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Sheet pan dinners make weeknight dinners a breeze. This Meyer Lemon Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken is no exception.
This recipe uses some of my favorite flavors this time of year. If you didn't know winter is citrus season and as much as I enjoy a good glass of lemonade in the summertime. It's in the winter when all the good lemons start to appear in the stores near us.
I love this simple dish any time of the year, but sometimes it's nice in the winter because so many recipes are often heavier, and too many of those can leave me feeling blah. On the other hand, this dish is light and vibrant and makes me happy even if the weather outside is dreadful.
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One-pan meals are probably the easiest dishes you can make. The biggest tip for making sure your meal is cooked perfectly all in one pan is to stagger the ingredients. With this particular recipe, I like to add potatoes and some greens to the pan as it cooks, so I really can keep it all in one meal. I like to stagger them first the potatoes for 10 min - then I will add the chicken - and then when those are just about finished, I like to add some chopped broccolini. If you've never had broccolini trust me, this is the dish to try it with. The lemon brightens it up and makes it have an amazing flavor.
Tips and Tricks
- Use bone-in chicken - I know it's more common to use bones-less skinless chicken breasts when making dinners like this. However, I tend to find that they can become dry and bland. I always prefer to use chicken thighs in the oven because they do not tend to dry out when cooked in the oven. You could use the bone-in variety of breasts, but note that those will take a little bit longer time to cook than the thighs would.
- Coat all the ingredients in the spices - Even though I will add each of the ingredients to the pan at different times, I like to season every single layer of ingredients. This allows the flavors to be over everything, so you don't end up with bland potatoes and flavorful chicken, or vice versa.
Can you use this for meal prep?
Absolutely! Using the chicken thighs will also help the chicken maintain moisture when you reheat it when you are ready to eat.
How long does it take to cook?
Chicken thighs (depending on size) take on average about 30-45 minutes in an oven set to 400 degrees. I like to check the temperature of the chicken around the 25-minute mark. I like the chicken reading at least 165 degrees when it's done. I use a digital probe thermometer so I can check the temperature of the chicken. Using the staggering method allows this dinner to come together with very minimal effort.
More One Pan Meals
Melt in Your Mouth Pork Carnitas
Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Meyer Lemon Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs Bone-in Chicken Pieces of Choice
- ¼ C Olive Oil
- 1 Small White Onion Sliced
- 2 TBS Lemon Zest
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 TSP Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
Optional Veggies
- 2-3 Medium Potatoes large diced
- 2 C Broccoli or other vegetable of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a piece of parchment paper onto a sheet pan and set aside.
- Chop the vegetables, and set aside. Use whatever you like to add with the onions. I like broccolini because it pairs well with the fresh lemon.
- Combine the lemon zest, juice, olive oil and spices into a small bowl.
- Coat the ingredients in the spice mixture.
- Layer the sheet pan. I like to layer the ingredients in the order in which I want them to cook. I always start with the potatoes and onions. (This helps to give a good base for the chicken to sit on and adds flavor as it cooks.)
- Add the potatoes and onions to the pan. Cook for about 10 min.
- To the potatoes and onions add the chicken thighs and cook for an additional 30-45 min.
- Once the chicken reaches about 150-155 degrees is when I like to add the broccolini to the pan and cook an additional 10-15 min until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of about 165 degrees.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest about 5-10 min, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use bone-in chicken – I know it’s more common to use bones-less skinless chicken breasts when making dinners like this. However, I tend to find that they can become dry and bland. I always prefer to use chicken thighs in the oven because they do not tend to dry out when cooked in the oven. You could use the bone-in variety of breasts, but note that those will take a little bit longer time to cook than the thighs would.
- Coat all the ingredients in the spices – Even though I will add each of the ingredients to the pan at different times, I like to season every single layer of ingredients. This allows the flavors to be over everything, so you don’t end up with bland potatoes and flavorful chicken, or vice versa.
Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.