One-Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs and Vegetables

WRITER BYCassie

POSTEDAugust 18, 2020

This easy, one-pan Crispy Chicken Thighs and Vegetables dish makes weeknight dinner prep a breeze. The chicken thighs are crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. The vegetables are melt-in-your-mouth tender and packed with flavour.

crispy baked chicken thighs on a baking tray with vegetables.

I used to SUCK at cooking chicken. At first it frightened me and I flat out refused to cook it. I was convinced I'd give myself food poisoning - it was a weird quirk.

Then I went through a "cook the absolute bejebus out of it" phase that lasted a little longer than I care to admit. Dry, tasteless, overcooked chicken is a crime and I was guilty time and time again...

But then I started cooking it in the oven. And I FINALLY mastered the art of cooking delicious chicken!

So many chicken dishes just taste so much better in the oven. Like my healthy chicken tacos. So much easier too.

And then there's these sinfully good crispy skin chicken thighs. I tell everyone who'll listen to me to make these chicken thighs!

While the crispy skin is obviously amazing, these thighs are also perfectly juicy and tender on the inside. Goodbye overcooked, bland chicken!

Pop them on top of a bed of vegetables while they are roasting and the veggies cook in the chicken juices and become melt-in-your-mouth flavour bombs.

This is a complete mean in one-tray with no fuss. Set and forget and you'll have dinner on the table in 45 minutes. Trust me, this will be your new favourite recipe.

Here's why you'll love this recipe...

Crispy baked chicken thighs - the crispy skin is a major highlight.
One-pan for the whole meal - easy cleaning up!
Set and forget - no flipping required. Just pop in the oven until done.
It's healthy - not to mention it's also paleo, whole30 and gluten-free.

crispy baked chicken thighs on a baking tray with vegetables.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

When I said this was an easy dish I wasn't kidding. Here's what you'll need to have on hand to whip this up (full measurements can be found in the recipe card below)...

Bone-in, Skin-on Chicken Thighs
Vegetables - choose a mixture of a few from this list:
- Sweet Potato, Green Beans, Asparagus, Carrots, Cauliflower, Potato, Butternut Squash / Pumpkin, Zucchini, Brussels Sprouts and Capsicum / Bell Pepper.
Brown / Yellow Onion
Olive Oil
Salt + Pepper

HOW DO YOU MAKE BAKED CHICKEN CRISPY?

There's nothing quite like crispy chicken skin. And it's actually super easy to make. Here's what you need to do:

Dry the skin. Grab some paper towel and pat dry the skin of your chicken thigh, inside and out. This means peeling the skin back from the thigh and dabbing under it to help dry it out.
Salt generously. Salt both the inside and the outside of the skin.

That's it. You'll get perfectly crispy skinned chicken thighs every time!

crispy baked chicken thigh and vegetables on a white plate.

HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN THE CHICKEN THIGHS ARE COOKED?

The easiest way is to use a meat thermometer. You can pick one up for under $10 and it takes the guess work out of everything.

Place the thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) and when it reads 75C / 165F you're good to go!

HOW TO MAKE ONE-PAN CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS AND VEGETABLES - STEP BY STEP

First, preheat oven to 200C / 400F and line a sheet pan with aluminium foil or a silicone baking mat. Place veggies on the sheet pan, cover with olive oil and mix well to combine. Spread out into a single layer, then season with salt and pepper.

vegetables in a baking dish.

Place chicken thighs skin side down on top of the veggies and season with salt and pepper.

chicken thighs laying skin side down on a tray of vegetables

Turn the thighs over so skin side is facing up. Peel the skin back from the chicken, pat down with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

chicken thighs laying skin side up on a tray of vegetables with the skin peeled back

Put the skin back and pat down the outside of the skin with paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.

chicken thighs laying on a bed of vegetables skin-side up

Place tray in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes, until the veggies are tender, the chicken skin is golden and crispy and the chicken's internal temperature reads 75C / 165F. Allow chicken to rest uncovered for 5 minutes before serving.

crispy baked chicken thighs on a baking tray with vegetables.

TIPS FOR COOKING THIS RECIPE

Use bone-in, skin on chicken thighs. Sure, you can use boneless but they won't be as juicy and flavourful. Bone-in are best.
Pat the chicken skin dry inside and out with paper towel. Moisture will prevent the skin from getting crispy.
Be generous with your salt and pepper.
Don't touch the tray while cooking. There's no need to flip the chicken or veggies or do anything to the tray. Leave it to cook, undisturbed for at least 35 minutes.
Use a rimmed sheet pan. Some juices will come out of the chicken while cooking and you don't want these to pour out into your oven. Alternatively you can use a large baking dish.
Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving. There's no need to cover it in tin foil or anything (this promotes sweating). Just allow it to sit and redistribute the juices.

crispy baked chicken thighs on a baking tray with vegetables.

WINNER WINNER (MORE) CHICKEN DINNERS

Grilled Chicken Burger
Greek Chicken Traybake
Mexican Chicken Salad
Healthy Chicken Tacos
Mexican Chicken Burger
Chicken Cashew Stir-fry
OR see all Dinner Recipes for more meal ideas

If you’ve tried this One-Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs and Vegetables I’d love to hear how you enjoyed it! Pop a comment and a star rating below!

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to keep up to date with more delicious recipes.

Originally posted 25th April 2019. Updated 18th August 2020 with new photos, better instructions, some small tweaks to original recipe - adjusted cooking time, larger list of veggies to choose from etc.

RECIPE

One Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs and Vegetables

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

35 minutes

Total Time

50 minutes

This easy, one-pan Crispy Chicken Thighs and Vegetables dish makes weeknight dinner prep a breeze. The chicken thighs are crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. The vegetables are melt-in-your-mouth tender and packed with flavour.

4 Stars (16 Reviews)

servings

4

Scale

Instructions

First, preheat oven to 200C / 400F and line a sheet pan with aluminium foil or a silicone baking mat.

Place veggies on the sheet pan, cover with olive oil and mix well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, then spread out into a single layer.

Place chicken thighs skin side down on top of the veggies and season with salt and pepper.

Turn the thighs over so skin side is facing up. Peel the skin back from the chicken, pat down with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

Put the skin back and pat down the outside of the skin with paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.

Place tray in the oven for 35 – 40 minutes, until the veggies are tender, the chicken skin is golden and crispy and the chicken’s internal temperature reads 75C / 165F. Allow chicken to rest uncovered for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Use a mix of whatever vegetables you like from this list - Sweet Potato, Green Beans, Asparagus, Carrots, Cauliflower, Potato, Butternut Squash / Pumpkin, Zucchini, Brussels Sprouts and Capsicum / Bell Pepper. Cut into bite-sized chunks, but for things like green beans or asparagus just trim them.
Use bone-in, skin on chicken thighs. Sure, you can use boneless but they won't be as juicy and flavourful. Bone-in are best.

Pat the chicken skin dry inside and out with paper towel. Moisture will prevent the skin from getting crispy.
Be generous with your salt and pepper.
Don't touch the tray while cooking. There's no need to flip the chicken or veggies or do anything to the tray. Leave it to cook, undisturbed for at least 35 minutes.
Use a rimmed sheet pan. Some juices will come out of the chicken while cooking and you don't want these to pour out into your oven. Alternatively use a large baking dish.
Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving. There's no need to cover it in tin foil or anything (this promotes sweating). Just allow it to sit and redistribute the juices.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS