This Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with sweet potatoes and apples is an easy and flavor-filled one-pan dish that is ready in under 1 hour and that the whole family loves!
This family-friendly sheet pan dinner is right up there with sheet pan shrimp fajitas, which is another family favorite. Having a quick and easy healthy dinner is great, but having a dessert like this healthy pecan pie to finish off the meal just takes it over the top. So, don’t forget to add it to your menu!
Table of contents
Easy Sheet Pan Dinner
Sheet pan dinners always make me feel so accomplished. They’re so simple because they’re done on one pan, but they’ve got all the components of a complete meal, so I know everyone will be well fed! Quick and easy dinner recipes are a staple around here, so when I can create a dish that has a little something extra but with very little effort on busy weeknight dinners, I’m all for it!
This is one of my favorite sheet pan meals because it’s so rustic, healthy, and incredibly delicious. It’s made with sweet potatoes and crispy apples, which if you’ve never had apples with chicken (or beef, or pork) you’re in for a treat. The sweet and tart apples also go well with a variety of fall vegetables, so you can actually customize this meal to your liking. Toss in a few cubes of butternut squash, cauliflower, or green beans onto the pan. If sweet potatoes aren’t your thing, use regular potatoes.
The chicken gets roasted along with fresh herbs and its sides, which brings out the natural sugars in the veggies and the apples and crispy skin on the juicy tender chicken. It is a ridiculously easy comfort meal that is as satisfying as it is tasty. Eating low carb and gluten-free has never been easier or more mouthwatering!
Why this recipe works/why we love this recipe
- Quick and easy which is always a good thing on a busy day, but it works just about any time.
- It’s an effortless way to serve a crowd.
- Eating seasonally, using veggies that are in season is a way to keep the cost of produce down.
- It’s delicious and a kid-friendly hit for sure. They love the flavor of the apples!
- Easy clean-up is definitely a bonus with any one-pan meal!
- Similar to this Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Apples which is another recipe we love.
Ingredients/shopping list
- Chicken thighs – Bone in and skin on. When roasted in the oven, the skin gets crispy and yummy.
- Olive oil – To be used separately for the chicken coating as well as to season the veggies.
- Butter – Used in combination with the oil, garlic, and rosemary to coat the chicken before putting it in the oven. Will give it a nice golden brown color as well as provide moisture.
- Minced garlic – An aromatic that will penetrate flavor into the chicken as well as season the veggies.
- Fresh minced rosemary – A classic herb that pairs well with poultry (among other meat). It’s fresh and earthy and adds incredible flavor to the chicken.
- Salt & pepper – A traditional way of seasoning the chicken first before building on the seasoning.
- Sweet potatoes and Granny Smith apples – Both will be cut into uniform sizes of ½” thick slices or chunks. Granny Smiths are nice and tart and hold up well in the heat without becoming mushy.
How to Make this Recipe
You’ll be amazed at how quickly this flavorful meal is ready and on the dinner table! Keep it handy for when you have company as well, they’ll never know how easy it was to make!
Step 1: Prepare chicken thighs by patting dry, loosening the skin from the meat, and seasoning with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Combine olive oil, softened butter, minced garlic, and rosemary in a small bowl and rub that mixture over each thigh and under the chicken skin of each piece. Place thighs skin side up on the sheet pan and roast chicken for 10 minutes before adding the sweet potatoes.
Step 3: Toss the sweet potatoes in olive oil and minced garlic and add the potatoes around the chicken in a single layer, 10 minutes into the cooking time.
Step 4: Bake for 15 minutes then turn the sweet potatoes over and add the apple slices to the pan. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the chicken reads 165 degrees F and is no longer pink.
Variations/Substitutions
- Substitute ¼ teaspoon garlic powder per clove if desired.
- Substitute fresh thyme or sage for the rosemary, or use a blend of all 3.
- Substitute 1 teaspoon dried rosemary for the fresh rosemary (or others) if needed.
- Substitute Yukon gold or red potatoes for sweet potatoes if preferred.
- Add in any carrots, cauliflower, turnips, beets, and butternut squash for a variety of options.
- Granny smith apples add a nice tartness and hold their shape well. Feel free to use other apples like Macintosh or Cortland as well.
Tips
- Use boneless, skinless thighs, chicken leg quarters, or chicken breasts if desired.
- Olive oil helps the chicken and vegetables crisp.
- Butter helps the chicken brown and keeps it moist.
- To loosen the skin from the chicken thigh, insert a spoon upside down in between the skin and the flesh and gently move it back and forth creating space.
- Add other vegetables like brussels sprouts, broccoli, green beans, and/or sliced red onion. There are limitless possibilities for side vegetables!
FAQ’s
Leftovers make a great meal the next day whether it’s a packed lunch for work or dinner all over again. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
If you’ve only got a single portion left, you can use the microwave for a quick reheat. If you’re reheating a larger portion, place it back in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through.
If you like this recipe, please leave us a comment and rate the recipe below. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram!
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves minced garlic divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 sweet potatoes cut into ½” thick slices
- 2 granny smith apples cut into ½” thick slices
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Dry the chicken thighs on both sides with a paper towel and loosen the skin from the meat.
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, softened butter, 2 cloves of garlic, and rosemary and mix well.
- Rub the mixture over each chicken thigh and under the skin of each piece to help make it crispier.
- Place the thighs, skin side up, in the center of the sheet pan.
- Cook for 10 minutes.
For the Vegetables
- In a separate medium bowl, add the sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 2 cloves garlic.
- After the chicken has cooked for 10 minutes, add the potatoes around the chicken in a single layer.
- Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Then turn the sweet potatoes over and add the apple slices to the pan.
- Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and is 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Jani Leuschel
Riffed on this recipe with boneless, skinless thighs and added shallots and some Asian spices. Loved it!!!