Simple Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner
A fall comfort food favourite, this simple sheet pan roast chicken dinner is ready in under an hour.
A trip to the farmers market inspired this recent family feast. The dish warmed up the kitchen on a cold evening, and perfumed our home with aromas of roast potatoes, garlic and thyme.
An alternate title to this post is ‘How to Get Your Family to Eat Brussels Sprouts’, because this really worked for my crew. And this is precisely why I had to share the recipe with you for the coming winter months.
The sprouts take on a lot of flavour while roasted alongside chicken, and are slightly sweetened by that incredible glaze. Overall, this sheet pan roast chicken dinner is a new favourite of ours. Read on for the recipe.
Maple Mustard Chicken with seasonal vegetables
Longtime readers of the blog may recognize a few elements from another popular sheet pan dinner. Yes, this recipe was inspired by my Easy Maple Mustard Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Radishes and Asparagus.
It’s a dish that’s incredibly simple to make and delivers big, bold flavours. This is probably why so many people return to it every spring!
Today’s recipe embraces the same flavour profile, but utilizes fall and winter ingredients. This is one way we eat well and spend less, shopping in-season produce.
Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner: The Ingredients
Chicken Legs
You can use 6-8 drumsticks for the recipe. I usually buy 3 large, free-range chicken legs and cut them in half at the joint. This recipe also doubles well, just make it on two baking sheets.
COOKING TIP: Please note that cooking times will vary, depending on if you use free-range chicken or not. An organic, free-range chicken will generally cook 10-15 minutes longer that the standard grocery store meat. Why? Because it was actually allowed to move during its lifetime! Its muscles have actually been exercised and are slightly denser, hence a longer cooking time is required. Watch for juices to run yellow or clear, not pink, when drumstick is pierced (approx 170F)
Red Potatoes
I choose the small new potatoes, straight from my farmers market. Of course you can use any potatoes you have, including sweet potato. Just make sure they are cut roughly to the same size. Carrots are delicious, too.
Brussels Sprouts
As I mentioned before, this recipe got all my kids enjoying sprouts! The vegetables should be bright green when the pan comes out of the oven, and not overcooked. If you have a half a lemon handy, squeeze it all over the sprouts just before serving.
Onions, etc
If I have small onions, like Cippolini, or shallots around, I’ll always add a few to the pan. I adore a roast onion with chicken.
Fresh Herbs
Nearly any herb will be delicious with this dish. I grow lots of thyme, which is why I chose it for the recipe. But feel free to swap in rosemary, oregano, sage, or tarragon.
The Glaze!
Two ingredients: the tangy grainy mustard and the sweet maple syrup make up our sticky glaze for the chicken. It’s almost too simple. Of course zesty fresh garlic and lots of cracked black pepper round it out to perfection.
Variations for Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner
I encourage you to play around with this simple recipe and find the way your family enjoys it best.
Honey or pomegranate molasses may be used in place of the maple syrup. Both are delicious and pair very well with Brussels sprouts.
If you are still not fans of the Brussels Sprout after trying this recipe, replace them with green beans or broccoli florettes. Both work well, and the roasting time is about the same.
Bonus: A gluten-free dinner. We don’t keep with any special diets in our home, but I find the winter months can get a little carb-heavy, with comforting macaroni and cheese and all the garlic bread we’ve been making! I love to keep a dinner recipe like this in my back pocket that feels light and veggie-focused.
Condiments
This is a very simple dinner, so feel free to jazz it up with your favourite condiments. My family gathers all their favourites before we sit down together.
I need to have sour cream with my roast potatoes, while the kids reach for ketchup. Danny loves cranberry conserve with the roast chicken, but my teenager always piles on the hot sauce. Here in the Maritimes, locals serve sweet mustard pickles with a roast dinner. Each to their own!
Simple Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken legs divided at the joint
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt divided
- 1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 Tablespoons grainy mustard
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed 12×15 inch sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. This ensures a fast clean-up.
- Pat chicken with paper towel until it is thoroughly dry – this is going to help the skin crisp up nicely! Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Arrange on the prepared rimmed baking sheet with plenty of space between the pieces.
- Scrub potatoes if needed and pat dry. Cut the larger ones in half. Toss with one teaspoon of olive oil and a bunch of seasoning. Scatter on the baking sheet among the pieces of chicken. Place the pan in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mince the garlic and then pulverize it on a cutting board until it is a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and add the maple, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
- When the 15 minutes are up, remove the sheet pan from the oven. Brush chicken generously with the maple-mustard sauce. Dab a little on the potatoes. Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes. The chicken should start to brown.
- Meanwhile, trim the ends and outer leaves off the Brussels sprouts. Place sprouts in a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle thyme leaves over the sprouts
- Remove the pan from the oven and tumble the Brussels sprouts around the roast chicken and potatoes. Return the pan to the oven for the final 10 minutes or so.
- Remove the pan from the oven and turn off the heat. If you have a meat thermometer, the chicken temperature should read 170°F. Sprinkle chopped thyme over the entire pan. Rest chicken for 10 minutes. Cover loosely with foil or another pan to keep the dinner warm while the chicken rests.
- Using a sturdy pair of tongs, transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Arrange the roasted vegetables around the platter of chicken. Serve hot with a side of cranberry sauce.
a great reminder of a simple technique, thank you, and chicken and Brussels with olive oil are perfect ingredients for me!
A pan roast food is my fav, easy to do, and could be a great healthy option for those who watch what they eat.
Can you substitute chicken thighs or breasts?
I know Brussels sprouts are in the recipe. But they aren’t listed in tbe ingredients. How many sprouts are best?