This is the easiest weeknight dinner ever! Sheet pan chicken thighs are so versatile and delicious. We’re pairing this baked rosemary chicken with potatoes, carrots, and zucchini, with a hint of lime! It totally hits the spot and is done in 40 minutes. It’s low carb to boot!
An angel arrived on my doorstep this morning in the form of a friend with some toilet paper.
I heard the knock on the door and in that moment my heart was struck with the fear that only my fellow stay at home mom’s can understand: It was 10am, a perfectly acceptable time for a random someone to knock on my door, and there I was still in my pajamas, barely feeding my kids breakfast.
I hadn’t even changed into yoga pants to pretend that I had already worked out that morning, or at least planned to “soon.” Nope, just a ratty T-shirt of my husband’s and a pair of striped PJ pants.
I couldn’t see who was at the door, but I did see a minivan, which meant that I could trust whoever it was to be friend rather than foe: surely this fellow mom warrior has had to answer the door in pajamas before too?
So I open the door to find my neighbor Grace, with a pack of toilet paper just for me. Honestly, no other item or person arriving at my door right then could have made me happier.
Being pregnant and barely half-momming it all summer, my normal routine has been a bit off. Normally going to the store is no problem, and when we run out of something, I buy more. Actually, we rarely run out of paper goods like tissue and toilet paper, because I have a system where I’m always buying ahead on things I know we always need.
But things went a little off the rails this summer when I was sick for so long. (Morning sickness: not just for the morning.) The kids and I went for a short bike ride last night and ran into Grace and her kids, who live around the corner. I mentioned that we’ve been out of toilet paper SINCE SUNDAY. Today is WEDNESDAY you guys. And what exactly have I done the last 3 days that is more important that buying toilet paper??
I really don’t know, but I do know that if you ever find yourself in this conundrum, be sure to complain about it to a nice friend, because maybe they will show up on your door step with toilet paper. Oh my gosh, I’m just kidding, get your lazy butt to the store, future Karen!! Bless you, Grace, you are aptly named.
In other news, I finally made my family dinner! Even if I can’t provide basic toiletry necessities, at least we’re not starving.
It’s such a relief to be back in the kitchen. I can’t even tell you how much I missed it! This sheet pan chicken and veggies recipe is based on one given to me by my friend Sarah, who blogs over at Feeding Your Fam. Check out her recipes, she’s got some amazing posts! She’s going to be helping me occasionally with upcoming recipe ideas from here on out. Sometimes I get stuck in a creativity rut, so I’m excited to have someone helping me out!
How to make sheet pan chicken thighs
I LOVE making sheet pan chicken thighs. It is such a no-fuss way to get dinner done. It’s a healthy option too. For this recipe, we’re using chicken thighs, which are a lot tastier than chicken breasts in my opinion. You can get them at the market these days boned and skinned, making your life even easier.
Add the chicken, potatoes, carrots, and onions to a pan and drizzle with olive oil. Then add a few seasonings (garlic, paprika, cumin, rosemary, lime). Roast at 425, add the zucchini, and finish in the oven. It takes about 40-45 minutes start to finish and it’s SO delicious.
Rosemary chicken thighs FTW
Fresh rosemary is really kind of magical when you put it in the oven. You don’t even have to chop it up or do anything special with it. Just toss a few sprigs on the pan, and your chicken will come out with a subtle but very tasty rosemary flavor throughout the entire bird. If you don’t have fresh rosemary, a teaspoon or two of dried rosemary will work ok too.
The lime wedges baked with the chicken also infuse it with flavor. So good! I never would have thought to pair rosemary with lime, but it is a really great combination that took me by surprise.
How to sear chicken
Full disclosure my friends: chicken does NOT bake in the oven and come out with the beautiful sear marks you see on the chicken in these photos. When you bake chicken, it turns a pasty white color. If done well, it’s juicy and delicious, and I promise no one will care what color it is once they try it, but if you are serving guests and presentation is important, take a couple minutes to sear the chicken in a pan on the stove first.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear the raw chicken on one side for 1-2 minutes until browned, then flip and sear the other side. Then continue with the recipe. Full notes are in the recipe. The chicken will not be cooked on the inside, just browned on the outside for an extra flavor boost.
This step is optional. If you plan to put pictures of your chicken on your food blog for thousands of people to see, I recommend searing. If you’re making dinner for your family, you can skip it. ;) Enjoy!!
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
Easy chicken dinners FTW!
Sheet Pan Curry Chicken and Carrots with Basmati Rice
30 Minute Pesto Penne with Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes
More 30 minute chicken dinners from other bloggers!
Easy Skillet Apricot Chicken from Family Food on the Table
Best Chicken Tacos Ever from Bless this Mess
Skillet Orange Chicken Recipe from Spend with Pennies
Sheet Pan Rosemary Lime Chicken and Veggies
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2 lbs
- 3 large potatoes, about 1.5 lbs
- 1 cup carrots, sliced thin (3 small or 2 medium)
- 1/2 onion, sliced thin
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 limes, divided
- 3-4 sprigs rosemary , fresh
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- more rosemary and limes, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying with nonstick spray (line with foil first for easy clean up)
- Place the chicken on the baking sheet.
- Peel and chop the potatoes into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces. Peel and slice the carrots. Slice up half an onion. Arrange all the vegetables on the baking sheet around the chicken.
- Slice the zucchini and place it on the baking sheet also, but don't mix it with the others, we're going to remove them once they are coated with oil.
- Smash and mince 2 cloves of garlic, and sprinkle over the veggies and chicken.
- Drizzle the pan with 1/4 cup olive oil.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt, and a 1/2 teaspoon each of pepper, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder. (These spices are optional. You can just use salt and pepper if you want.)
- Sprinkle the spices over the chicken and veggies, and use your hands to get it all coated well with oil and spices. Try to keep the zucchini separated.
- Remove the zucchini to the small bowl that you had the spices in.
- Zest 1 lime over the chicken and veggies. Cut it in half and use a juicer to sprinkle lime juice over the whole pan.
- Slice the second lime into wedges and scatter over the pan.
- Place 3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs on the pan.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast at 425 F for 20 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, make a simple glaze from the last lime. (This is optional, it will be good without) Juice the lime into a small bowl. While whisking, slowly drizzle in about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. (If you do this without whisking, the oil will not emulsify.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- After 20 minutes, remove the pan of chicken from the oven and shut the oven door. Use tongs to flip each piece of chicken, making sure the chicken ends up on the pan and not on top of veggies.
- Spread the oiled zucchini over the other vegetables.
- Return the pan to the oven and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest piece of chicken registers 160 degrees F. (Chicken is done at 165 degrees F, but it will continue to raise in temperature the first few minutes out of the oven, ending up at about 165. Say NO to dry chicken you guys.)
- Let the chicken rest for about 4-5 minutes after removing from the oven.
- Discard the baked lime and rosemary.
- Serve the chicken and vegetables with the lime glaze. Garnish with more lime wedges and fresh rosemary.
I am such a sucker for a good sheet pan recipe. Thanks for this one, it was delicious!
My husband is dieting so he likes to have all the ‘nutritional info on any thing I cook!  Actually have a light cookbook for dinner recipes!  Taste of home every day light meals!  I really like you recipe and can’t wait to try it.  I suck at texting, email and hashtags!? I’m a college graduate and only 45!  My son is 14 and I feel like a grandma!  (I am also no longer able to work because of my Multiple Sclerosis.  Anyway sorry enough about me!  This is kinda fun;) old school smiley face!!!!
I bet if I just added the info on every thing in the dish, I could get some idea???  Hey!  I’m making his dinner!!!!  Thank you for your time!  Your family looks amazing! Â
Hi Rachel! I like your old school smiley face, I still use them too, hopefully they never die ;) I just entered this dish into My Fitness Pal, and although it’s not perfect, it says for 6 servings it’s about 395 calories per serving. You can enter the ingredients into any calorie calculator you find if you want to calculate protein, macros, etc. I hope you enjoy the recipe!! Thanks so much for commenting, you made me smile!
This looks good and I love rosemary. What is your source for fresh rosemary?
In my area, our grocery chain sells a couple sprigs in a plastic clamshell for $1.99. So, $4 or more just for the rosemary. Wish I could get a big bunch.
Hi Janet! It hurts to pay so much, right? Rosemary is actually pretty hardy and easy to grow. Put some in a pot on your window sill! It definitely the cheapest way!
I definitely never thought of rosemary with lime. Hopefully thyme with lime is good too, since I was all out of rosemary! I used the yummy spice mix in a pan of green beans, Brussel sprouts, carrots and onions, and also on a pan with the carrots, onions, and potatoes, since my husband is allergic to my Brussel sprouts.
Also, I recently fell in love with seasoning with sage+garlic+nutmeg+onion, which is surprisingly good. I had never thought of using nutmeg with veggies and meat before.
Hi Danette! I think thyme and lime will go together well! I need to try out the sage/garlic/nutmeg/onion, that sounds really interesting. Perfect for fall! Thanks for the fun ideas!
This is a crazy amount of directions for a one sheet pan recipe. The main reason for a sheet pan is SIMPLE PREP. Â I have been cooking since I am 6 years old and think you need to shorten this recipe to cut veggies, sear chicken, pop in the oven. Par these directions down. I don’t do 21 steps for a gourmet meal, so why would I want to do it for a sheet pan recipe?
Congrats Maureen! you’re the first person to ever complain about my recipes being too detailed. My blog is called The Food Charlatan, it’s meant for beginner cooks who are trying to fake it til they make it in the kitchen. Some people have never seared chicken before! If you really don’t know your way around the kitchen, you need details.
I can’t tell you how many people have thanked me for the detailed way that I write out my recipes. People often tell me that they are so easy to follow that they let their kids make the recipes on their own, which I take as a huge compliment!
It sounds like you are a very experienced cook, so skim the recipe and don’t worry about the details!
The best way to not be caught at home in pj’s…sleep in yoga pant (or any kind of lounge pants);-) This looks delicious and I’m looking forward to trying it. I did have a question about the type of pans you use. I thought you mentioned them in an old post, but I cant find it. Just wondering what kind you have and do you still like them?
I know Stefanie, I seriously need to invest in some pjs that could be mistaken for real clothes! haha! And I like to use these baking sheet pans
, but there are lots of good brands out there.I just made chicken thighs and potatoes in the oven last night. it did not look this amazing. I am going to try this recipe next time! I’m wondering how well the lime would go with sweet potatoes. I like to include those on my sheet pan dinners too.
I actually think sweet potatoes would be a great sub for the potatoes in this recipe! I think the lime and rosemary would be good with it. Let me know how it tastes!
Oh my stars! This looks fabulous and I bet my bunch will love it! One easy dinner for summer evenings.Â
Congratulations!! On your new addition! Sorry you have been sick. Babies are the best! You are a good mother too!Â
Thank you for sharing your amazing talents with us!Â
Yes it’s perfect for a summer night! And thank you so much Donna, I can’t tell you how excited we are. Babies are the best it’s true! And worth all the morning sickness in the end! :)
Ooh this looks good. I’ll have to make it when we get back from California next week.
I bet you will love this one Misty!! I remember how much you love lime chicken :)