Sheet-Pan Malai Chicken and Potatoes
Updated May 8, 2025

- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1½ pounds fingerling or baby potatoes
- 1medium yellow onion
- 1tablespoon melted ghee or olive oil
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 4bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds total)
- 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼cup full-fat plain yogurt
- ⅓cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, torn to fit the blender, plus more cilantro for serving if desired
- 5garlic cloves
- 1(1½-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 to 2serrano chiles, depending on your heat tolerance
- 1tablespoon ghee or olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons garam masala
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
For the Chicken and Potatoes
For the Marinade
Preparation
- Step 1
Arrange the oven rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425 degrees.
- Step 2
Start the chicken and potatoes: As the oven heats, halve potatoes lengthwise (quarter and cut any larger ones). Halve the onion lengthwise and cut each half into quarters. Transfer potatoes and onion to a sheet pan, add the ghee and season with 1½ teaspoons salt. Transfer to the preheated oven, and roast for 10 minutes while you prepare the marinade.
- Step 3
Make the marinade: Using a blender, mini food processor or immersion blender, combine the yogurt, cilantro, garlic, ginger, chiles, ghee, garam masala and 1½ teaspoons salt. Blend until the mixture is mostly smooth. If needed, add a tablespoon of water to help the blender along. Transfer the marinade to a medium bowl or resealable bag, and add the chicken. Massage marinade into chicken and let marinate while the potatoes cook (see Tip).
- Step 4
When the vegetables have roasted for 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and nestle chicken on top, skin side up, scraping any excess marinade from the chicken skin onto the vegetables. Return sheet pan to the oven and adjust heat to 450 degrees. Roast until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through and the chicken skin is browned and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. (If the potatoes aren’t fork-tender yet, remove the chicken from the pan and continue to roast the potatoes for another 5 to 10 minutes.)
- Step 5
Carefully transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the vegetables in the pan. Add the lemon juice, cream and 3 tablespoons hot water to the sheet pan and toss with a metal spatula, carefully scraping up any browned bits, until the potatoes are coated in sauce. Transfer chicken back over top and serve immediately, garnished with more cilantro if you like.
- If you like, the chicken can marinate for up to 2 hours on the counter, or ideally, overnight in the refrigerator. (If marinating overnight, remove the chicken from the fridge at least 30 minutes before roasting to ensure it cooks evenly.)
Private Notes
Comments
You know it's good when everyone crowds around the sheet pan after dinner to scrape up whatever sauce got left behind with their fingers! Definitely marinate overnight for full flavor. And, the hint about scraping the sauce off the skin and putting it on the vegetables helped the skin crisp up better. This one's a keeper Thanks, Zaynab!
can I use more yogurt instead of heavy cream at the end?
This was delicious! Will definitely make it again! I used 8 boneless skinless thighs and marinated for 5 hours since I just found the recipe today. Definitely tempting to just stand over the pan and keep snacking, but will refrain in order to have leftovers.
Might have cooked the potatoes and chicken wrong, but wish they came out a little more crispy. Also highly advise to make at least 1/4 extra sauce if you're a sauce fiend monster like me!
Absolutely delicious! I only had 2% yogourt, but it was all fine. I will certtainly make this again! I didn't have a chance to marinade the chicken too long, but honestly, it was so flavourful, I can't wait to make it again!
Oh my, what a delicious recipe! Made exactly as written and marinated meat for 2 hours. 2 x serrano peppers as we like it spicy, and served with plenty of fresh cilantro. Very little clean up - I served it with chapati and every dish, including the sheet pan, was scraped clean. It normally takes me a while to pull together a scratch made curry, but the prep and cooking time made this a breeze. My family said it was the best recipe I've made all year!