We love a low-maintenance chicken dinner as much as the next guy, but why do boneless, skinless breasts get all the love? It’s time to turn to chicken thighs, which were practically made for those one-dish recipes we fall for again and again. They’re juicy, versatile and flavorful, plus they can handle a hot oven like nobody’s business. Don’t believe us? Make one of these 25 recipes for sheet pan chicken thighs and thank us when you’re done.
25 Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs You Haven’t Made for Dinner Yet
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Published Nov 29, 2022
1. Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs have all the benefits of a whole roast chicken without any of the fuss.
2. One Pan Roasted Chicken With Carrots
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, sheet pan recipe, gluten free
Say goodbye to a pile of pots and pans in the sink, and hello to tender, garlicky carrots and chicken thighs.
3. Sheet Pan Indian-Spiced Chicken
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: low sugar, beginner-friendly, dairy free
While the chicken is roasting, the potatoes in this dish are hard at work soaking up all those glorious juices. (And you’re barely lifting a finger.)
4. Dorie Greenspan’s Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Baby Potatoes and Mushrooms
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy, no sugar
Greenspan calls for chicken legs (i.e., the thigh and drumstick attached), but you can swap in regular chicken thighs as you please. They’ll be just as bronzed and beautiful at the end of cooking.
5. Dijon-Maple Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, high protein, dairy free
When the most difficult thing you have to do is chop vegetables, you know it’s going to be a good dinner. (Psst: Here’s how to break down a butternut squash without any mishaps.)
6. Sticky Orange Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Fennel
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, sheet pan recipe, gluten free
This one is reminiscent of our favorite takeout treat, but so much healthier. (If you don’t love fennel, you can try bok choy or another green veggie instead.)
8. The Best Sheet Pan Chicken Piccata
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, sheet pan recipe, gluten free, dairy free
Whip this one out at your next dinner get-together and let everyone think it was hard work. (Best party trick ever? We think so.)
9. Easy Mango Chutney Chicken Sheet Pan with Cauliflower
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, crowd-pleaser, dairy free, gluten free
What serves a crowd, takes less than an hour to make and hits all the right notes of salty, savory and sweet? This guy.
10. Crispy Smoked Paprika Chicken
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, gluten free
The key to getting crispy skin is not overcrowding the pan. Want to take it a step further? Put a wire baking rack inside the sheet pan for even more crispiness.
- Time Commitment: 13 hours (includes marinating)
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy free
Sure, there are no dishes when you order delivery. But there’s also no satisfaction of making a gourmet dinner yourself. It’s your call.
12. Five Spice Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser
Fun fact: Five spice is a combination of cinnamon, star anise, fennel, white pepper and cloves. It’s also an excellent companion to chicken, carrots and cabbage.
13. Chicken Adobo with Garlic Rice
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
The classic tangy, sweet and salty Filipino dish got an upgrade. (And by that we mean minimal cleanup and 15 minutes of prep.)
14. Sesame Soy Chicken Bowls with Coconut Rice
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly
While the sesame chicken roasts in the oven, you can make the rice and prep your toppings. When the timer goes off, you’ll be ready to dig in.
15. Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
This one had us at harissa…and again at feta. The whole sheet pan thing is just the cherry on top.
16. Sheet Pan Roasted Garlic Butter Herb Chicken with Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free
When nothing but hearty and rustic will do, this is the ticket.
- Time Commitment: 38 minutes
- Why I Love It: low carb, gluten free, dairy free
It takes less than 40 minutes from start to finish and that’s including a homemade teriyaki sauce.
18. One Pan Roasted Chicken and Veggies
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, dairy free
Proof that there’s nothing wrong with a classic, especially when it’s this foolproof.
19. Sheet Pan Olive Bar Chicken
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, dairy free, gluten free
Buy all the briny stuff at the grocery store and you’re halfway to dinner. This. Is. Genius.
20. Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
The only messy part is going to be your fingers.
21. Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: low carb, gluten free, dairy free
If you think this dish sounds plain or boring, wait until your first bite. It’s called roast chicken magic (and the secret is egg whites).
22. Sheet Pan Peri Peri Chicken with Portuguese Red Pepper Sauce
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, dairy free
The tiny potatoes will absorb all the schmaltz-y goodness of these spicy thighs. Are you hungry yet?
23. Sheet Pan Crispy Chicken Carnitas with Winter Citrus Pico de Gallo
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, gluten free, <500 calories
Carnitas is traditionally made with pork, but marinating chicken thighs in a spicy, citrusy mixture yields remarkably similar results. A quick trip under the broiler adds irresistibly crispy texture.
24. Sheet Pan Buttermilk Chicken Thighs with Plums, Shallots and Honey
- Time Commitment: 8 hours, 30 minutes (includes marinating)
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
The key to impeccably seasoned, juicy meat is in the marinade. The buttermilk tenderizes the chicken and allows the salt to permeate throughout. The plums and shallots are interchangeable with other fruits and alliums, and we think apples, grapes, leeks and thinly sliced red onion would all be lovely.
25. Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma with Lemon-Tahini Drizzle
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, gluten free, dairy free
Not only is it a breeze to make and clean up, it’s also paleo-friendly and gluten, dairy and grain free. If you ask us, it was love at lemon-tahini drizzle.
