If you ask my husband or one of your closest friends, they’ll probably tell you I’m dubbed “the one-pan queen.” I do use my cast iron skillet as much as I use my sheet pan, but you get the idea–fewer dishes is always my goal! For me, the struggle of making a meal is all about the cleanup. I will happily cook dinner on one condition: eaters be ready to roll up your sleeves! That’s why I much prefer meals like baked chicken with chickpeas or this rosemary chicken and vegetables. This rosemary roasted chicken dinner has all the components for a complete meal baked all at once–using far fewer dishes and little hands-on time! You’ll love the comforting Mediterranean flavors from rosemary, garlic, warm spices, and of course, a splash of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. I guarantee, this dish will become a regular in your meal rotation! Let me tell you a bit more about this delicious rosemary chicken…
Rosemary Chicken with Veggies: A One-Pan-Wonder
This tasty, comforting garlic rosemary chicken and veggies has three simple components:
1. Chicken
For this baked rosemary chicken recipe, I used bone-in leg quarters. I often find dark meat will stay tender and juicy in a dish like this, compared to white meat portions. But, this dish will work with whatever you have on hand, be sure to see my roasting tips below for best results.
2. Vegetables
We’re just staying with the classics here: Potatoes (I used fingerling potatoes here, which are smaller in size), carrots, and onions. Loads of comfort. You can change things up and use cubed sweet potatoes or even cubed butternut squash.
3. Mediterranean Flavor Makers
To me, what really seals the deal on this dish is the bright, yet comforting flavored that are layered here. First, the chicken is seasoned well with kosher salt before applying fresh minced garlic (10 garlic cloves) underneath the skin. This is a trick that adds a ton of flavor, but also protects the garlic from burning. Garlic gives sweetness (especially when it’s roasted like we have in this recipe) and aroma that balances so well with the rosemary. Then, we apply our beautiful spice mixture–rosemary, coriander, black pepper, and just a pinch of nutmeg–all over the chicken, and of course underneath the skin. (I like to use a bit of the same spice mixture on the veggies as well). A splash of lemon juice is the perfect complement to all the warm flavors and really plays up the piney goodness of rosemary.
Rosemary for Flavor and Health!
Many people order rosemary garlic chicken in restaurants, but they shy away from using rosemary when making chicken at home. If you have cooked with rosemary before, likely it was with a beef or lamb dish. Rosemary is well-known to pair well with red meats because its slightly bitter and piney flavor can hold up to heavier meats. Using it as the main flavor in this rosemary roasted chicken recipe can be an excellent starring flavor without overpowering the chicken. Absolutely delicious! Rosemary has so many health benefits, also. The plant’s medicinal use goes back to ancient times in the Mediterranean. Today, rosemary is used in so many ways because of its amazing benefits that help prevent infections and cancers, reduce inflammation, and even acts as a natural pain reliever. I use all-natural dry rosemary in this recipe because I always have it on hand. You can find the one I use at our online shop here.
Quick Guidelines for How to Bake or Roast Chicken
One question people frequently ask is “when is my chicken done?” Regardless of what cut of chicken you end up using in this sheet pan chicken and vegetables recipe, it’s always a good idea to use an instant-read thermometer to find out whether your chicken is done. Baked chicken is ready when its internal temperature (at the thickest part) registers 165 degrees F. As I said earlier, I used chicken legs for this recipe, but I thought I’d share super quick guidelines for baking with the different cuts of chicken in this recipe:
– How to Bake Chicken Legs or Thighs
If just using chicken legs or thighs, follow the recipe below and bake in a 400 degree F heated-oven for 30 minutes, then check to see if chicken is done at this point (depending on your oven, it could be a bit longer.)
– How to Bake Chicken Breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
With bone-in, skin-on chicken breast pieces, I learned that a lower-temperature oven produced better results and juicer chicken. Somewhere around 350 degrees F was better. Cooking time will vary, but somewhere around 40 to 45 minutes or so (start checking earlier using an instant-read thermometer.)
Can I Use Boneless Chicken in this Rosemary Chicken Recipe?
By now, some of you are asking “can I use boneless chicken pieces in this recipe?” And the answer is sure! It’s not my preference for this recipe, but it will work. Boneless chicken does take less time to bake. One thing to do here is to bake veggies first for say 10 to 15 minutes or so, then add the boneless chicken pieces to your sheet pan and bake until chicken is done and the juices run dry (depending on how many pieces and the size, this could take 20 minutes or so.) Also, because most boneless chicken packages are also skinless, I like to apply a little bit more extra virgin olive oil to protect the garlic and spices from burning or drying up too much. With all the basics covered, here’s how to make this rosemary chicken step-by-step…
How to Make the Best Rosemary Chicken
In a large bowl, mix the vegetables together and drizzle with olive oil (I prefer using Private Reserve Greek EVOO), season with a pinch of kosher salt and coat with the remaining spice mix. Although this baked rosemary chicken dish uses potatoes and carrots, you can use other root vegetables you have on hand (Sweet potatoes, rutabaga, beets, and parsnips are all great substitutes, just be sure the veggies are cut to smaller pieces that are of equal size)
Arrange the vegetables on the pan with chicken pieces in between. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is done and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the thickest part. Tip: for crispier skin, cook the chicken thoroughly and place under the broiler for a couple of minutes or so.
What to Serve with this Rosemary Roasted Chicken?
The idea behind a sheet-pan dinner like this is you get both the main course and the side cooked all at once! You don’t need to add much else to complete this delicious meal, really. That said, I always love to serve a big bowl of salad to start with. I often make my Lazy Mediterranean Salad, but if it’s fall, I’m all for this easy Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Arugula salad! And if you really want something more, I would recommend a side of Lebanese rice.
Leftovers?
This rosemary garlic chicken dish is so delicious, it’s hard to believe there would be anything left! But if you end up with any, keep leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 4 days and frozen for up to one month. Looking for more chicken dinners? Try this Citrus Rosemary Chicken. Lots more ideas here!
This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in October of 2015 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers’ benefit. Enjoy!
5 from 22 reviews
2 tbsp dry rosemary 2 tsp coriander 1 tsp black pepper ¾ tsp nutmeg
For Chicken
3 lb chicken pieces (I used bone in pieces, 5 thighs and 5 drumsticks) Kosher Salt 10 garlic cloves, minced 1 lemon, juice of Extra virgin olive oil (I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO) 10 fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise 5 to 6 carrots, peeled and halved 1 yellow onion, cut into large pieces or slices
