Sheet-Pan Chicken and Veggies

Every meal doesn’t require multiple pots and pans. Sheet-pan chicken and veggies is an all-in-one recipe featuring crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside roasted red potatoes, caramelized onions, herb-encrusted chicken thighs and baby spinach. Cooking it all together on one baking sheet means you don’t have to time multiple dishes simultaneously and there’s minimal cleanup. Scented with lemon, rosemary and garlic, sheet-pan veggies and chicken is the perfect weeknight meal that can also double as a special occasion dish.

While easy, a few sheet-pan dinner mistakes are worth avoiding, like overcrowding the pan. For this straightforward chicken and veggies sheet-pan recipe, make sure the potatoes and onions are about the same size so they cook evenly, and turn the pan about halfway through so everything browns as it should. Once you get it down pat, a sheet-pan dinner recipe like sheet-pan chicken thighs and veggies will be one you’ll reach for on repeat.

Ingredients for Sheet-Pan Chicken and Veggies

• Red potatoes: Red potatoes are ideal for roasting because they hold their shape well while developing a crisp exterior and a creamy interior. Cutting them into uniformly sized pieces ensures they cook evenly alongside the chicken.
• Onion and garlic: Of the types of onions, yellow onions add savory and sweet notes. Coarsely chopping the onion helps it cook at the same rate as the potatoes and chicken. Garlic is an additional aromatic that adds a ton of flavor.
• Olive oil: Fat and flavor help cook our sheet-pan chicken thighs and veggies, giving them the ultimate crispy, tasty finish. Extra virgin olive oil is preferred over regular olive oil.
• Seasonings: Salt, pepper, paprika, and fresh or dried rosemary flavor the potatoes and chicken.
• Chicken thighs: Bone-in chicken thighs are notoriously juicy, flavorful and stellar for roasting, even when you remove the skin.
• Baby spinach: More tender than grown-up spinach, baby spinach adds a necessary (and delicious) green element to the sheet-pan veggies and chicken. Just warm the spinach until wilted.
• Lemon: This step isn’t a must, but the bright acidity of a citrus squeeze is the ultimate contrast to all the other ingredients in this chicken and veggies sheet-pan dish. Lemon brings out the best of each ingredient.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the vegetables

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, add the potatoes, onion, oil, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary), and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Transfer the vegetables to a 15x10x1-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Step 2: Season the chicken

In a small bowl, mix the paprika with the remaining salt, rosemary and pepper. Sprinkle the chicken with the paprika mixture and arrange it over the potatoes and onions.

Step 3: Roast the chicken and vegetables

Roast until a thermometer inserted in the chicken reads 170° to 175° and the vegetables are just tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken to a serving platter, but keep it warm.

Editor’s Tip: If the potatoes get too brown before the chicken cooks, move them around with a spatula so they cook evenly on all sides. If the chicken happens to cook before the vegetables, remove it and allow the potatoes to cook until just tender.

Step 4: Add the spinach

Top the vegetables with spinach. Roast until the vegetables are fully tender and the spinach wilts, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Stir the vegetables to combine; serve with the chicken. If desired, serve with additional fresh rosemary and lemon wedges.

Recipe Variations

• Try more veggies: Consider whatever you have on hand! Root vegetables, like carrots or parsnips, are terrific for roasting on a sheet pan. Why not mix it up and try broccoli florets and sweet potatoes?
• Be creative: Try a different protein and vegetable using this recipe as a template. Pork loin and green beans? Sausage and potatoes? We have a ton of sheet-pan dinners that are ready to serve on the quick.
• Get fishy: Try salmon or ahi tuna instead of chicken, similar to this tilapia and vegetable sheet-pan recipe.
• Mix in more herbs and spices: Fresh sage, oregano and thyme are just a few examples of herbs that combine well with this recipe’s ingredients. You can use the herbs with the rosemary or in place of it. Feeling a little spicy? A pinch of cayenne pepper might be just the thing.

How to Store Sheet-Pan Chicken and Veggies

Leftover chicken and veggies should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can also freeze the protein and vegetables.

How long does sheet-pan chicken and veggies last?

Sheet-pan veggies and chicken will last three to four days in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze sheet-pan chicken and veggies?

To prolong the shelf life of this chicken and veggies sheet-pan dish, store the chicken and veggies in an airtight container in the freezer for three to four months.

How do you reheat chicken and veggies?

If your veggies and chicken are frozen, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat them in the microwave, in the oven or in a covered skillet on the stovetop. Preheat the oven to 350°, cover the dish with foil to prevent drying and heat until warmed through.

Sheet-Pan Chicken and Veggie Tips

What size baking pan should you use for sheet-pan meals?

For this sheet-pan chicken thighs and veggies recipe, a 15x10x1-inch baking pan is just right. It provides enough space for the ingredients to roast evenly without overcrowding, which is best for the texture and flavor; a crowded pan will make the vegetables less crisp.

What other cuts of chicken can you use for sheet-pan chicken and veggies?

This chicken and veggies sheet-pan recipe calls for bone-in chicken thighs, but you can also use breasts or boneless thighs. Boneless cuts take a little less time to cook, so subtract a few minutes from the cooking time and use a thermometer to make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°. A combination of light and dark meat would also work for this sheet-pan veggies and chicken recipe.

What can you serve with sheet-pan chicken and veggies?

Roasted chicken with potatoes, onions and spinach is the foundation of a healthy meal, but adding honey squash dinner rolls, focaccia and a garden salad to the menu is a solid plan. Most important, a sweet and fruity dessert like this cherry crisp would be an excellent finishing treat!