These sheet pan chicken thighs roast up juicy and golden with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and red onion all on the same pan. Sheet pan meals are super easy to throw together, budget-friendly, and great for feeding the family or stocking the fridge with leftovers for the week. This one is packed with warm, autumnal flavors from smoked paprika, dried thyme, garlic, and even a little cinnamon, but it absolutely works year-round, too. At just $2.66 per serving, it’s perfect for a busy weekday night or a relaxed weekend meal at home.
One Pan, Plenty of Flavor
Everything here is as simple and easy as possible, but that doesn’t mean skimping on flavor. Roasting at a very high heat (450°F) gives the chicken skin a chance to crisp up and helps the vegetables brown and caramelize around the edges. As the chicken roasts, it releases its savory juices onto the pan, where they mingle with the seasonings and coat the veggies in rich, glossy, deeply savory goodness.
One technique that makes a real difference: brushing the seasoned oil underneath the chicken skin, not just over the top. That gets the seasoning right onto the meat, so you’re not relying on the crispy skin alone for flavor. There’s no marinating, no precooking, and no extra step halfway through. And because everything cooks on one pan, cleanup is minimal.
Recipe Success Tips
Use the vegetables you have. Butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and red onion are all great for roasting, but this is also a perfect clean-out-the-fridge dinner. Potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga, or carrots can all go in from the beginning. If you have quicker-cooking vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, or summer squash, add them about halfway through so they don’t burn or turn too mushy before the chicken is ready.
Keep your vegetable pieces consistent. Size really matters with sheet pan dinners. For this recipe, small-dice the butternut squash into roughly ½-inch cubes, halve the Brussels sprouts, and slice the red onion about ½-inch thick. Keeping everything fairly uniform helps the vegetables cook through within the timing specified, so you’re not left with crunchy squash next to overcooked onion.
Don’t worry if the pan looks pretty full. The vegetables release some steam as they roast, which helps everything soften and cook through. The vegetables and edges exposed to the high heat still get lovely browned, caramelized spots, giving you a nice mix of tender and roasted textures.
Check the chicken with a thermometer. Chicken thighs can vary quite a bit in size, so start checking them toward the end of the cooking time rather than relying on color alone. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part without touching the bone. Once it reaches 165°F, the chicken is safely cooked.
Play around with the seasoning. The recipe uses smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cinnamon, and dried thyme for a warm, cozy flavor profile, but you can change the spice blend to suit what you have. Most dried herbs, onion powder, or a little nutmeg, allspice, ginger, or clove would work nicely. Just go lightly with the stronger spices — a little can quickly become a lot.
Meal Prep
This recipe practically meal preps itself. Once the chicken and veggies have cooled, portion one whole chicken thigh with the roasted vegetables into each container. Keeping the chicken whole helps it stay juicy. Store everything covered in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3–4 days.
For lunch, reheat the chicken and veggies until the chicken reaches 165°F. Or switch things up later in the week by pulling the meat from the bone and shredding it for a grain bowl, wrap, or salad.
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs
Course: Main Course | Cuisine: American Total Cost: $13.30 recipe / $2.66 per serving Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour Servings: 5 (1 chicken thigh with vegetables each) Calories: 383 kcal per serving
Equipment
- 15×12-inch sheet pan
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, ends trimmed, seeds removed, and small-diced (about 2 lbs.)
- 1 medium red onion, sliced (about 2 cups)
- 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, tipped and halved (about 3 cups)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
Chicken Thighs
- 5 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Gather all ingredients and cut all the vegetables.
- Place the butternut squash, red onion, and Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp vegetable oil and sprinkle with 1½ tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp dried thyme. Toss to coat, then spread flat on the sheet pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp chili powder, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp dried thyme, 1½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper.
- Using a pastry brush, coat all sides of the chicken thighs with the seasoned oil, including underneath the skin. Distribute the seasoning evenly across all five thighs.
- Nestle the seasoned chicken thighs on top of the vegetables on the sheet pan.
- Roast for 30–35 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Check with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Divide the vegetables and chicken thighs evenly between five plates, spooning over any juices left on the pan, and serve hot.
Notes
- Protein swaps: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs stay the juiciest and develop the crispiest skin at high heat. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or pork chops can also be used, but these cuts may cook faster. Chicken should reach 165°F internally; pork chops should reach 145°F and rest for 3 minutes.
- Chili powder: U.S. chili powder is a mild seasoning blend made with ground chiles, cumin, garlic, and other spices — it is not particularly spicy. Do not substitute an equal amount of cayenne or pure ground chile pepper.
- Hot ovens: If the chicken skin or vegetables are browning too quickly before the chicken is cooked through, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F and continue roasting until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | Carbohydrates | Protein | Fat | Sodium | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 383 kcal | 37 g | 28 g | 16 g | 1531 mg | 9 g |
How to Make Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs — Step-by-Step
Gather your chicken ingredients: 5 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2.5 lbs.), 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp chili powder, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp dried thyme, 1½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Gather your vegetables: 1 butternut squash, 1 medium red onion, 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, 1½ tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp dried thyme.
Prep the Brussels sprouts and onion: Trim the tough ends from the Brussels sprouts and slice each one in half. Cut the red onion into chunky slices about ½ inch thick. You don’t need perfectly identical pieces, but keeping everything roughly the same size helps it cook evenly.
Prep the squash: Start by peeling the butternut squash and trimming off both ends. Cut it crosswise where the narrow neck meets the round base. Slice the round portion in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut both sections into roughly ½-inch cubes. Keeping the pieces fairly consistent helps the squash become tender in the same amount of time as the chicken cooks. For more detail, see how to cut butternut squash.
Season the vegetables: Add the diced squash, halved Brussels sprouts, and sliced red onion to a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, then sprinkle over 1½ tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp dried thyme. Toss well until the vegetables are evenly coated. Transfer everything to a 15×12-inch sheet pan. The pan will look full, and that’s fine — there should be a good mix of vegetables spread out underneath where the chicken will sit.
Make the seasoned oil: In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp chili powder, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp dried thyme, 1½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Stir until the spices are evenly dispersed through the oil.
Season the chicken: Use a pastry brush to coat the chicken thighs with the seasoned oil on all sides, carefully getting some underneath the skin as well. Make sure each thigh gets an even share of the spice mixture.
Add the chicken: Nestle the seasoned chicken thighs on top of the vegetables. The vegetables should sit underneath and around the chicken rather than being pushed to the edges of the pan.
Roast: Place the sheet pan in the preheated 450°F oven and roast for 30–35 minutes. The chicken should look golden and crisp on the outside, and the squash and Brussels sprouts should be tender with browned spots. Check the chicken with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone — it should register at least 165°F.
Plate it up: Divide the roasted vegetables evenly between five plates and top each portion with one chicken thigh. Spoon over any flavorful juices left on the sheet pan and serve hot.
This sheet pan dinner is satisfying and complete on its own, but it also pairs well with a simple green salad or a slice of crusty bread to soak up the pan juices.
