Diced tomatoes with green chilies add just a little kick to this naturally gluten free comfort food recipe for Italian Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Red Potatoes, while the juicy chicken pairs nicely with the flavorful veggies.
I know. It’s still warm for an oven recipe, but we’re reaching the point in summer here where we have the occasional cool and rainy day to let us indulge in a little comfort food. And I had this idea for Italian Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Red Potatoes rattling around my brain all week, so the only way to shut that up when it happens is to experiment with the darn recipe!
And a happy experiment this turned out to be, too. I did cheat on ALDI this week, because, well: Just look what my local Jewel store has been up to. I combined some of the produce I picked up on their sale with some pantry staples I already had in my house — so the three potatoes and two zucchini I used in this recipe cost me a whopping $.60 total. (The chicken, I’d actually picked up on clearance at some point at ALDI. 😉 )
So here’s your all-in-one comfort food recipe for the week, which also makes up this week’s Sunday Scratchups, your weekly recipe from scratch around affordable ingredients (chicken thighs) and grocery sales (potatoes and zucchini).
Italian Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Red Potatoes
Ingredients
– for the chicken
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
Black pepper, to taste
– for the veggies
20 oz red potatoes, diced
Black pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
20 oz zucchini, chopped
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
– to top
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Trim chicken thighs and season on both sides with seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and oregano. Brown for about five minutes a side, skin side down first, then remove to a separate plate.
Add potatoes to the same skillet, season with a little sea salt and black pepper, and cook them over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until they just start to brown, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet from the chicken.
Stir in the garlic and zucchini and continue to saute for another 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, or until zucchini begins to brown. Stir in both cans of tomatoes (do not drain).
Transfer the vegetables into your prepared baking dish and spread them out evenly, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan. Nestle chicken into the vegetables, skin side up, and top the chicken thighs evenly with 1 Tbsp Parmesan.
Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through to temperature and vegetables are tender. Serve the chicken with its built-in side of veggies.
An all-in-one chicken dinner for the win…
I also boiled up a pot of corn on the cob to go with today’s chicken, because those were included in Jewel’s produce sale when I was picking up the other items. But really, this chicken does cook up complete with its own veggie and potato side dish… the corn just took the whole dinner over the top.
Tomatoes and Parmesan are a classic combination for a reason, right? The diced tomatoes with green chilies add just a little kick to this naturally gluten free Italian chicken dish, while the juicy thighs pair nicely with the flavorful veggies.
Italian Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Red Potatoes, printable recipe
Italian Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Red Potatoes
Ingredients
- for the chicken
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs trimmed
- 1 tsp seasoned salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp oregano
- Black pepper to taste
- for the veggies
- 20 oz red potatoes diced
- Black pepper to taste
- Sea salt to taste
- 20 oz zucchini chopped
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic about 3 cloves
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- to top
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Trim chicken thighs and season on both sides with seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and oregano.
- Brown for about five minutes a side, skin side down first, then remove to a separate plate.
- Add potatoes to the same skillet, season with a little sea salt and black pepper, and cook them over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until they just start to brown, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet from the chicken.
- Stir in the garlic and zucchini and continue to saute for another 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, or until zucchini begins to brown.
- Stir in both cans of tomatoes (do not drain).
- Transfer the vegetables into your prepared baking dish and spread them out evenly, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan.
- Nestle chicken into the vegetables, skin side up, and top the chicken thighs evenly with 1 Tbsp Parmesan.
- Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through to temperature and vegetables are tender.
- Serve the chicken with its built-in side of veggies.
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Tanvi Kapoor says
Italian Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Red Potatoes Looks very delcious and tasty.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Looks Very Great.
Elizabeth says
Sub potatoes out with carrots. Skinless, boneless thighs. Added in yellow squash, since store was low on zucchini. Husband says yummy.
Lindsay says
Loved it! My Aldi didnt have chicken thighs except for boneless skinless…. and this recipe looked soooooo good with the crispy skin, so I bought leg quarters for the first time ever and it worked pretty well! Added at least 10 minutes to the bake time. The flavor of the potatoes and zucchini was wonderful!
Marissa Orr says
I made this for my family tonight and it was very delicious, thank you!
Madison says
Hello there. I just needed to stop this evening and let you know that you are an incredible person! You have not only changed the way we view meal planning, but you have helped us believe that we can eat at home instead of running through drive thru windows every busy night. Our family of five now explores all kinds of new foods in a practical way. Your meals are simple in nature but so wholesome and flavorful. I have been using your meal plans for 3-4 weeks and it’s changed our lives. We have always loved aldi, and nothing has “stuck” for us when we have tried other meal planning options. I just print and go! I have learned so many new techniques in cooking since beginning this journey! You make eating at home appetizing, BUDGET FRIENDLY, and fun!
I couldn’t go another day without letting you know the only way I know how that you are amazing! ❤️ Thank you so much!
rachel says
Aww, thanks so much for taking the time to share these kind words. I’m so very glad that the meal plans have been useful to you. 🙂
Joy says
Do you think this would work in a slow cooker?
I agree with Madison. You are an inspiration, Rachel! Thank you!
rachel says
I don’t know how it would work in the slow cooker — you’d definitely want to sear the chicken first for the flavor, but then a lot of the flavor also comes from the browning of the veggies in the same pan — the chicken will start to fall apart in the Crock-Pot, too. So it would be a different recipe/texture.
rachel says
And, thanks! 🙂
Joy says
Good point. Thank you!
Lynn says
This dish was really good. Due to toddlers and a hubby who hates tomatoes I left out the can of tomatoes and the can of rotel. I add a little chicken broth to the pan to replace the moisture of the tomatoes. To help keep the zucchinis firm I did not pre-cook them with the potatoes. They still ended up very soft. Taking the extra time to brown the chicken was worth it. Will be making this one again.
Elizabeth says
Can I do make this with boneless thighs instead? What would I do differently with this change? Cooking time, etc.?
rachel says
Well, boneless thighs are very thin and cook through quickly. I wouldn’t do a straight substitution here, because the timing wouldn’t work well with the rest of the ingredients and the potatoes would still be hard. Plus, you’ll lose all of the extra flavoring you’re getting from browning the potatoes after the skin-on thighs.
If you only have boneless thighs, you might look at some alternative recipe ideas, like:
https://www.mashupmom.com/caprese-chicken-and-zucchini-skillet/
https://www.mashupmom.com/sheet-pan-lemon-garlic-chicken-with-potatoes-carrots/
https://www.mashupmom.com/sheet-pan-parmesan-chicken-thighs-green-beans/
Elizabeth says
Thank you!!
Mary says
This was delicious!! Changed just a couple of things..grape tomatoes as I didn’t have a can of tomatoes, added an onion and mozzarella cheese instead of Parmesan. The whole family loved it and my 3 year old ate it all!!