Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs and Veggies recipe is a colorful and convenient dish designed to please kids and busy parents alike. Crispy bone-in chicken thighs and an array of roasted vegetables including broccoli, tomatoes, and peppers, come together on a single pan, offering a balanced meal that’s both nourishing and flavorful. With minimal prep and cleanup this is a wholesome dinner perfect for school nights.
You’ll absolutely love the simplicity, versatility and flavors of this sheet pan chicken.
The vegetables can be interchanged with family favorites or veggies that have been hiding in the produce drawer. With the baked chicken thighs enjoyed as is or dipped into a dipping sauce, the flavor of the meal can be customized to any taste preference.
Chicken and vegetable recipes are a staple in our home. From Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas and Chicken Booyah to Chicken Sausage Skillet, and now this sheet pan meal, you’ll find a chicken dinner featured every week.
We encourage you to add this recipe to this week’s menu rotation. Consider making a double batch to meal prep since the leftovers reheat extremely well. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 3 cup broccoli
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 1 red onion sliced
- 1 orange pepper sliced
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Ingredient Swap: Consider other vegetables such as zucchini, squash, cauliflower or mushrooms. If selecting hearty produce such as red potatoes, sweet potatoes or carrots, chop into smaller pieces. This will help all vegetables fully cook in roughly the same time.
Another option is roasting the potatoes on a separate pan and placing in the oven 10 minutes prior to the chicken pan or making a batch of Instant Pot Red Potatoes to serve alongside.
Step By Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prep the veggies.
- Mix the marinade. In a small mixing bowl combine the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, and pepper.
- Place veggies and chicken on the sheet pan. Add the veggies to the sheet pan clearing space and adding the chicken thighs. Using a pastry brush, brush the chicken thighs with the marinade. Slowly drizzle the leftover marinade onto the veggies.
- Bake. Bake for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F, stirring the veggies halfway through.
What to Serve With This Recipe
Serve this sheet pan meal with a dipping sauce for more flavor. Kids love anything from ranch and barbecue to honey mustard and ketchup.
For those looking for a hearty meal, consider pairing with a starchy side such as mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa, rice or gluten free pasta.
Soups also make a great option. Our Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup, Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup, and Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Soup are popular kid favorites.
Even the simplest leafy green side salad makes a great complement to this hot dinner meal.
Helpful Tips
- Arrange the chicken and vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet. This will prevent overcrowding and ensure each veggie is crispy and the chicken fully cooks.
- To speed up the cooking process, opt for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You’ll miss a bit of the crispy chicken, but it will get dinner on the table quicker.
- Consider drizzling with a sauce such as teriyaki, Gluten Free Stir Fry Sauce, honey mustard, balsamic, lemon juice or any other DIY sauce after baking to further elevate the flavor.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet to prevent spills and make it easier to keep the oven mess-free.
- Line the sheet pan with parchment paper, aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat for an easier cleanup.
- Always cook chicken regardless of the cut of meat until the internal temperature has reached 165°F. Best practice is inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh to verify the temperature.
- Stir the vegetables halfway through to crisp all sides and evenly cook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken and vegetables can be cooked in the same pan. For food safety, you do not want to taste the ingredients until the chicken has been fully cooked to 165°F. That means no checking the vegetables for doneness by taking a bite. Instead, pierce with a fork.
The baking time for chicken does vary depending on the cut of the chicken, its thickness, the oven temperature and whether it’s bone-in or boneless. For this recipe, you can expect the chicken thighs to bake for roughly 40 minutes. At that point, ensure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F. If not, continue to bake in 5-minute increments until the chicken is fully cooked.
Overcooking is a common reason chicken becomes dry. By aiming to only cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, you can keep it moist. You’ll find chicken thighs are juicier compared to other cuts of meat because we are using bone-in thighs for this recipe. Bone-in, skin-on chicken typically results in juicy and more tender meat once cooked.
No, you want to use fresh chicken for this recipe. If you have frozen chicken on hand, defrost overnight in the fridge or in the sink under cool running water then use as directed.
Yes, chicken breasts, thighs or tenders can be used in this recipe. If using larger chicken breasts, pound thin before adding to the baking sheet. If using chicken tenders, cut the vegetables smaller to ensure even cooking.
Chicken does not need to be covered when making a sheet pan meal. It is actually best to keep it uncovered because it allows for crispy skin, a nicely browned surface and faster cooked chicken.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- This sheet pan recipe is great because you can make a double batch then store leftovers to reheat during the week. To store safely, allow the chicken and vegetables to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, transfer to an airtight container with a lid. The chicken and vegetables can be stored together or in separate containers based on personal preference.
- Immediately refrigerate the leftovers and consume within 3-4 days.
- If you won’t be consuming within a few days, consider freezing the leftovers. Label the container with the date then place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- A microwave can be used for convenience by reheating in 30-second increments until heated through.
- For best results, return the chicken and vegetables to a clean sheet pan and warm at a low temperature (325-350°F) until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. This will prevent the chicken from drying out.
Kids In The Kitchen
Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.
- When handling raw chicken, do not touch other surfaces or ingredients without washing hands. After all the vegetables have been chopped and added to the sheet pan, you can remove the chicken from the package and place on the pan. The ingredients should be in a single layer on the pan to allow for even cooking.
- The vegetables will need to be flipped halfway through to help crisp all sides. To do this, ask your kitchen helper for assistance then use oven mitts to carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. Holding one side of the sheet pan with an oven mitt, hold a spatula in your other hand to flip all the veggies. Then, return the sheet pan to the oven using oven mitts.
- The sheet pan meal needs to keep cooking until the veggies are tender and the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165°F. Allow the meal to rest for a few minutes after it has been removed from the oven. This will keep the chicken juicy and moist once served. See if you can help set the table while the meal is resting!
More Popular Sheet Pan Dinners
- Sheet Pan Lasagna
- Sheet Pan Rainbow Veggies & Chicken
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
- Italian-Style Mini Meatloaf & Vegetable Sheet Pan
- Sheet Pan Pork Chops and Potatoes
- Sheet Pan Eggs
- Sheet Pan Salmon
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs and Veggies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 3 cup broccoli
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 1 red onion sliced
- 1 orange pepper sliced
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prep the veggies.
- Mix the marinade. In a small mixing bowl combine the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, and pepper.1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Place veggies and chicken on the sheet pan. Add the veggies to the sheet pan clearing space and adding the chicken thighs. Using a pastry brush, brush the chicken thighs with the marinade. Slowly drizzle the leftover marinade onto the veggies.4 bone-in chicken thighs, 3 cup broccoli, 1 cup grape tomatoes, 1 red onion, 1 orange pepper, 6 cloves garlic
- Bake. Bake for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F, stirring the veggies halfway through.
Notes
- Arrange the chicken and vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet. This will prevent overcrowding and ensure each veggie is crispy and the chicken fully cooks.
- To speed up the cooking process, opt for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You’ll miss a bit of the crispy chicken, but it will get dinner on the table quicker.
- Consider drizzling with a sauce such as teriyaki, Gluten Free Stir Fry Sauce, honey mustard, balsamic, lemon juice or any other DIY sauce after baking to further elevate the flavor.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet to prevent spills and make it easier to keep the oven mess-free.
- Line the sheet pan with parchment paper, aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat for an easier cleanup.
- Always cook chicken regardless of the cut of meat until the internal temperature has reached 165°F. Best practice is inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh to verify the temperature.
- Stir the vegetables halfway through to crisp all sides and evenly cook.
Nutrition
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