Why We Love This Chicken Vesuvio Recipe
I first learned about this chicken dish from the old Minnie Driver movie Return to Me. Has anyone seen it? The movie is set in Chicago, at an Italian-Irish neighborhood restaurant. One night, the daily special is Chicken Vesuvio. Having never heard of this dish, I looked it up and found that it’s an Italian-American creation invented in Chicago, that includes whole chicken pieces, potatoes, peas, and a white wine sauce. Everything is cooked together in a single skillet so that all of the flavors and textures mingle. This also makes prep and cleanup super easy. While I thought the movie was pretty cute, and who doesn’t love David Duchovny, it turns out that this easy oven-baked chicken recipe is ridiculously fabulous!
Oven Baked Chicken Vesuvio
There is nothing complicated about this wonderfully rustic chicken and potatoes recipe. Just wholesome ingredients and the right spices, treated properly so that each component shines and also compliments one another. One skillet Chicken Vesuvio is started on the stovetop and finished in the oven, so the chicken skin gets extra crispy. Meanwhile, the wine sauce simmers and flavors the potatoes to tender perfection. The full meal is ready in about one hour, so it’s terrific to prepare nearly any night of the week. And because it features your main protein, potatoes, and peas in one dish, there’s no need to cook any additional sides. Just make sure to serve the chicken and potatoes with a generous scoop of the luxurious white wine sauce!
Ingredients You Need
I love the combination of fresh ingredients and pantry staples used to make this hearty chicken and potatoes recipe. You simply need:
Whole chicken – either cut into 8 pieces, or you can use a precut 3-4 pound fryer pack of chicken pieces (You can also select all chicken breasts or chicken thighs if you prefer!) Mini new potatoes – scrubbed and halved Olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil or your preferred high-heat roasting oil Seasonings – oregano, salt, garlic powder, ground black pepper Garlic cloves – peeled but left whole White wine – use a dry white wine for the best sauce, like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio Chicken stock – we recommend low-sodium broth Crushed red pepper – adds a bit of heat without being too spicy, but feel free to leave out if you’re not a fan Frozen peas – thawed Chopped parsley – to sprinkle on the chicken and potatoes after roasting Lemon – cut into wedges, optional but terrific for a bright pop of fresh flavor
How to Make Baked Italian Chicken With Potatoes
First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set an XL cast iron sauté pan, or another 14 inch oven-safe deep pan, over medium heat on the stovetop. Get out the frozen peas and set on the counter so that they defrost a bit. Prep the potatoes and gather all of your additional ingredients. Next, in a small bowl mix the oregano, salt, garlic powder, and pepper… Or use a homemade Italian seasoning blend! Sprinkle evenly over the chicken pieces and potatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the hot skillet. Once the oil is hot, place chicken pieces in the skillet, skin-side-down. Brown the chicken skin for 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook for another few minutes. Move the chicken pieces to a holding plate. If needed, wipe the skillet out with a paper towel before adding the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Working in batches, place half of the potatoes in the skillet, cut-side-down. Sauté until golden, and then move to the holding plate with the chicken. Sauté the remaining potatoes until golden. No need to wipe again, simply add all the potatoes back to the skillet. Now add in the whole peeled garlic cloves and crushed red pepper, and mix well. Then place the chicken pieces over the potatoes, and pour in the wine and chicken stock. Place the skillet in the oven for 30 minutes. It’s ready when the chicken is crispy on top and cooked through, and the potatoes are fork-tender. Remove the skillet comes from the oven and immediately sprinkle in the peas and parsley. This will quickly warm the peas without overcooking them. Serve the baked chicken and potatoes with a good portion of wine sauce and lemon wedges, if you like.
Looking for More Delicious One Pan Dinner Recipes?
Easy Baked Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Oven Parmesan Lemon Chicken and Rice Skillet Balsamic Steak Sheet Pan Dinner Tuscan-Style Beef Cassoulet Low Carb Sheet Pan Chicken Cacciatore
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