You guys, I spent five hours watching my children play soccer on Saturday and questioning all of my life choices. But! I spent Saturday night at an arcade/bar with my amazing husband and pretending I was 19. So I feel like the two balanced each other out. To celebrate, I made you Sheet Pan Chicken! Friends, I hear you want more easy dinner recipes, and sheet pan chicken recipes definitely fit the bill. (Remember us talking about what makes a dinner easy when I posted my Spaghetti Meat Sauce Recipe?) This recipe has very little hands on time. You are getting minimal pots and pans dirty. And it is a nice well rounded meal that even picky kids will love. Plus the marinade is killer.
How to Cook Sheet Pan Chicken
Let’s talk about how to make this bad boy.
Why Marinate the Chicken
Look. I get it. That added step (and extra 30 minutes) of marinating really cramps your weeknight dinner mojo. But! It’s kind of important. The point of marinating is to break through that first outer layer of the chicken meat. When the meat starts cooking, those flavors cook first and develop some great flavors for your recipe. There is also usually an acid (lemon juice or vinegar) in a marinade that helps tenderize the meat. You can get more great information about marinating meat here.
How Long to Marinate Chicken
Let’s say you really don’t have time to marinate after work. My suggestion would be to make the marinade in the morning before you go to work (it will take about 5 minutes). Then let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator all day while you are at work, cutting out that 30 minutes waiting time when you get home. This chicken recipe can marinate for up to 24 hours. If you go longer than that, you are risking your chicken becoming stringy and mushy since the lemon juice is going to break the meat down. This chicken recipe can marinate for as little as 15 minutes. I definitely suggest that you marinate the full 30 minutes, but if you are in a pinch, 15 minutes is better than no minutes. Remember to always marinate your meat in the refrigerator.
Different Types of Chicken
This sheet pan chicken recipe was developed using bone in chicken breasts. As you can see, I have three pretty large chicken breasts. My recipe took a little longer to cook than the 40 to 45 minutes listed. That is the recommended time for four bone in chicken breasts. The most important thing that you pay attention to is the temperature of the chicken. You want to hit 165 in a thickest part of the breast, not next to the bone. When you cut into the chicken the juices should be clear, not pink. Make sure to check more than one piece of chicken in case your oven doesn’t cook evenly or has hot spots. This recipe will not work with chicken thighs. They require a longer cooking time. This recipe will not work with boneless chicken breasts. They require a shorter cooking time.
Other Easy Chicken Recipes
If your family just can’t get enough easy chicken recipes here are some others that we love:
INSTANT POT CHICKEN TACOS: We probably make this recipe at least three times a month. It is so easy and my kids always gobble it up.SHEET PAN CHICKEN FAJITAS: This is another great sheet pan chicken recipe that is fast and a crowd pleaser.CREAMY CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA: This recipe is under 30 minutes, and absolutely delicious. Restaurant level good.
I hope when you pull this sheet pan chicken out of the oven and smell all the amazing flavors you created, you feel like a you got at least one major win in the day. If you make this great dinner or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you.
