An incredibly easy sheet pan roasted chicken and vegetables recipe with a refreshing flavor of lemon and garlic, ready to bake in about 15 minutes.
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This recipe for lemon garlic roasted chicken and vegetables always reminds me of one of my preschool students who liked to say things were "easy peasy" for her.
This sheet pan meal is so easy you can have it ready to bake in about 15 minutes using mainly pantry and basic fridge ingredients.
In fact, it's so simple that it would make a great meal to teach your kids make - though probably a bit older than preschool with the knives involved, lol.
However this doesn't taste like it's thrown together in 15 minutes, not with olive oil, lemon, garlic, and herbs to flavor the chicken and vegetables.
It's more of a sop-up-every-bit-with-bread type of meal.
It's also a meal that can be adapted to use other vegetables you have on hand or other cuts of chicken - even boneless cuts.
Which means this is going to be one of those meals that will make it onto your "family favorites" list of dinners to easily plug into your menus!
Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables with Lemon and Garlic
Ingredients you will need, plus easy ingredient swaps:
- Bone-in chicken breasts, thighs or legs - or a mixture of all three (see FAQ for using boneless chicken).
- Vegetables: potatoes, carrots, and onions are the base - to that you can add others like peppers, cauliflower or green beans.
- Lemon - fresh is best, but bottled juice will do in a pinch.
- Garlic - fresh or frozen cubes will work.
- Herbs - oregano, basil, and rosemary, though you could easily switch these with another herb or just use one.
- Avocado oil or olive oil - I prefer avocado oil (see FAQs) but olive will work, too.
Make your sheet pan meal:
- Heat oven and toss lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Cut up some potatoes, carrots, onions and whatever other vegetable you'd like to roast like peppers or cauliflower. Or not - this is super adaptable to whatever vegetables you have or that your family likes.
- Put all the vegetables into the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat and then transfer the vegetables to a large baking sheet.
- Add the chicken pieces to the marinade left in the bowl, mix them around a bit and set them on top of the vegetables.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, stirring vegetables once during cooking.
With recipes like this, everyone can be a great cook - you can serve this to family and guests alike and you will get nothing but raves!
Roasted Chicken and Vegetables FAQs
Yes, but you need to adjust the roasting time.
Both boneless chicken thighs and breasts will roast in about 30 minutes at 375 - if the potatoes or other root vegetables aren't done at that time, you can remove the chicken to a plate (and cover them) and then continue roasting the vegetables another 10-20 minutes or until done. TIP: this is more important with chicken breast - you will want to remove them to prevent drying out if the vegetables aren't done yet. Thighs can withstand a bit of overcooking better because of their fat content, so they can probably cook the entire time with the veggies.
You will find some sources that say it is safe to use aluminum foil next to food in cooking, however I've read a lot of articles that mention studies that show that the aluminum leaches into the food during cooking. (source) While the levels are considered to be safe and it's not with all foods, I err on the side of caution and use parchment or silicone.
Avocado oil is my preferred oil. While olive oil is okay, it tends to break down at higher temperatures, so I tend to stay away from it in cooking. Ghee is also a good choice for a buttery flavor without the milk solids that would burn from using butter.
A roasting pan has taller sides than a sheet pan (the type of cookie sheet with 1-inch sides - you don't want to use cookie sheets that are flat). The taller sides hold in more moisture which tends to steam the food more than the lower sides of the sheet pan. To get those brown, caramely edges we all love from roasting foods, use a sheet pan.
Tips for storing & reheating
- This is a great meal prep recipe - you can bake up the sheet pan and separate it into individual portions for lunches and quick meals during the week.
- Batch cooking idea: roast two pans at the same time and have one for dinner and save the other pan for meal prep containers for meals throughout the week.
- Heat the individual portions in the microwave for a minute or two.
- Another different way to use the leftovers: cut the chicken up into bite size pieces and mix with the roasted veggies - serve cold on a bed of lettuce drizzled with dressing (this is delicious - like a 'roasted' salad!).
Recommended tools
- USA Pan Bakeware Halfsheet Pan - I love, love these warp resistant, nonstick pans!
- Silicone Liner - this is what is used in the photos (I prefer black sheets because they brown things better and don't look as bad after multiple uses as lighter sheets).
- Unbleached Parchment Paper (or precut parchment sheets)
- Good Chef's Knife
- Bamboo Cutting Board
Don’t forget to check out all of my favorite kitchen essentials.
What to Serve with Roasted Chicken & Vegetables
- Easy Artisan Bread Recipe
- Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe (Ready in 1 Day)
- Grandma's Baked Tasty Rice Recipe
- Kale Cranberry Salad Recipe with Feta & Pecans
- Orange Almond Salad with Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette
See more amazing chicken recipes here.
What others are saying:
"We all really enjoyed this! The marinade was just right, lemony and the herbs complimented it well. I used skinless thighs that browned a little and were well done without falling apart. This will become a once a month meal, and that is saying a lot because I don’t repeat very often." -Carol
"Just made this for early dinner. So easy, so wholesome and seasoned to perfection." - Pam
I hope you love this delicious sheet pan meal, too! If you make it, please leave a comment and a rating letting me know, I'd be so thankful!
Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables with Lemon & Garlic
Equipment
- 1 large baking pan with 1-inch lip about 17x12 inches (or larger)
- 1 Large bowl
Ingredients
- juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (see note below on herbs)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks if large or in half if small
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 2½ cups)
- 1 large onion peeled and cut
- other vegetables like cut sweet peppers or cauliflower florets, optional
- 2 to 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces- breasts, legs, thighs*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add vegetables and toss to coat.
- Transfer the vegetables with a slotted spoon to a large baking sheet lined with silicone, parchment, or coated with oil.
- Add the chicken to the remaining marinade in the bowl, tossing to coat. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables.
- Bake 50 minutes, turning the vegetables a couple of times, until the vegetables are fork-tender and the chicken juices run clear. TIP: Since breasts cook faster than thighs, I usually pull them out at the 40 minute mark and keep them warm under foil.
Notes
- Both boneless chicken thighs and breasts will roast in about 30 minutes at 375 - if the potatoes or other root vegetables aren't done at that time, you can remove the chicken to a plate (and cover them) and then continue roasting the vegetables another 10-20 minutes or until done.
- TIP: this is more important with chicken breast - you will want to remove them to prevent drying out if the vegetables aren't done yet. Thighs can withstand a bit of overcooking better because of their fat content so they can probably cook the entire time with the veggies.
Nutrition
Rory says
Simple and delicious. I added mushrooms. I was asked to make it again. Can’t wait to try different variations.
Jami says
Yay! Thank you for reviewing!!
Pam says
Just made this for early dinner. So easy, so wholesome and seasoned to perfection. I added 1 red bell pepper and 1 zucchini chopped in chunks along with the other vegetables and served with a bottle of mild green Tabasco on the side. My husband didn't say anything but he had THIRDS! Flavorful but not overpowering. A recipe easy to eat without tiring once a week!
Pam says
I too used skinless boneless chicken thighs and the edges were brown, cooked through and still moist after cooking 55 min
Jami says
Good to know!!
Jami says
Awesome, Pam - love the green Tabasco, that's something my husband would enjoy. 🙂
Carol says
We all really enjoyed this! The marinade was just right, lemony and the herbs complimented it well. I used skinless thighs that browned a little and were well done without falling apart. This will become a once a month meal, and that is saying a lot because I don’t repeat very often.
Jami says
Wonderful, Carol - so glad to hear this! Thanks for the review. 🙂
Karrie says
I made this the other night. It was really good! I tossed in some cauliflower too with the potatoes and carrots. There was some potatoes left over (amazingly) and I fried them up the next day for lunch with some green onions. Mmmm. So good. Thanks for the new recipe!
Jenelle says
Looks delicious!
You could add some sweet potato too.