Sicilian roast chicken with potatoes is a meat main course from home cooking tradition: simple and very aromatic, made with genuine ingredients and a few essential gestures — perfect if you don’t know how to cook chicken. A slightly richer and more flavorful variation of the classic Roast Chicken with Potatoes, perfect when you want to serve a complete, healthy and tasty dish that smells of Sicilian cuisine and shared meals.
This version of roast chicken is one of those dishes I often make when I need something easy but that everyone likes, especially my children. It’s an uncomplicated recipe that smells of simplicity and tradition and brings back those family lunches remembered fondly. In my recipe, handed down from my grandmother, the chicken is flavored with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, onion, olives and aromatic herbs, then slow-roasted in the oven until tender and juicy. The potatoes, added halfway through cooking, soak up all the pan juices and become golden and flavorful, just the way we like them.
It’s one of those recipes I happily prepare during the week too, because I know I can easily pair it with simple side dishes or seasonal vegetables, and because it allows me to bring a complete dish to the table without spending hours at the stove. Like many preparations from the Sicilian tradition, this roast chicken is born from simple gestures and genuine ingredients, yet it always manages to win over young and old.
A family main course, perfect for Sunday lunch or an informal dinner, that tells of the South, home cooking and flavors that never tire. Ready to join me in the kitchen? Let’s go then, but before we start cooking, if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
Take a look:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make Sicilian roast chicken with potatoes
- 1 chicken (whole, about 2.65 lb (approx. 1.2 kg))
- 1 lemon (organic, juice and zest)
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 onion (white or red)
- to taste black pepper
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- 4 olives (white)
- 4 oven-baked black olives
- 1.76 lb potatoes
- 10 to taste spices (mixed, oregano, rosemary, etc…)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Roasting pan
- Oven
Preparation of Sicilian roast chicken with potatoes
Wash the lemon, dry it, and finely grate the zest. Collect it in a bowl and add the extra virgin olive oil, rosemary, a pinch of salt, pepper, the lemon juice and any other spices you prefer. Mix well until you obtain a fragrant emulsion.
Stuff the inside of the chicken with some of the prepared seasoning, sliced onion, olives, a bay leaf and a sprig of rosemary, so the meat is well flavored during cooking.
Place the whole chicken in a roasting pan and brush it thoroughly with the lemon mixture, massaging it over the entire surface. Roast the chicken in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, wash them and cut into cubes. Transfer them to a bowl and season with onion, salt, extra virgin olive oil, herbs and rosemary, mixing well.
After the first 30 minutes of cooking, remove the pan from the oven and add the potatoes around the chicken, lightly drizzling them with the pan juices. Return to the oven and continue cooking for another 40 minutes, turning the potatoes halfway through and basting the chicken with its juices if necessary.
At the end of cooking the chicken will be well browned, tender and juicy, with potatoes crispy on the outside and soft inside. Remove from the oven and let rest a few minutes before serving. I cooked using my air fryer, which in reality is a small oven in shape and size, and I cooked two chickens at once, doubling the quantities. For smaller air fryers, times are more or less similar, but be careful not to burn the chicken.
Storage notes and tips
Sicilian roast chicken with potatoes keeps in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container, for 1–2 days. Before serving again it is advisable to reheat it in the oven, covered with aluminum foil and with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, so as to keep it soft and juicy. For crispier skin, in the last 5–10 minutes of cooking turn on the grill function, taking care not to burn the potatoes or the meat.
If the chicken dries out during cooking, baste it with its pan juices or add half a glass of hot water or broth.
Variations:You can flavor the chicken with thyme, sage or oregano instead of rosemary.
Green and black olives can be replaced with Sicilian black olives or you can use only one type.
If you prefer, you can add unpeeled garlic cloves inside the chicken or in the pan with the potatoes.
If the chicken dries out during cooking, baste it with its pan juices or add half a glass of hot water or broth.
Variations:You can flavor the chicken with thyme, sage or oregano instead of rosemary.
Green and black olives can be replaced with Sicilian black olives or you can use only one type.
If you prefer, you can add unpeeled garlic cloves inside the chicken or in the pan with the potatoes.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I prepare Sicilian roast chicken in advance?Yes, you can prepare it a few hours in advance and reheat it in the oven just before serving, but it’s tastier and juicier when freshly made.
Can I use only chicken thighs or drumsticks?Yes, the recipe works very well with thighs or drumsticks. In that case reduce the cooking time of the meat by 10–15 minutes.
What type of potatoes are best?Yellow-fleshed potatoes are ideal because they hold up well in cooking and become golden and flavorful.
Can I cook it in a fan (convection) oven?Yes, you can use a convection oven by lowering the temperature to 338°F and checking the cooking. In that case remember to turn on the grill for the last 10 minutes of cooking to brown.
Can I cook Sicilian roast chicken in an air fryer?Yes, it is possible to cook the chicken in an air fryer, especially if using a small chicken or cuts such as thighs and drumsticks. Cook at 356°F for about 35–40 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through and adding the potatoes only in the last 20–25 minutes. Always check browning and, if necessary, extend the cooking time slightly.
