The chicken drippings mix together with the lemon and oregano to produce a meal that is flavorful, filling, and on the table in just about an hour.
The sheet pan dinner is the weeknight savior. I would happily eat easy pasta seven nights a week if I could, but the reality is that we all need a few less carbs and a little more protein happening from time to time.
This Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken was inspired by a blue plate special at the local Greek diner. The chicken drippings mix together with the lemon and oregano to produce a meal that is flavorful, filling, and on the table in just about an hour.
Be sure to trim a good bit of the fat off the chicken thighs, or you’ll wind up with a greasy mess. We enjoyed this meal with some tzatziki sauce on the side and a simple cucumber salad. Clean up was a breeze, as it should be on a week night.
Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken
8 chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed
1 pound carrots
1 15.5-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons oregano
1 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 lemons
1/4 cup chopped parsley, mint, or dill
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- After you have drained the garbanzo beans, pat them dry with paper towels.
- Peel and trim the carrots. Cut them into sticks, about an inch thick.
- Use a rasp grater to zest the rind of the lemons. Be careful not to get any of the bitter white pith.
- Place the chicken, carrots, and beans in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the oregano, allspice, kosher salt, sugar, and lemon zest into the bowl. Drizzle the oil over all the ingredients. Use a large rubber spatula to mix well until all the ingredients are evenly coated with spices.
- Arrange the chicken, carrots, and beans evenly on the parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for forty-five minutes, or until the chicken skin is crispy and the carrots are tender.
- Remove the pan from the oven, drain excess fat, and squeeze the lemon juice over chicken.
- Sprinkle with fresh herbs just before serving.
This recipe will yield four servings.