Here’s my go-to chicken thigh and veggie bake recipe, with juicy chicken thighs, colorful vegetables, and simple seasonings that come together in one pan for a fuss-free dinner.
This dish has become my family’s favorite weeknight meal. I often prep extra vegetables on Sunday so I can throw this together quickly after work. Nothing better than a warm, home-cooked meal that practically makes itself, right?
Why You’ll Love This Chicken and Veggie Bake
- One-pan meal – Everything cooks together on a single sheet pan, which means minimal cleanup and less time spent washing dishes after dinner.
- Budget-friendly dinner – Using affordable chicken thighs and simple vegetables, this meal feeds a family without breaking the bank – coming in at just a few dollars per serving.
- Hands-off cooking – Once you’ve prepped the ingredients and popped them in the oven, you’re free to do other things while dinner cooks itself to perfection.
- No fancy ingredients – This recipe uses common pantry herbs and spices along with basic vegetables you can find at any grocery store.
- Crispy skin and tender meat – Chicken thighs naturally stay juicy while baking, and the skin gets perfectly crispy in the oven – no special techniques required.
What Kind of Chicken Thighs Should I Use?
For this recipe, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are definitely the way to go. The bones help keep the meat juicy during the longer baking time, while the skin gets wonderfully crispy in the oven. While you could use boneless skinless thighs, you’d miss out on the extra flavor that comes from the bones and that crispy skin. When shopping, look for thighs that are similar in size so they cook evenly, and check that the skin is intact and not torn. Fresh chicken thighs are ideal, but if you’re using frozen ones, just make sure they’re completely thawed and patted dry before cooking to help the skin crisp up nicely.
Options for Substitutions
This recipe is pretty flexible and you can make several swaps based on what you have in your kitchen:
- Baby potatoes: Regular potatoes work just fine – just cut them into 1-inch chunks. You can use russet, red, or Yukon gold potatoes. Sweet potatoes are also a good option, though they’ll cook a bit faster.
- Chicken thighs: While chicken thighs give the best flavor and stay juicy, you can use chicken breasts if you prefer. Just watch the cooking time as breasts cook faster and can dry out more easily.
- Red onion: Yellow or white onions work just as well. Pearl onions are nice too if you want to keep them whole.
- Dried herbs: Fresh herbs can replace dried ones – just use three times the amount listed. You can also mix and match different herbs like oregano or sage based on what you have.
- Carrots: Other root vegetables like parsnips, turnips, or even chunks of butternut squash can work in place of carrots. Just cut them to a similar size so they cook evenly.
- Olive oil: Any neutral cooking oil like avocado oil or vegetable oil will work here. Even melted butter is fine, though it might brown a bit more quickly.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking
The biggest mistake when making a chicken and veggie bake is cutting your vegetables in different sizes – this leads to uneven cooking where some pieces are overcooked while others remain raw, so aim to cut potatoes and carrots into similar 1-inch pieces. Another common error is overcrowding the baking sheet, which causes the vegetables to steam instead of roast – use a large sheet pan and give everything enough space to brown properly. For the juiciest results, avoid moving the chicken thighs around too much during cooking, as letting them sit skin-side up allows the skin to get perfectly crispy while the fat bastes the vegetables below. To ensure everything cooks evenly, place your sheet pan in the middle rack of your oven, and remember to check the internal temperature of the chicken thighs – they should reach 165°F at the thickest part near the bone.
What to Serve With Chicken Thigh and Veggie Bake?
Since this dish already includes potatoes, carrots, and onions, you’ve got your main protein and sides covered in one pan! But if you’re feeding a crowd or just want to round out the meal, a simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette makes a perfect fresh companion. You could also add some crusty bread to soak up all those tasty pan juices – my family never lets a drop go to waste! For extra veggies, steamed green beans or roasted broccoli would fit right in with those herb-seasoned chicken thighs and roasted vegetables.
Storage Instructions
Keep Fresh: Pack your leftover chicken thigh and veggie bake in an airtight container and pop it in the fridge – it’ll stay good for up to 4 days. The flavors actually get even better after a day or two as everything marinates together!
Freeze: This dish is perfect for freezing! Let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. It’ll keep well for up to 3 months. Just remember to label it with the date so you know when you made it.
Reheat: To warm up your leftovers, cover the dish and pop it in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until heated through. You can also use the microwave, but the chicken skin won’t stay as crispy. If reheating from frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight first.
| Preparation Time | 15-20 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 60 minutes |
| Total Time | 75-80 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Medium |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 1800-2000
- Protein: 110-120 g
- Fat: 120-130 g
- Carbohydrates: 80-90 g
Ingredients
- 24 oz baby potatoes ($2.99)
- 2 large carrots ($0.31)
- 1 red onion ($0.80)
- 4 cloves of garlic ($0.32)
- 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.48)
- 2 teaspoons dried basil ($0.20)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme ($0.10)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary ($0.10)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika ($0.02)
- 1 teaspoon salt ($0.05)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ($0.03)
- 4 chicken thighs with bone and skin (approximately 2 lbs) ($5.49)
Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Vegetables
Preheat your oven to 425ºF.
Start by washing and cutting the baby potatoes in half.
If you’re using larger potatoes, cut them into 1-inch pieces.
Next, wash and slice the carrots into 1-inch pieces.
Peel and cut the red onion into wedges, and peel the garlic cloves but leave them whole.
Step 2: Mix the Seasoning
In a bowl, combine the olive oil with basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Stir these ingredients until they’re well combined into a fragrant seasoning mixture.
Step 3: Coat and Arrange Vegetables
Place the prepared potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic in a large bowl.
Drizzle half of the seasoning mixture over the vegetables.
Toss the vegetables thoroughly to ensure they are fully coated in the oil and herbs.
Once coated, transfer the vegetables to a 9×13-inch or larger casserole dish, spreading them out evenly.
Step 4: Season the Chicken Thighs
Use the same bowl for the chicken thighs, pouring the remaining oil and herb mixture over them.
Toss the chicken to coat it fully.
Nestle the seasoned chicken thighs into the vegetables in the casserole dish, ensuring the thighs are not covered by the vegetables so they can roast properly.
Step 5: Roast the Dish
Place the casserole dish into the preheated 425ºF oven.
Roast the chicken and vegetables for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and carefully stir the vegetables.
Spoon some of the flavorful liquid from the bottom of the dish over the chicken.
Return the dish to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes, watching for a golden brown and crispy chicken skin and browned, caramelized vegetables.
Step 6: Serve
Once roasting is complete, remove the dish from the oven.
Let it cool slightly before serving.
Enjoy your beautifully roasted chicken and vegetables hot!