This oven baked buttermilk chicken and potatoes is an easy sheet pan meal that makes use of an otherwise wasteful product - curdled milk (or buttermilk). Make this easy one pan meal and discover how good crispy buttermilk chicken and potatoes can be!
Everyone loves chicken and potatoes! If it's Colombian chicken and potato soup or chicken ghallaba. Especially when they are combined into one tasty dish. I'm not sure what makes comfort food so special, but it can vow children, adults and double as a go-to dish when you have guests or picky eaters over.
Making an easy roast chicken out of nothing
In my mother's house, there is usually a carton of curdled milk on the counter.
While for most people, curdled milk is a cause for devastation - oh no, all that milk gone to waste! - in my mother's house, curdled milk is an opening for conversation.
Anywhere where Southerners use buttermilk, Russians use a product that would otherwise go to waste - curdled milk. (And if you ever wondered how to make buttermilk, that's fairly easy, too!)
That was the thought that struck me as I opened my fridge the other day and discovered a barely-touched 1-litre carton of milk that has expired. And so I got to thinking, could I make buttermilk chicken that tasted like the real deal with curdled milk? And yes, my friends, the short answer is - yes you can!
While this chicken dish hasn't claimed the top spot on my favourite chicken dishes (check out my Chicken Marbella and Pomegranate chicken and rice recipes) it is very close.
How to cook chicken soaked in buttermilk
Whether you go for store-bought buttermilk or prefer to use some leftover curdled milk, the process is very simple and straightforward. Simply, pour the sauce seasoned with your spices over your chicken and potatoes and let the oven do its job. The result will be a perfectly tender and juicy brown chicken.
How long to marinate chicken in buttermilk
When it comes to marinating chicken, one key thing to remember is that the longer you leave it, the softer it will become. This may sound like a good idea at first, but the general rule of thumb is that anything longer than 24 hours will result in a mushy and less-than-ideal dish.
At the same time, you don't want to leave the marinating on for too little because the flavour doesn't have a lot of time to penetrate the meat.
Another thing to look out for is marinades that are especially acidic. Buttermilk definitely falls under this category so anything between 2 to 4 hours is a good timeframe to keep in mind.
If you are in a rush, you can always skip the marinading time - but keep in mind you'll lose some of the amazing softening qualities of buttermilk or sour milk.
Equipment to make roasted buttermilk chicken
What you will need to make this chicken:
- Roasting pan
- Baking sheet
- Chef's knife
- Large bowl
Top Tips for Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken
Once my mom would notice the milk started to taste funny, she would leave it outside overnight to speed up the process and get the best lactobacteria properties from your curdled milk. The key to this is that you need to use that milk right away.
If you have more buttermilk or curdled milk leftover, you can use it to boil the potatoes.
You can also cook pasta in buttermilk or curdled milk just as you would use water. This is an excellent way to infuse extra flavour into pasta dishes with milky or creamy sauces. Alternatively, you can also use the buttermilk for the sauce and add your toppings as desired.
You don't have to use a whole chicken. You can use any chicken pieces you like - drumsticks and chicken thighs on the bone would benefit greatly from this buttermilk marinade chicken recipe.
Storage and Making in Advance
If you are not going to cook or bake with spoiled milk right away, know that you can keep buttermilk or spoiled milk in the fridge past its due date. The only thing to look out for is if it starts growing mold.
If you marinade your chicken in buttermilk sauce, it is safe to keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. After that, it will probably start to get mushy.
You can also make this dish in advance or eat it the next day. This buttermilk chicken makes for an excellent packed lunch during busy weeks and can last in the fridge for at least 3 to 4 days.
Recipe
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
Baked buttermilk chicken & potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut into parts (thighs, wings, drumsticks, etc.), 1 kilogram (approx)
- ¼ cup cup Olive oil
- ¼ cup Red wine vinegar
- ½ cup Soy sauce
- 1 cup Buttermilk / sour milk
- 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Ginger ground
- Barberries 8 pieces
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt plus more for potatoes
- 2 pounds Potatoes of your choice
Instructions
- Directions
- Preheat the oven to 360F. Prepare a large roasting pan or baking sheet. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
- If using large potatoes, cut them into wedges. If using small, new potatoes, wash them and leave whole, or cut into halves.
- If you are starting with a whole chicken, cut it into parts (I love this video for breaking up how to cut a chicken into pieces).
- Place the chicken parts to a large bowl. Add olive oil and mix well. Add vinegar, soy sauce, buttermilk, and seasonings. Cover bowl and transfer buttermilk chicken to the refrigerator to marinade for 2 hours.
- Transfer chicken to baking sheet or roasting pan. Surround with potatoes. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour ¼ cup of the remaining marinade on chicken. Season Transfer to 360F oven to bake for 45 minutes, basting the chicken as it cooks.
Nicole says
Looks delicious! What kind of barberry are you using (dried?) and they go in the marinade, right?
kseniaprints says
Yes, dried barberries, and into the marinade they go 🙂
Sharon says
If I can't find barberries, what would be a substitute? It says 8 pieces, is this just 8 little fruits ?
Can't wait to fix this!
kseniaprints says
Yes, they're just there to give a bit of flavor to the sauce! You can sub them for dried blueberries or unsweetened cranberries or even Goji berries.
A says
I haven't tried the recipe yet but a bit of advice- soy sauce is not gluten free- to have a "naturally gluten free" recipe you would need to buy gluten free soy sauce. Just think it is important to note this for folks who may be cooking for people who cannot have gluten.
kseniaprints says
Absolutely correct, will adjust to write Tamari sauce or coconut amino acids 🙂
Margaret Clark says
I tried the Baked Buttermilk Chicken and Potatoes it was Delicious the chicken was juicy and tender and the potatoes were awesome I score this recipe a 10.
kseniaprints says
So glad to hear you liked it! It's an easy sheet pan meal.
Ginny says
Hi, I made this chicken and potatoes. It is so tasty and moist. Can I make it with boneless skinless chicken and bake it for a shorter time?
kseniaprints says
Yes! Bake 30 minutes max.
L Black says
I think that you might want to clarify that the potatoes should not be cut in advance as is the order of your recie as they will turn brown. Rather, they should be cut at the last minute before adding to the chicken. This is similar to a recipe our cook prepared when I was growing up and was outstanding. I very much look forward to preparing this in the next few days.
kseniaprints says
Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for spotting that - will fix right away!