Easy Sheet-Pan Chicken

Easy Sheet-Pan Chicken
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Chris Lanier. Prop Stylist: Carla Gonzalez-Hart.
Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
5(2,892)
Comments
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Crisp-skinned and very juicy, this is a more sophisticated version of the crumb-coated, oven-fried chicken dishes of childhood. In addition to bread crumbs, the chicken is slathered with two kinds of mustard plus fresh thyme and minced garlic, which makes it deeply flavored, bright and complex. And because it calls for only one pan, clean up is minimal. While the recipe calls for bone-in drumsticks and/or thighs, if you prefer boneless white meat, feel free to substitute it, reducing the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes. Serve this with potatoes – either sweet or white – and your favorite green vegetable or salad. It’s weeknight cooking at its finest.

Featured in: Behold, the Sturdy Sheet Pan

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3tablespoons whole-grain mustard
  • 2teaspoons chopped thyme leaves
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 1tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
  • 2teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3pounds bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks (or a mixture), patted dry
  • 2teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1teaspoon black pepper
  • cup plain dried bread crumbs
  • Olive oil, for drizzling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

907 calories; 66 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 29 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 59 grams protein; 892 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, combine whole-grain mustard, thyme leaves, garlic cloves, butter and Dijon mustard.

  2. Step 2

    Season chicken with salt and pepper. Rub mustard butter mixture all over chicken (some might fall off but that’s O.K.). Place bread crumbs in a wide, shallow bowl, then coat the chicken evenly with bread crumbs. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.

  3. Step 3

    Bake until chicken is golden and no longer pink, 35 to 40 minutes.

Ratings

5 out of 5
2,892 user ratings
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Comments

If you like breading your chicken try pan frying your bread crumbs or panko crumbs in a bit of fat 1st (oil or butter) to get them to light golden color. This step will help produce a nice golden crust on your chicken and you can skip drizzling oil on top of your meat prior to roasting and reduce fat/calorie count of final dish.
if you like to use breast, soak your meat in buttermilk to produce moist white meat.

My new favorite technique (I saw it in the Farmer's Market in Paris this summer) is to cook my chicken over a bed of vegetables and potatoes. I'd layer some diced potatoes and greens under the chicken.

Use parchment paper in the pan - absolutely everything you cook or bake will slide right off!

This is a fantastic recipe! Skip salt and pepper directly on the chicken and add it to the bread crumbs instead! The first time I made it, I forgot to salt and pepper the chicken before coating so I salt and peppered the bread crumbs. I didn’t really measure the mustard because I didn’t have two kinds. Just old fashioned Dijon, it turned out SO GOOD, The second time I made it and followed the directions to salt and pepper the chicken before coating so I didn’t add salt and pepper to the bread crumbs. I added less mustard in the hopes my kid would eat it. This version was not great. The third time I made it, I salt and peppered the bread crumbs, added the full amount of mustard and used boneless chicken thighs. It turned out the best yet.

Lovely recipe, very kid-friendly but enjoyable for grown ups as well.

I started with 6 drumsticks with less sauce. The suggested tbsp of brown sugar was a delicious addition. I peeled & cut 6 small sweet potatoes in 1 inch chunks, tossed in melted butter & brown sugar baked on the same pan as the chicken. Toss the sweet potato cubes when you flip the chicken. Everything cooked in the same amount of time on 1 sheet pan. I served it with a simple romaine salad w/ celery leaves, shaved Parmesan and a garlic lemon Dijon dressing. A fast, easy, delicious dinner.

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