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Overhead view of 6 roasted chicken thighs on a full sheet pan with baby potatoes, carrots, zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion, a halved lemon, and fresh parsley.
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Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs and Vegetables

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs and Vegetables with bone in skin on chicken thighs roasted directly on top of baby potatoes, carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, and red onion at 425°F until the skin is crispy, the meat is tender, and the vegetables are caramelized in rendered chicken fat. Finished with a squeeze of lemon juice right before serving. One pan, one hour, and almost no cleanup.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken thighs and vegetables, sheet pan chicken thighs and vegetables
Servings: 6
Calories: 477kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound baby potatoes halved (about 4 cups)
  • 2 cups carrots sliced (about 3 medium carrots)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini sliced
  • 1 small red onion cut into wedges
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Pat the 6 chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
    Side by side overhead view of raw bone in chicken thighs being patted dry with paper towels on a wood cutting board on the left and seasoned with salt and pepper on the right.
  • In a large bowl, combine the 1 pound halved baby potatoes, 2 cups sliced carrots, chopped red bell pepper, sliced zucchini, and red onion wedges. Drizzle the vegetables with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat. Season the vegetables with 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon dried thyme. Toss again until evenly coated.
    Side by side overhead view of chopped vegetables with dry spices sprinkled on top in a glass bowl on the left and fully tossed and evenly coated in seasoning on the right.
  • Spread the vegetables out on the baking sheet in a single layer. Place the seasoned chicken thighs on top of the vegetables. Drizzle the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
    ide by side overhead view of seasoned vegetables spread in a single layer on a sheet pan on the left and raw chicken thighs placed on top ready to roast on the right.
  • Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175°F (80°C) and the vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized. Drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon juice over everything right before serving.
    Side by side overhead view of sheet pan chicken thighs and vegetables just out of the oven on the left and finished with lemon and fresh parsley on the right.

Notes

  1. Use bone in skin on chicken thighs, not boneless. The whole technique depends on the fat rendering out of the skin and basting the vegetables below. Boneless skinless thighs do not have enough fat to do this and the vegetables end up roasting in olive oil alone.
  2. Spread everything in a single layer. Crowded vegetables steam instead of roast and we lose all the caramelization that makes this dish worth making. Use a large sheet pan. If things are tight, split across two pans. 
  3. Add the lemon juice right before serving, not before roasting. Lemon juice added before it goes in the oven evaporates completely and does nothing. Added right before serving it brightens every component and cuts through the richness of the chicken fat. It is a small thing that makes a real difference. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 732mg | Potassium: 931mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 8104IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
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