Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes

I’m a sucker for one pan recipes, and this sheet pan chicken and potatoes provides a complete meal for your family in under an hour.  You get juicy chicken thighs, hearty potatoes, and succulent green beans packed all tossed in a garlic and lemon marinade.  What’s not to love?  

What You’ll Love About This Dish

• Less dishes to wash:  Everything gets baked on a sheet pan which means no pots or additional pans to clean
• A complete and balanced meal: You get your protein (chicken), starch (potatoes), and vegetable (green beans), eliminating the need to make additional sides
• Simple ingredients: Aside from the oil and seasonings, all you need is chicken, potatoes, lemons, and green beans.  That’s it! 
• Dinner in under an hour: Total cook time is 40 minutes so you can have more time back to your evening 
• Fancy enough for guests: While this is a go-to meal on busy weeknights, it’s delicious and elevated enough to serve to guests!  Simply lay out the chicken and sides on a large platter and garnish with lemon slices and fresh parsley sprigs for a nice presentation

What You Need:

EQUIPMENT: 

• 1 large baking pan: You don’t need any special equipment aside from a large baking pan.  You can cook the food directly on the pan or line with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.

• 4 bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
  • Bone-in chicken thighs are not only more flavorful but also cost-effective. The bone helps the meat stay juicy while cooking, and the skin crisps up beautifully, providing a delightful texture contrast.
• 1 lb potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 3 medium potatoes)
  • You can use any kind of potatoes for this dish.  If using a thin skin variety like fingerling or creamer potatoes.
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
  • Wash and dry your green beans to ensure the marinade coats and stays on the beans.  Be sure to trim off the stems.
• 1 lemon, halved
  • Roasting lemon alongside the chicken and vegetables will allow for a richer, and deeper flavor to develop.  

FOR THE MARINADE: 

• 1/2 cup avocado oil (or any neutral oil)
  • It may seem like a lot of oil but it will be used as the base of the marinade for the chicken, as well as a pound of potatoes, and a pound of green beans.
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
  • To infuse a bright, lemony flavor throughout the entire dish.  I highly recommend using fresh lemons for the best flavor.
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • Pairs well with lemon without overpowering the dish 
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • Less assertive than fresh garlic but offers tons of flavor to our marinade 
• 1 tbsp onion powder
  • Provides a nice concentrated onion flavor 
• ½ tbsp oregano
  • Adds a nice herby element with a slightly woody flavor  
• ½ tbsp parsley
  • Gives the dish a nice freshness as well as specks of green throughout 
• ½ tsp celery salt
  • Offers a subtle celery flavor but feel free to substitute with additional plain salt if you don’t have celery salt.  
• 2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 

How To Make It

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit 
2. Make the marinade: To a medium bowl or measuring cup, add the marinade ingredients (oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and seasonings).  Mix and set aside.
3. Add the chicken, potatoes, and lemon halves on the baking pan.  Drizzle ¾ of the marinade and use your hands to toss until everything is evenly coated.  Be sure to place the chicken skin side down and try to spread the potatoes out in a single layer to prevent team.  Place the lemon halves flesh side down on the pan.  Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Prepare the green beans:  Add green beans to bowl with the remaining marinade and toss.
5. Remove the baking pan from the oven and flip the chicken skin side up.  Add the green beans to the pan and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit. 
6. Optional: Use your tongs to squeeze out the additional juice from the roasted lemons over the entire tray for a stronger lemon flavor.
7. Remove pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
8. Serve immediately.

TIPS TO MAKING SHEET PAN CHICKEN AND POTATOES 

• Trim and pat down your chicken
  • Take the additional few minutes to trim off any excess skin or fat from your chicken thighs before adding them to the pan.  Doing so will ensure the skin crisps up evenly while baking.  Once that is done, pat down the chicken on both sides with a paper towel to remove any moisture.  A dry chicken will ensure the seasoning adheres evenly.
• Lay the skin side down
  • For the initial 25 minute cook, lay your chicken skin side down so that the fat can render out.  For the second 15 minute cook, flip the chicken skin side up so that it will get crispy and golden.
• Use bone-in thighs
  • Bone-in thighs will provide maximum flavor The bone helps the meat stay juicy while cooking and prevent it from drying out.
• Spread everything out
  • As a general rule of thumb, you want to reduce overlapping the ingredients as much as possible to prevent steam from forming.  For the second cook, avoid placing the green beans over the chicken as we want the tops of the chicken to get crispy and golden.  If you prefer your ingredients extra crispy, simply use 2 pans.
• Let the chicken rest
  • It will be difficult but try to refrain from cutting into the chicken right away.  Allowing the chicken to rest for at least 5-10 minutes will allow the juices to redistribute, making the chicken more juicy and tender.

Can I Meal Prep This?

You can absolutely prepare this dish in advance to be enjoyed over the next few days.  Feel free to double or triple the recipe as desired.  

STORING TIPS

Allow the chicken and sides to cool down before storing them in an airtight container.  They will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days.

CUSTOMIZATIONS

You can customize by swapping out the sides with your favorite starches and vegetables.  Be sure to adjust the cook times accordingly.

You can also use a different marinade like a soy garlic marinade to give the dish a different flavor profile.