Sheet pan dinners are perfect for busy weeknights. Everything cooks on the same pan, making the cooking—and the cleanup—a breeze! Sheet pan chicken and veggies are no exception. You get succulent and juicy chicken with the perfect servings of vegetables with no fuss, very little meal prep time, and practically no mess.
Can you cook chicken and veggies in the same pan?
Yes! I can understand why you’d be leery—we’ve been taught that you need to be very careful cooking chicken. And we do, but as long as all of your ingredients cook fully, it’s perfectly safe to cook them on the same pan. This recipe cooks the chicken for 45-50 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. This is long enough for the chicken to fully cook, and any chicken juices on the root vegetables will be sizzling, safe, and delicious as well.
What ingredients will I need?
Roasted chicken is one of the ultimate comfort foods. Cooked with herbs like rosemary and served alongside some hearty root veggies, this sheet pan dish is a simple way to enjoy the comforts of a complete chicken dinner. You’ll need:
- New potatoes
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Minced rosemary and garlic—you can use garlic powder in a pinch
- Fresh lemons
- Onion
- Carrots
- A whole chicken cut into pieces
What cut of chicken should I make sheet pan chicken and veggies with?
This sheet pan chicken recipe calls for a whole chicken cut into pieces. You might find a whole chicken that the butcher has separated into pieces for you, but chances are, it’ll be easier to find a whole fryer chicken or rooster to cut up yourself. Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never done this before. It’s super easy, and it’s a great skill to have in your cooking toolbox. As a bonus, you can use the back of the chicken to make your own chicken stock!
Wholefully Protip
To cut up a whole chicken, remove the legs and wings from the rest of the bird. Once you’ve got the wings and legs separated, slice alongside the breastbone to separate the breast from the back. Cut the breasts in halves. You can also cut the legs in half by separating the thighs from the drumsticks.
Which vegetables does this recipe call for?
This lemon chicken recipe uses root veggies because they have a longer cooking time, which means they’ll still be nice and moist when you’re done cooking the chicken. You’ll want to use new potatoes cut into halves or quartered if they’re large. Carrots and onions are the other veggies used in this recipe. You’ll want the carrots cut into bite-sized pieces for even cooking.
Wholefully Protip
You could also use other hardy vegetables like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or red onions. Be careful with softer veggies like bell peppers, zucchini, and broccoli florets because these might cook faster than your chicken!
How do I make sheet pan chicken and veggies?
The beauty of sheet pan meals is how incredibly simple they are. Instead of using a bunch of pots, pans, and baking sheets to cook ingredients separately, all you do with a sheet pan dinner is grab your ingredients, place them on the tray, and cook. Here’s how to make this sheet pan chicken and veggies dinner.
- Prepare by preheating the oven to 425°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Whisk the oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and spices in a large bowl before adding the vegetables and tossing to combine. Hold onto the lemon halves.
- Transfer the veggies to the baking sheet using a slotted spoon.
- Add the chicken pieces to the spice and oil mixture, toss to combine, and then place the chicken skin side up on top of the veggies.
- Top the chicken with more fresh rosemary and the halves of the lemons you squeezed earlier.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until an internal temperature reading on the thickest part of the chicken meat reaches 165°F, and the veggies are tender.
- Let the meal rest for five to ten minutes to allow the juices to soak back into the meat, then serve. Garnish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
How do I store and reheat the leftovers?
You can store any leftover sheet pan chicken and veggies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat the meal, preheat your oven to 350°F and place the chicken and veggies back on a sheet pan. Warm in the oven until all the pieces are hot. You can also use a microwave to reheat individual servings of this sheet pan dinner.
What other sheet pan dinners can I make?
If this sheet pan chicken and veggies recipe has converted you to sheet pan cooking, I’ve got great news for you! There’s more than one easy and delicious sheet pan dinner waiting for you to try, including:
Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
This meal combines juicy roasted chicken with root vegetables, all cooked perfectly in one pan. Here’s how to get it done with minimum effort.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of new potatoes, halved or quartered if large
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced rosemary (plus 2 whole sprigs)
- 2 lemons, halved
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 1 pound of carrots, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 whole chicken, cut up
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together avocado oil, salt, pepper, minced rosemary, juice from the two lemons (reserving the juiced halves), and garlic. Add in the potatoes, onion, and carrots. Toss to combine.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potato mixture to the prepared baking sheet in one single layer, reserving the remaining oil mixture in the bowl.
- Add the chicken pieces to the oil mixture in the bowl, and toss to coat. Arrange the chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top of the vegetables. Add the juiced lemon halves and additional sprigs of rosemary to the sheet pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the veggies are all tender and an internal thermometer registers 165°F in the fleshy part of the chicken drumsticks.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
Notes
- Never cut up a whole chicken? It's easier than it seems! First, separate the legs and wings from the rest of the bird. Slice through the center of the chicken to separate the breast from the back. Cut the breasts in halves, and then again in quarters. You can also cut the legs in half by separating the thigh from the drumstick.
- You can swap in other long-cooking veggies like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or red onions. You'll want to be careful with softer veggies like bell peppers, zucchini, and broccoli florets because they could cook faster than your chicken!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 888Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 36gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 484mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 12gSugar: 9gProtein: 49g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
