HONEY BALSAMIC CHICKEN THIGHS & VEGETABLES (SHEET PAN DINNER)
I know we’re all busy, especially this time of year! That’s why I’ve come to love sheet pan dinners like this finger-licking Honey Balsamic Chicken Thighs & Vegetables. It’s ready in just 30-40 minutes and requires just one pan (woohoo)! I made it over Thanksgiving for our visiting family and they requested the recipe immediately 😉 I just know you’ll love it, too.
Did you know? Chicken thighs have more more fat that chicken breasts, but they are still a decently lean protein source with 26 grams of protein and 11g of fat per thigh. With animal proteins, look for at least twice as many grams of protein compared to grams of fat. Animal fats in general are not the healthiest fat source (source).
For the chicken thighs
When buying chicken thighs, I always get skinless which have less saturated fat. I also look for “no antibiotics ever,” which means the birds were kept in sanitary conditions apart from diseased birds (not needing antibiotics). Even better, certified “organic” means the birds have access to the outdoors and were fed organic, vegetarian feed (versus other chicken parts). The label “natural” just means the end product is minimally processed and has no artificial additives. It says nothing about the quality of the meat or whether the birds were raised humanely.
For the thighs, I used a simple marinade of honey, balsamic vinegar, dried rosemary, garlic powder, black pepper, and kosher salt. Feel free to use three times as much fresh rosemary or fresh mined garlic if you prefer!
For the vegetables
I also did some organic carrots and Brussels sprouts with baby red potatoes. Potatoes are on the EWG’s “dirty dozen” list with high pesticide residues, so definitely get those organic if you can. I washed and cut the veggies into bite-sized pieces; then tossed with olive oil, garlic powder, black pepper, and kosher salt. Other ideas for vegetables include sweet potatoes, butternut squash, acorn squash, parsnips, radishes, broccoli, onion, fennel… or even asparagus, tomatoes or green beans (add these the last 15 minutes of roasting time),
Two ways to prepare
Once your chicken has marinated for a few minutes and your veggies are prepped and ready, you have two options for this sheet pan dinner:
Option 1: You can sear the thighs in a skillet over medium-high for about 2 minutes to get a nice crisp, then roast everything together on the sheet for 30 minutes.
Option 2: You can throw everything onto the sheet pan “as is” and roast for 30 minutes, then crank the oven up to a high broil for the last 5 minutes.
Both work! I’ve found the first option to be more reliable for getting crispy chicken, but the second option is admittedly more convenient. I just doesn’t work as well in some ovens…
Either way, you can look forward to tender roasted vegetables and succulent roasted chicken thighs with a thickened honey balsamic glaze over top. Yumm!
Here’s the printable recipe for Honey Balsamic Chicken Thighs & Vegetables Sheet Pan Dinner. I hope you’ll rate and comment below if you try it 🙂
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Honey Balsamic Chicken Thighs & Vegetables (Sheet Pan Dinner)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 lb. red potatoes* quartered
- 1 lb. carrots* sliced diagonally
- 1 lb. brussels sprouts* halved
- 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp. honey
- 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary*
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder*
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt
*See above for substitutions.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Combine balsamic, honey, and spices for marinade and add chicken thighs.
- Wash and cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- Toss veggies with olive oil and additional garlic powder, black pepper, and salt to taste.
- For crispier chicken: sear top side of chicken thighs in a skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until lightly browned (can also broil in oven for the last 5 minutes of bake time).
- Spread veggies over the bottom of a sheet pan, and arrange thighs (seared side up) over top. Drizzle with remaining marinade.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until veggies are tender. If you didn’t sear thighs in skillet, be sure to broil on HIGH for the last 5 minutes. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to one week.
Notes
3 Responses
Elizabeth Miche’
I make this on a revular basis at least once aa week. ,
My family loves it. Never have leftovers!! And, it is so easy to do. I do leave out the honey however, Nd it is absolutely great.
Lisa Lesovsky
This recipe made for a wonderful dinner this evening! Very tasty, flavorful chicken, flavorful vegetables! Received great reviews.
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Sarah Wilkins
August 09, 2022
I am so happy this recipe has been a hit with other families as well! Thanks for sharing :)