Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes with Rosemary, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Honey-Balsamic
~ This sheet pan chicken dinner recipe is a delicious symphony of flavors, and it offers all the easy cleanup people love about sheet pan meals! Tender, juicy chicken and baked redskin potatoes are accented with rosemary and crowned with a scrumptious, cheesy, sun-dried tomato topping, then finished with a honey-balsamic drizzle. Easy enough for busy weeknights, but so special you’ll want to serve it for company, too! ~
This Recipe: • Includes Make-Ahead Steps •
Need to hit the Easy Button on dinner tonight? I mean the really, really Easy Button?
Three words:
Sheet Pan Dinner
I mean, sure … we’re all about easy recipes here at THK. But what makes an easy recipe even easier? Easy cleanup! Fewer pots and pans to scrub at the end of the night! Booyah!
And that’s where sheet pan supper recipes really shine.
Everything cooks together on one … well … on one sheet pan …
Plus, if you line the pan with parchment paper like we do (or a Silpat – your choice), you really don’t even need to do much pan cleaning at all!
Cleanup? What cleanup? Put your feet up and pat yourself on the back! You’re done!
My Sheet Pan Chicken recipe is inspired by a stuffed chicken recipe we had on the menu back when I worked at a meal prep company called Clever Chef Works. (My days at Clever Chef also inspired our Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf “Muffins” and our Super-Fast Mediterannean Shrimp Pasta … mmmmmmm … check ’em out!). Oh my goodness – that stuffed chicken was amazing – definitely one of my faves from our always-rotating menus. But it also involved just a few too many steps, and required firing up both the oven and the stovetop!
I wanted to recreate those flavors I remembered loving so much, but geez – I sure didn’t want to spend my whole evening doing dishes!
Then one day it hit me: sheet pan dinner to the rescue! (Same easy-peasy concept as I used with my Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas and my Italian Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables.) Baking everything together on one pan is the perfect solution – truly works like a charm. The flavors are all still just as bold and delicious as I remember … and cleanup is a total breeze!
Juicy, succulent chicken is nestled amongst redskin potatoes, all slathered with rosemary and a little olive oil. Already a great start, right?!? But then, in the last few minutes of baking, the chicken gets all gussied up with an incredible topping of Italian cheeses, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic.
After a few more minutes in the oven, the Italian cheeses get all melty-gooey and the sun-dried tomatoes are piping hot and beautifully mingled with the flavorful cheeses and garlic. Oh my.
But wait (there’s more!) …
It’s all finished with a savory, rich, honey-balsamic drizzle (which is a little like the Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette we created for our super-popular Salad with Goat Cheese, Pears and Candied Pecans).
This is lick-your-plate stuff, guys. I’m really not kidding. (Bonus … if you’re super-thorough about your plate-licking, that pretty much counts as a pre-wash cycle in my book. Yep – those dishes just got even easier still!)
So, so good … so easy … and just one pan. Done and done! And you’re on with your night!
A few make-your-life-easier notes before you dash to the store for ingredients:
Perfect Redskin Potatoes
Redskins come in different sizes. The important thing, no matter what size you buy, is to keep all the pieces relatively uniform so they cook at the same time.
To see what I mean, check out the three different sizes of potatoes in the photo above.
- The potatoes on the far left are what my store labels as “B” red potatoes. Just one of those will easily yield 12-20 1″-sized pieces.
- In the middle is a slightly smaller group of #1 red potatoes that’ll yield about 6-10 pieces each.
- And to the far right are some little guys that you can generally just quickly quarter to get the 1″ size you’re looking for here.
It doesn’t really make much difference which size you purchase – just be sure to chop the potatoes uniformly into 1″ chunks, and you’ll be golden!
Once you’ve got perfectly sized pieces, give ’em a quick toss with some olive oil, salt, pepper and yummy dried rosemary …
… and they’re ready to bake!
A potato-perfect baking secret: it’s important to spread all the potatoes out evenly on your sheet pan, and to give them a little space. Just like the chips in our Cheesy Oven-Baked Pizza Fries recipe, these taters like their real estate, so give ’em a little breathing room!
Perfectly Thin Sheet Pan Chicken
We specify thin-sliced chicken breasts in this recipe for several reasons:
- First, thinner breasts cook more quickly (and around here, quicker is good!).
- Uniformly thin breasts also cook really evenly. You won’t end up with over-cooked, thin edges that were done long before those mega-thick middle sections.
- Wide, thin chicken breasts provide a terrific base for piling on the sun-dried tomato topping in this particular sheet pan chicken recipe.
The quickest way to get thin chicken breasts is to buy them that way at the store, to save the time of pounding them thinly yourself. I’m not talking strips of chicken tenders. You’re going for thin, whole-breast pieces that are as wide across as regular breasts, but only about a 1/2″ in uniform thickness.
No worries if you can’t find thin-sliced at your store, though! Sometimes my store doesn’t have them, and I have to pound my own. It takes just a couple of extra minutes – not a big deal.
If you’ve never pounded chicken breasts, I have a few suggestions:
- Put the chicken in a heavy-duty gallon freezer bag to contain the mess and juices.
- Use a meat pounder or improvise with a rolling pin or even the side of a large can.
- Shoot for gently but firmly pushing the chicken uniformly in an outward direction. Envision using sort of a sideways, stroking motion. Don’t just hack at your chicken breasts with fierce downward blows that leave the meat looking mauled and ragged. For this recipe, you want to achieve about a 1/2″ thickness across the entire piece of chicken.
Make-Ahead Steps
You know I love me some sanity-saving make-ahead steps, so I can get some prep out of the way before my most hectic time of day – the dinner hour!
If you weren’t able to find thin-sliced chicken at the store, you can go right ahead and pound your chicken thin ahead of time, then wrap it up tightly (you can even use the gallon bag you flattened it in) and stash it back in the fridge.
In addition, most of the rest of the prep for this sheet pan chicken can be done ahead, too!
You can whisk together the honey-balsamic drizzle (just give it another quick whisk before serving to be sure it hasn’t separated).
And, you can chop your sun-dried tomatoes and mince your garlic, then mix them both together with the cheeses.
Stash the cheesy sun-dried tomato mixture and the balsamic drizzle separately in the fridge, and you’re practically ready to go!
Dinner will come together in a snap!
Oh, and one more little tip. If your family tends to haggle over dish duty, claim this one for your night. Because, hey … the dishes are practically already done for ya! (But nobody else has to know that! 😉 )
Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes with Rosemary, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Honey-Balsamic
This Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes recipe is so delicious, with such easy cleanup! Simple enough for busy weeknights – yet special enough for company, too!
• Includes Make-Ahead Steps •
Ingredients
Balsamic Drizzle
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
Topping
- 1/2 cup shredded, reduced-fat Italian cheese blend
- 1/2 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (jarred and oil-packed is best, not in dry packets)
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic
Chicken and Potatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (see note)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried, crushed rosemary
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 - 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced or pounded to an even 1/2-inch thickness (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
Balsamic Drizzle
- In a small bowl, combine honey, balsamic vinegar, and dijon mustard, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
Topping
- In a second small bowl, combine Italian cheese blend, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and garlic, stirring to combine. Set aside.
Chicken and Potatoes
- In a large bowl, combine potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper, stirring to ensure that potatoes are evenly coated and seasonings are evenly distributed.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a large, parchment-lined sheet pan, spreading them out so they aren't piled on each other.
- Brush chicken with any reserved olive oil and spices from the potato bowl, or simply rub chicken breasts around the bowl to collect a thin coat of the residual oil and spices (there won't be much, and that's ok). Set chicken aside.
- Bake potatoes for 10-12 minutes.
- Stir potatoes and push them toward the edge of the sheet pan, to make space in the center of the sheet pan to add chicken. Lay chicken breasts flat on the sheet pan and continue baking for 10 minutes more, until chicken is very nearly done.
- Stir potatoes again and add reserved cheese and sun-dried tomato topping to the chicken, piling some of the topping on top of each chicken breast. Continue baking for about 5-10 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through but still very moist, and cheese topping is hot and melty.
- Remove chicken and potatoes from oven and serve, drizzled with reserved balsamic sauce (or passing balsamic drizzle at the table).
Notes
Potatoes: If using the small, #1-sized potatoes, most potatoes will each be cut into 8 pieces to yield pieces that are approximately 1 inch, but a few large ones may need to be cut into 12 pieces, and a few very small ones may need to be cut into just 4. If you purchase larger redskins (not the small #1s), that's also fine – just be sure that they're cut into 1-inch pieces so they cook properly in the specified time. (This is illustrated in a photo in the post above.)
Chicken: I sometimes purchase thin-sliced chicken breasts for this recipe, to save time, but you can also buy regular chicken breasts and pound them thin yourself (see tips in the post above). Either way, you're shooting for about ½" thickness to be sure your chicken is done in the specified time. Check chicken for doneness before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 servings Serving Size: 1/4 of the chicken and 3/4 cup potatoesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 513Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 795mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 4gSugar: 10gProtein: 48g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
This Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes recipe was inspired by a stuffed chicken recipe we used to offer from time to time on the menu at the now-shuttered Clever Chef Works. I recreated the delicious flavors I remember, but with streamlined prep and cooking methods.
This Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes is making my tummy growl. This recipe looks totally delicious. My wife will love this, too.
Haha, Dennis – if I can both make your tummy growl AND help you win points with your wife, then I’d say that’s a definite success! So good to hear from you – have a great week! ~Shelley
Loving the sound of this sheet pan dinner. We all need some easy recipes for busy weeknights. This certainly fits the bill.
Definitely! And it’s so yummy – always a hit with my family, every time I make it! In fact, just a few minutes ago I got back with my grocery pickup, that included ingredients to make this recipe. Yay – such a pleasure to make a dinner I know everyone will love! 🙂 ~Shelley
Another great recipe! I will definitely be making this again and again.
Oh, Elise, thank you so very much for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed this recipe – I’m just thrilled to hear it! ~Shelley
This recipe was perfect in every way – delicious, healthy and an easy choice for a large group dinner (there were 10 of us). Not to mention it was a terrific gluten-free option for one our guests. Thanks Shelley for another winner!
Oh, Melinda – thank you so much for taking a moment to leave such a sweet comment and such terrific feedback! Totally makes my day to know that this recipe was a success for you, and I’m delighted that it made your job as hostess easier for your dinner party! 😀 ~Shelley
This is the perfect recipe for a delicious lunch! Can’t wait to prepare it.
Awesome, Agness! I just saw an old friend at a school event this week, and she jumped right in, excitedly telling me how much her family loved trying this recipe! So, I hope YOUR family will love it just as much as hers (and ours!!) does! 🙂 ~Shelley