Healthy Waists, Healthy Wallets: Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables

As chief bottlewasher in my house, I love a recipe that uses only one pot or pan.

Even more, I love a recipe that uses only one pan and that’s inexpensive, easy, relatively healthy, and delicious. My sheet pan chicken and vegetables checks every one of those boxes. That my younger child has proclaimed that this is her favorite meal is a big bonus!

Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables

I have a confession to make. This really isn’t a recipe. It’s a collection of options and ideas. You can change it to fit your family’s tastes and dietary needs. Use vegetables that are seasonal and affordable.

Ingredients

The only hard and fast ingredient are chicken thighs, oil, and salt and pepper. Please don’t use chicken breasts for this, as they will dry out before the vegetables are finished cooking. I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs because the skin keeps the chicken moist (and can be discarded after cooking) and the bones give flavor. They also take longer to cook, so your vegetables can get nice and caramelized.

Ingredient Options

Baby potatoes, halved

Sweet potatoes, peeled or unpeeled according to your taste, diced into largeish chunks

Butternut or delicata squash, seeds removed, cut into largeish chunks

An onion (your choice of color), peeled and cut into large chunks

Whole, peeled garlic cloves

Carrots and/or parsnips, peeled and cut into thick coins

Brussels spouts, halved

Broccoli and/or cauliflower, cut into florets

Asparagus, woody stems snapped off

Summer squash, halved and cut into thick chunks

Green beans, topped and tailed

Grape or cherry tomatoes

Peppers (hot or mild), cut into chunks

Lemon slices

Herbs and/or spices – I like herbes de Provence, za’atar, ground cumin and smoked paprika, ground chipotle and ground coriander, garam masala, Chinese five spice, Italian seasoning… you get the idea!

Hawaiian sheet pan chicken.

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425°.

Place the vegetables of your choice and one chicken thigh per person in a large bowl and toss with a little bit of oil. I usually use either olive oil or avocado oil, but you can use almost any oil you like. Toss or stir to coat. Once the vegetables are coated in the oil, season with herbs and/or spices and salt and pepper. Again, toss or stir to coat. Place them in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. (You can line the baking sheet with parchment paper, but if you use foil, you can wrap up the sides so that all you have to do to clean up is toss the foil in the trash.)

Once the veggies are spread out on the baking sheet, place the thighs on top of the vegetables. Put the baking sheet in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or until when you cut into one of the thighs, the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear. If your vegetables are not soft with a bit of caramelization by the time the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken thighs to a plate to keep warm. Give the veggies a bit of a stir and roast for approximately 10 more minutes.

Not only is this a one pan meal, it’s also a one dish meal. You have protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates all on one sheet pan. It’s genius!