Turkish Chicken Potato Bake is creamy & cheesy and makes a delicious comforting dinner. This dish is easy to make with tender baked potatoes, spicy flavor-packed chicken breast, and a garlic bachmel sauce. This flavorful chicken potato bake is a complete meal baked in one dish!

This chicken and potato casserole is a classic Middle Eastern bake that’s similar to a baked pasta casserole. It’s a complete dinner in a pan and includes lots of different flavors and textures that form the perfect bite. Get the potatoes baked and then pan-sear the chicken pieces with vegetables and spices. Next, comes the creamy sauce that’s added for rich decadence. Toss everything together sprinkle with a generous layer of shredded mozzarella cheese and bake to perfection. Your family will love this impressive dish!

Why you should make this recipe

Incredible flavor: This chicken potato bake is out-of-this-world delicious. It is so good you will want to add this to the regular meal rotation.
Easy to make: Just a few simple steps, then everything bakes together in the oven.
Family-friendly: Even picky kids love this creamy, cheesy chicken and potato recipe! It’s also great for meal prepping because it keeps well for days and is great warmed up later.

Ingredients needed

You probably already have many of the ingredients needed to make this chicken potato bake recipe! Here’s the lineup:

Potatoes: Roasted tender potatoes soak up all of the delicious sauce for major comfort food!
Oil: Use avocado oil or another oil to cook the potatoes and sauté the onion and other vegetables.
Salt and pepper: Enhances the flavor!
Chicken: You’ll need about 1 pound of chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces.
Vegetables: Sauté a mix of onion, garlic and bell pepper for flavor and hearty texture.
Roma tomato: Adds delicious tomato flavor to the sauce.
Cilantro: Gives the dish fresh, herby flavor. Sub with fresh parsley, if preferred.
Tomato paste: For thickening the sauce and adding depth.
Spices: A simple blend of cumin, coriander powder, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper adds warmth and lots of flavor.
Béchamel sauce: This rich sauce is a mix of butter, garlic, flour, milk (or half & half) and salt and pepper. It’s amazing and really takes this dish to the next level!
Mozzarella cheese: Sprinkled over the top and gets wonderfully melty as everything bakes.

How to make this recipe

Cook Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place sliced potatoes in a 9-inch casserole dish. Drizzle with oil and season with salt & pepper. Rub or brush oil all over the potatoes and bake for 20 minutes.

Cook Chicken: While the potatoes are baking, heat a large heavy duty pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon oil and diced onion. Cook onion for 2-3 minutes or until softened and lightly golden on the edges. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds then add the chicken and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the bell pepper, tomato, cilantro, tomato paste, and spices and cook down for 3-4 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

Make Sauce: To a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and garlic. Cook garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and down for 1 minute or until golden. Whisk in the milk, ½ cup at a time until smooth and creamy and sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Assemble: Remove potatoes from the oven and layer the chicken mixture on top of the potatoes. Pour the béchamel sauce on top of the chicken and sprinkle with a generous layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cheese is browned and mixture is bubbly. Slice and serve immediately.

Tips and variations

Similar-sized chicken: It’s best to cut the chicken breast into similar-sized pieces to ensure that they all cook at the same rate.
Make it spicy: For just a little kick of heat, sprinkle the finished dish with crushed red pepper flakes.
Chicken thighs: You can use chicken thigh pieces instead of chicken breast if you’d prefer.
Add more veggies: Feel free to sauté a few more vegetables to add to the dish. Broccoli, zucchini or mushrooms would be delicious.

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to bake chicken at 350 or 400?

For this particular recipe, it’s best to bake at 400ºF, a higher heat, for a shorter amount of time, so the chicken stays nice and juicy.

Should I cover the chicken and potatoes while baking?

There’s no need to cover this chicken dish while it bakes. Leaving it uncovered allows the tops to get nice and browned and the cheese to melt.

How to know when chicken is done cooking?

To ensure your chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat, check that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can poke the chicken and make sure that the juices run clear and you don’t see any pink.

Serving suggestions

One of the best things about this chicken potato bake is that it’s really a complete meal with protein, carbs, and plenty of vegetables. However, it’s also really versatile if you want to add some sides.

Try this with any green vegetable like green beans, crispy air fryer broccoli, or asparagus. A side salad would be perfect too! You could toss together a simple salad with kale, romaine lettuce, or a spring mix and a simple dressing of olive oil and fresh lemon juice or homemade lemon thyme dressing.

Storage recommendations

Leftovers of this creamy chicken bake are great for a quick lunch or dinner the next day! Here’s how to store and reheat:

Refrigerate: Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Freeze: Let any leftovers cool completely, then transfer portions to a freezer-safe airtight container or bag. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Reheat: For best results, let frozen portions thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. To reheat, place in an oven-safe dish and bake at 350°F until heated through, about 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, but go slowly and stop to check every 30-60 seconds to prevent overcooking.

Chicken Potato Casserole with Bechamel Sauce