This sheet pan chicken is an easy one-pan meal of juicy chicken with roasted peppers and onions, simply seasoned with olive oil, garlic, and herbs.
In this easy weeknight recipe, chicken roasts alongside bell peppers and onions until its skin is golden and the vegetables are tender and caramelized. I love using chicken leg quarters because they stay juicy and develop a delicious golden skin when roasted at a higher temperature. They're perfect for sheet pan meals because their longer cooking time gives the vegetables time to soften, caramelize, and soak up the pan juices.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Oil: I love the rich flavor of extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe. If you prefer a higher smoke point, use avocado oil.
- To season: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. I tried this recipe with just ½ teaspoon of salt and felt it would benefit from a full teaspoon, but if you need less sodium, feel free to use less salt.
- Chicken: I use chicken leg quarters. You can use three pounds of drumsticks and/or chicken thighs. Choose skin-on, bone-in chicken parts.
- Vegetables: Onions and bell peppers. For the prettiest presentation, choose red onions and different-colored peppers.
Instructions
The recipe card includes detailed instructions and step-by-step photos. Here's a quick overview.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Coat it in a mixture of olive oil and spices.
Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet, skin-side up. Coat the veggies in oil and spices and nestle them between the chicken pieces.
Roast at 425°F until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve immediately.
Variations
I kept this recipe classic and simple, and seasoned the chicken and veggies with sea salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
Feel free to have fun and season to your preference, though! I think adding onion powder, paprika, or even cayenne would be great here. Check out these boldly seasoned chicken recipes for seasoning blend ideas:
Recipe Tips
- Depending on the size of the chicken and vegetables, you may need an additional tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and an extra sprinkle of seasonings.
- Patting the chicken dry with paper towels, as shown in the photo below, is an important step. Removing excess moisture helps the skin brown and crisp in the oven.
- If the chicken is cooked through but you want crispier skin, remove the vegetables so they won't burn, then broil the chicken for about 2 minutes at the end, watching it closely.
- While 165°F is safe, dark chicken meat (like leg quarters) thrives at higher internal temperatures. Cook it to 175°F to 180°F, as shown in the image below, so the connective tissue breaks down, and the meat becomes fork-tender.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Bell peppers and onions roast especially well, but you can use any veggies you have on hand. If some veggies (like zucchini or squash) take less time to cook, add them halfway through.
Yes! Since the entire dish roasts at 425°F for at least 45 minutes, the high heat eliminates any potential risk from the raw chicken juices. However, if you want to be extra cautious, you can portion out some of the seasoned oil before adding the raw chicken, then use the reserved bit for the veggies.
I recommend cutting the onions and bell peppers into quarters, as shown below, since they'll be roasting for a long time in the oven. This helps them cook evenly and not burn.
Cut each bell pepper in half lengthwise, then use your fingers to pull out the stem, seeds, and white membrane, as shown in the photo below. Shake out any remaining seeds, then cut each pepper half lengthwise again to make quarters.
Theoretically, you could. However, I love using Italian seasoning because it's a premade blend of flavorful, aromatic herbs that makes life easy. It's typically a blend of oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.
Serving Suggestions
With a generous portion of chicken and vegetables, sheet pan chicken is a delicious meal on its own, so you don't need to worry about sides.
However, I do enjoy serving this dish over mashed cauliflower - I love how it soaks up the cooking liquids. The cauliflower takes only 20 minutes to make and serves 4 people, so it pairs beautifully with this recipe.
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them (once cooled) in a single layer in freezer bags for up to three months, though the vegetables will lose their texture when they thaw.
You can enjoy the leftover chicken cold or reheat it uncovered in a 350°F oven. I prefer not to reheat it in the microwave because it becomes dry and rubbery.
You can chop the leftover chicken and add it, warm or cold, to a salad like the arugula salad shown below. It only takes 15 minutes to make and is a great way to turn leftovers into a completely new meal. If you eat the chicken cold, make sure to remove the skin and crisp it back up in a skillet for a delicious snack!
As for the leftover veggies, I enjoy adding them to these fluffy scrambled eggs for an easy, delicious breakfast or brunch, as shown in the image below.
Recipe Card
Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt - or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 chicken leg quarters - bone-in, skin-on, about 3 pounds total
- 2 red onions - peeled and quartered
- 4 bell peppers - quartered and seeded, different colors
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with high-heat parchment paper.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil with the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Add the chicken pieces, one by one, and toss to coat.
- Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet, skin-side up.
- Add the quartered onions and peppers to the olive oil mixture and toss to coat (see notes below). Toss in batches if needed. Nestle the vegetables between the chicken pieces.
- Roast until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through and the vegetables are tender, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The chicken's internal temperature should reach at least 165°F (see notes below). Serve immediately.
Notes
- Depending on the size of the chicken pieces, they may take more or less time to cook. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F, but 175°F to 180°F is even better for dark chicken meat because it helps the connective tissue break down and makes the meat extra tender.
- Depending on the size of the chicken and vegetables, you may need an additional tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and an extra sprinkle of seasonings.
- Since the entire dish roasts at 425°F for at least 45 minutes, the high heat eliminates any potential risk from the raw chicken juices. However, if you want to be extra cautious, you can portion out some of the seasoned oil before adding the raw chicken, then use the reserved portion for the veggies.
- If the leg quarters are cooked through but you want crispier skin, remove the vegetables so they won't burn, then broil the chicken for about 2 minutes at the very end, watching it closely.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them (once cooled) in a single layer in freezer bags for up to three months, though the vegetables will lose their texture when they thaw.
- You can enjoy the leftover chicken cold or reheat it uncovered in a 350°F oven. I prefer not to reheat it in the microwave because it becomes dry and rubbery.
Nutrition per Serving
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Carol (Annie) Kauffman says
Last time I roasted drumsticks they totally splattered up my oven and I had a big cleaning job. Any suggestions to prevent this?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Carol,
Chicken can definitely splatter as the fat renders. One thing that can help is roasting it in a deeper roasting pan on a roasting rack. The roasting pan catches more splatter, and the rack lifts the drumsticks out of the drippings so they don't sit in grease, which reduces popping while letting heat circulate. Unfortunately, some splattering is difficult to avoid when roasting skin-on chicken.