Minimal fuss, maximum payoff. This is that set-it-and-forget-it dinner where the oven does the heavy lifting and you collect the compliments. Meat and potatoes in a clay pot, quietly bubbling away, turning into a proper meal while you do literally anything else.
What you need
- Chicken, 400 g (thigh meat gets the juiciest result; breast works too)
- Potatoes, 500–700 g (the exact amount depends on your pot size)
- Onions, 2 large
- Carrot, 1 medium
- Tomato paste, 1 tablespoon
- Chicken seasoning blend and salt, to taste
- Water, 50 ml for each pot you fill
How to make it
Cut the chicken into bite-size cubes. Slice the onions into thin half-moons. Toss the chicken and onions with the tomato paste and your chicken seasoning. Let that marinate for at least 1 hour; more time only helps.
Peel the potatoes and carrot, then cut both into small, even cubes. This keeps everything cooking on the same schedule.
Layer into your clay pot in this order: potatoes first, then carrot, then the marinated chicken-and-onion mix. Sprinkle with salt. Pour in 50 ml water per pot. Cover the pot with a layer of foil and then its lid for a tight seal. Bake at 200 C for about 1 hour.
When it comes out, give everything a quick stir so the juices coat each piece. Serve hot and smug.
Why this works
Onions pull their weight here. As they slowly soften, they give up their juice and basically baste the meat from the inside out. Go heavy on them for best results.
A spoon of tomato paste adds gentle acidity that brightens the whole pot and helps tenderize the chicken. Thigh meat is ideal, but even breast turns kinder under that tomato hug.
The covered clay pot turns your oven into a mini braiser. Instead of frying, everything warms steadily and evenly, so you get juicy meat and vegetables that hold their shape instead of falling apart.