There’s a certain kind of dinner I find myself craving this time of year—something warm and hearty, healthy but not ascetic, and most importantly, doesn’t require me to walk over the stove for an hour. Especially during the busy season week of work and school, I like to end the day by preparing ingredients that I can slide into the oven, then forget about while curled up on the couch with good book or sit down to talk to Adam over a glass of wine. Enter: sheet pan chicken for dinner.
Here’s the thing about sheet pan meals: they get a lot of hype, but not all of them deliver. Sometimes you end up with mushy vegetables and overcooked but dry chicken (let’s be honest, this is not the time to go for white meat). One of my most popular recipes is Lemony Sheet Pan Chicken With Artichokes, and I’ve been wanting to make an equally appropriate version that highlights winter ingredients.
Why Sheet Pan Chicken Is My Weeknight Meal
Here, chicken thighs marinated in yogurt are deep golden and crispy around the edges, Japanese sweet potatoes caramelize to an almost candy-like consistency, and you drizzle everything with this sweet tahini sauce that makes everything sound like something you’d order at a restaurant. Unless you passed on Tuesday you did nothing and did a little cleaning.
Japanese Sweet Potatoes Are The Real Star Here
SO-let’s talk about those sweet potatoes because, honestly, they are in my top three favorite foods. Japanese sweet potatoes (with purple skin and pale yellow flesh) are different from your average orange sweet potato. They are dense and starchy, and when grilled, they are incredibly delicious. When those edges get caramelized and a little crispy? I have to stop myself from eating from the pan.
Restaurant-Friendly Tahini Drizzle
The tahini drizzle is what takes this from “weekend dinner” to “I’d pay $28 for this at Gjusta.” It’s just tahini, lemon, a little honey, garlic, and enough warm water to pour—but it delivers this creamy, rich richness that wraps everything up. I make more on purpose because you’ll want to pour it over roasted vegetables, crisp lettuce, grain bowls… basically everything throughout the week.
A Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner that’s Ready to Serve (or Meal Prep)
Another thing I like: this recipe is amazingly convenient and easy to handle. You can cut up the sweet potato and marinate the chicken in the morning, keep everything in the fridge, and then just pop it all in the oven when you’re ready. Dinner is made while you do anything else. That’s the kind of energy I bring this year.
Serve it from a sheet pan (like we usually do), or transfer the whole thing to a family-style serving platter if you’re feeling fancy. Top with fresh herbs—I used cilantro, parsley, and dill because that’s what I had—along with toasted sesame seeds and a pinch of coarse salt. Don’t skip squeezing those fried lemon wedges over everything. It lights up the whole dish.
The Kind of Dinner That Fits in Real Life
This is one of those rare dishes that works for a quick family meal on a busy weeknight or just having friends over for dinner. It’s cozy enough in January, but it’s great any time of the year.
I’d love to hear if you try it—tag me on Instagram so I can see, and keep reading about this recipe for this sheet pan chicken and sweet potato.
Explanation
An easy, weeknight-friendly dinner that delivers big flavor with little effort. Yogurt-soaked chicken thighs are grilled until deep golden next to caramelized Japanese sweet potatoes, and everything is finished with a creamy, lemony drizzle of tahini that makes it feel restaurant-worthy.
For chicken & marinade
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3/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
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3 tablespoons of olive oil
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 teaspoon paprika
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3 cloves garlic, minced or finely minced
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2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
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2 tablespoons of water
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
For the sheet pan:
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1.5 pounds of Japanese sweet potatoes (about 3 medium), cut into 1-inch-thick pieces
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1-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
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2 teaspoons ground cumin
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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1 lemon, cut into slices
For the tahini drizzle:
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1 cup tahini
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2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
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1-2 spoons of honey, to taste
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2-3 tablespoons of warm water
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1 small garlic clove, minced
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A pinch of kosher salt
To be served:
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2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
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Fresh cilantro, basil, and/or dill
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Plain sea salt
- Make the marinade. In a medium bowl, mix yogurt, olive oil, cumin, paprika, garlic, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper until smooth. Place the chicken thighs in a one-gallon zip-top bag and pour the marinade over the top. Cover and mix to coat evenly. Marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Prepare the potatoes. In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Spread one layer on one sheet pan.
- Prepare the chicken.:Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Arrange on a second sheet pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper and fold the lemon wedges around the chicken.
- Roast. Place both pans in the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is deeply golden and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F) and the sweet potato is soft with caramelized edges.
- Make the tahini drizzle. While everything is roasting, mix together the tahini, lemon juice, honey, garlic and salt. Add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until thick but pourable.
- Serve. Transfer the chicken and sweet potatoes to a serving dish (or serve from the pan). Drizzle heavily with tahini sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds and herbs, finish with refreshing salt, and squeeze slices of toasted lemon over the top.
- Preparation Time: 15
- Cooking Time: 35