Easy Weeknight Meal: Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs

I’ve extolled the virtues of the sheet pan meal before — it seems I have a thing for chicken sheet pan meals, especially, as evidenced here and here — and this recipe is no exception. By putting all your ingredients on one sheet pan and roasting them in the oven, making a wholesome, satisfying dinner (and cleaning it up!) is totally possible on a weeknight.

This sheet pan supper calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The author, Jonathan Melendez, cites the following reasons for using this type of chicken.

“The main reason is that chicken thighs have more flavor. That’s the bottom line. They really do, because they have more fat running through them and as we all know, fat equals flavor. I’m also using bone-in because even though it takes longer to cook, it does prevent the chicken from drying out. You can use another piece of chicken, like legs or breasts, but just keep in mind that the cooking time will vary.”

Jonathan also suggests using a professional-quality half sheet pan for this recipe. You want something sturdy (read: doesn’t warp during baking), large, and rimmed.

The work for this meal is upfront — it’s all in the prep! First you need to toss chopped red onion, chopped red bell pepper, minced garlic, halved fingerling potatoes, quartered artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, and capers with olive oil, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and chopped fresh oregano together right on the sheet pan; shake the pan so the veggies sit evenly. Then you place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables and drizzle the chicken with more olive oil, salt, black pepper, and oregano.

Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle kalamata olives on top, and then return the pan to the oven and continue to cook for 10 more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before serving (use an instant-read thermometer to make sure it registers 165°F).

Garnish with fresh lemon juice, feta, and parsley, and bring the whole sheet pan right to the table to serve it up to your family. Talk about a Miracle Meal!

→ Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Roasted Chicken Thighs from The Candid Appetite