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Recipe
2 hr

Chicken Baked in Foil with Potatoes and Carrots

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Chicken Baked in Foil with Potatoes and Carrots
Author: Diane Unger

Recipe By Diane Unger

Published on August 3, 2024

A quick-cooked meal of chicken and vegetables sounded great. Unfortunately, our first attempts were not much better than an old-style TV dinner.

Time

2 hr

Yield

Serves 4

Why This Recipe Works

Food baked in foil packets or en papillote has been lauded for both healthfulness and ease, but our first attempts turned out overcooked chicken, mushy vegetables, and overall blandness. We chose quick-cooking boneless chicken breasts, and to ensure that they’re seasoned throughout, we sprinkle them all over with salt before assembling the packets and then refrigerate them for at least an hour before cooking. Leaving headroom at the top of the packet allows maximum steam circulation for even cooking, and checking the temperature of the chicken through the foil lets us monitor its progress. Finally, layering the heartier potatoes under the chicken insulates it from the hot pan. Some assertive seasonings and a few splashes of extra-virgin olive oil and no one would mistake this for diet food.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced ¼ inch thick
2 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 2-inch lengths
½ large red onion, sliced ½ inch thick, layers separated
Kosher salt and pepper
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Equipment

Aluminum foil

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Spray centers of four 20 by 12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil with vegetable oil spray. Microwave oil, garlic, thyme, and pepper flakes in small bowl until garlic begins to brown, 1 to 1½ minutes. Combine potato slices, carrots, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and garlic oil in large bowl.
  2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt evenly over each side of each chicken breast, then season with pepper. Position 1 piece of prepared foil with long side parallel to counter edge. In center of foil, arrange one-quarter of potato slices in 2 rows perpendicular to counter edge. Lay 1 chicken breast on top of potato slices. Place one-quarter of vegetables around chicken. Repeat with remaining foil, potato slices, chicken, and vegetables. Drizzle any remaining oil mixture from bowl over chicken.
  3. Bring short sides of foil together and crimp to seal tightly. Crimp remaining open ends of packets, leaving as much headroom as possible inside packets. Place packets on large plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  4. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Arrange packets on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until chicken registers 160 degrees, 18 to 23 minutes. (To check temperature, poke thermometer through foil of 1 packet and into chicken.) Let chicken rest in packets for 3 minutes.
  5. Transfer chicken packets to individual dinner plates, open carefully (steam will escape), and slide contents onto plates. Drizzle lemon juice over chicken and vegetables and sprinkle with chives. Serve.

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Chicken Baked in Foil with Potatoes and Carrots

Recipe By Diane Unger

Published on August 3, 2024

Time

2 hr

Yield

Serves 4

Chicken Baked in Foil with Potatoes and Carrots

Ingredients

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil6 garlic cloves, sliced thin1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced ¼ inch thick2 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 2-inch lengths½ large red onion, sliced ½ inch thick, layers separatedKosher salt and pepper4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed2 tablespoons lemon juice2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Instructions

  1. Spray centers of four 20 by 12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil with vegetable oil spray. Microwave oil, garlic, thyme, and pepper flakes in small bowl until garlic begins to brown, 1 to 1½ minutes. Combine potato slices, carrots, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and garlic oil in large bowl.
  2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt evenly over each side of each chicken breast, then season with pepper. Position 1 piece of prepared foil with long side parallel to counter edge. In center of foil, arrange one-quarter of potato slices in 2 rows perpendicular to counter edge. Lay 1 chicken breast on top of potato slices. Place one-quarter of vegetables around chicken. Repeat with remaining foil, potato slices, chicken, and vegetables. Drizzle any remaining oil mixture from bowl over chicken.
  3. Bring short sides of foil together and crimp to seal tightly. Crimp remaining open ends of packets, leaving as much headroom as possible inside packets. Place packets on large plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  4. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Arrange packets on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until chicken registers 160 degrees, 18 to 23 minutes. (To check temperature, poke thermometer through foil of 1 packet and into chicken.) Let chicken rest in packets for 3 minutes.
  5. Transfer chicken packets to individual dinner plates, open carefully (steam will escape), and slide contents onto plates. Drizzle lemon juice over chicken and vegetables and sprinkle with chives. Serve.
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