Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Red Potatoes and Sage

updated May 1, 2019
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Credit: Chungah Rhee

A recipe for easy, weeknight-friendly chicken thighs roasted with red potatoes, scallions, sage, and thyme.

Serves4

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(Image credit: Chungah Rhee)

A great sheet pan meal can feel like a minor miracle: throw everything on one pan, put it into the oven, and voila — happy dinnertime. We’ve given you an essential method for roasting chicken and vegetables together on one pan. But let’s take that to the next level — here’s one of our favorite flavor combinations of chicken thighs, little red potatoes, and herbs.

(Image credit: Chungah Rhee)

Skin-on chicken thighs offer the best chicken-y taste per bite of any cut — all the flavor of dark meat without the extra cooking time.

Pro tip: Often, it’s easier to find skin-on chicken thighs with the bones in. You can of course ask your butcher to remove them, but then you’d be missing out on bones for soup. Buy the thighs with the bone in and remove them at home with a pair of kitchen shears.

Chicken Fat Is Flavor

In our standard sheet pan chicken recipe, we heat the pan in the oven before adding the chicken thighs. That recipe includes small red potatoes and broccoli — which cook in the fat rendered by the chicken thighs, no additional drizzle required.



In this rendition of sheet pan chicken, we’re riffing on that technique and adding some additional fat into the equation to aid in crisping up the sage leaves and scallions. The magic of chicken fat is still at work though. The fat renders gently and bathes the small potatoes, transforming them into something special. At the last minute, a broiling blast makes the skin a crispy delight. Just make sure to use the heaviest sheet pan in your arsenal for this recipe — one that will stand up to broiling.

Sheet Pan Chicken with Red Potatoes and Sage

A recipe for easy, weeknight-friendly chicken thighs roasted with red potatoes, scallions, sage, and thyme.

Serves 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons

    olive oil, divided

  • 2

    large bunches scallions, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

  • 16 to 20

    fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped

  • 4

    chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds), skin on but bones removed

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons

    kosher salt, divided

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper, divided

  • 1 bunch

    fresh thyme

  • 1 pound

    baby red potatoes, halved lengthwise

Instructions

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  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil onto a rimmed baking sheet and brush or rub with a paper towel to coat the entire surface of the pan.

  2. Arrange the scallions over half the baking sheet. Sprinkle the sage over the scallions. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Place the chicken skin-side up on top of the scallions and sage.

  3. Spread out the thyme sprigs on the empty half of the baking sheet and arrange the potatoes on top of the thyme in a single layer. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and gently toss to coat. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the chicken and potatoes.

  4. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should register 165°F), and the tip of a sharp knife pierces the potatoes easily, 30 to 35 minutes.

  5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and increase the oven temperature to broil. Cover the potatoes with aluminum foil. Return to the oven and broil until the chicken skin just browns and crisps, being careful not to let it burn, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.