven meal like this one?
The absolute best tool for this job is a large, 12-inch, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. Cast iron heats very evenly, gets a fantastic sear on the chicken, and can go seamlessly from the stovetop to the hot oven. A large, oven-safe stainless steel skillet or a Dutch oven would also work beautifully.
Q5: Can I use dried rosemary instead of fresh?
For the absolute best, most fragrant, and most authentic flavor, fresh rosemary is highly recommended. Dried herbs have a much more muted and earthy flavor. If you must substitute, the general rule of thumb is to use about one-third the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh. For this recipe,