These sheet pan rosemary chicken thighs are juicy, savory and incredibly easy to make with sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts all roasted together on one pan. It’s the kind of simple weeknight dinner that feels hearty and cozy without requiring a ton of prep or dishes.
This is one of my favorite transitional dinners for that stretch between the end of summer and the beginning of fall. You know the time when you’re not quite ready for soups and braises, but you’re definitely starting to crave something a little warmer and more savory for dinner.
That’s where this rosemary chicken comes in.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are seasoned simply with olive oil, dried rosemary, paprika and Better Than Bouillon, then roasted until the skin gets beautifully golden and crisp. Sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts are added right to the same sheet pan, where they roast in all those delicious chicken drippings.
The result is a rustic, comforting sheet pan dinner that tastes like you did much more work than you actually did.
And this one happens to be one of my husband’s favorites.
There’s so much to love about a good sheet pan dinner, but this one checks all the boxes for me.
It’s easy enough for a weeknight, everything cooks on one pan and you already have your protein, vegetable and starch handled. The chicken thighs stay incredibly juicy while the skin gets crispy and fragrant from the rosemary.
I also love that this recipe is really more of a formula for an easy sheet pan chicken dinner than something you have to follow exactly.
Don’t have Brussels sprouts? Use broccoli.
Want regular potatoes instead of sweet potatoes? Go for it.
Have carrots, butternut squash or green beans that need to get used? This is the kind of recipe that makes it easy to work with what you already have.
Once you understand the basic method, you can make a version of this dinner all fall and winter long.
I love cooking with fresh herbs, but when it comes to seasoning chicken, dried herbs have a permanent place in my kitchen.
Dried rosemary works especially well here because it becomes incredibly fragrant as the chicken roasts. The little pieces of rosemary toast and crisp right along with the chicken skin, giving you that deep, earthy rosemary flavor in every bite.
Paired with paprika, olive oil and the savory richness of Better Than Bouillon, you really don’t need a complicated seasoning blend.
This is simple food done well.
Here’s my biggest pro tip before you even start seasoning: pay attention to the size of your chicken thighs.
Chicken thighs can sometimes be large and in charge. And while there is a time and place for a massive chicken thigh, this sheet pan dinner is not it.
I prefer small to medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs that are relatively uniform in size. Organic chicken thighs or thighs purchased fresh from the butcher are often a great option because you can look for pieces that have been butchered neatly and are similar in shape.
Why does it matter?
Uniform chicken thighs cook more evenly. You don’t want three perfectly roasted pieces of chicken and one dinosaur-sized thigh that needs another 15 minutes in the oven.
Also, trim the excess skin and fat before seasoning. You want enough skin to cover the top of the thigh and get nice and crispy, but you don’t need large pieces of excess fat hanging off the sides.
That little bit of prep makes the finished sheet pan look better and helps everything cook more evenly.
The Best Part: Those Vegetables
The sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts might technically be the side dish, but they’re definitely not an afterthought.
As everything finishes roasting together, the vegetables pick up some of the rosemary, seasoning and rendered juices from the chicken.
The sweet potatoes become tender and slightly caramelized while the Brussels sprouts get those crispy roasted edges that make them so good.
Together, they’re the perfect complement to the earthy rosemary chicken.
Think of the sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts as a starting point.
You can easily make this sheet pan rosemary chicken with:
- Yukon Gold or baby potatoes
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Butternut squash
- Green beans
- Red onion
- Bell peppers
The most important thing is considering how quickly each vegetable cooks.
Hard vegetables like potatoes, carrots and squash may need more time, so cut them into smaller pieces. Quick-cooking vegetables like green beans or broccoli should be added later so they don’t overcook.
Tips for the Best Rosemary Chicken Thighs
Use evenly sized chicken thighs. This is probably my number one tip. Small to medium chicken thighs will cook more evenly than a sheet pan filled with dramatically different sizes.
Trim excess fat and skin. Keep the skin covering the top of the chicken, but remove anything excessive around the edges.
Pat the chicken dry. Moisture is the enemy of crispy chicken skin.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Your vegetables need contact with the hot sheet pan and enough breathing room to roast. If everything is packed tightly together, it will steam instead.
Use dried rosemary. I love the way dried rosemary becomes fragrant and slightly crispy in the oven. It really clings to the chicken skin and gives this dish its signature flavor.
Cut your vegetables evenly. Especially the sweet potatoes. Similar-sized pieces mean everything should finish cooking around the same time.
This is exactly the kind of dinner I start craving as summer begins winding down.
You’re still looking for something easy. Nobody wants to spend hours standing over the stove on a weeknight. But you can feel yourself starting to move away from the lighter dinners of June and July and toward those warm, roasted flavors that signal fall is coming.
Rosemary, crispy chicken skin, roasted sweet potatoes and caramelized Brussels sprouts give you all of that coziness without committing to a full-on cold-weather meal.
It’s rustic, savory and simple, and everything goes into the oven on one pan.
That’s my kind of weeknight dinner.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover rosemary chicken thighs and vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
For the best texture, reheat the chicken and vegetables in the oven or air fryer until warmed through. This helps bring some of the crispness back to the chicken skin and roasted vegetables.
You can microwave leftovers in a pinch, but the skin will be softer.
Sheet Pan Rosemary Chicken Thighs FAQ
Can I use boneless chicken thighs?
Yes, but boneless chicken thighs cook much faster. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time and may want to add your vegetables earlier depending on what you’re using.
Can I use chicken breasts?
You can, but chicken breasts are leaner and can dry out more easily. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are ideal for this recipe because they stay juicy while the skin becomes crispy.
Can I use fresh rosemary instead of dried?
Absolutely. I personally love dried rosemary for this recipe because of the concentrated flavor and the way it crisps during roasting, but fresh rosemary will work too.
What other potatoes work in this recipe?
Baby potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes and red potatoes are all great substitutes for sweet potatoes. Just make sure to cut larger potatoes into smaller pieces so they cook through.
How do I know when chicken thighs are done?
Use an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken without touching the bone. Chicken is safe to eat once it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
If you’re looking for an easy sheet pan chicken thigh recipe, this rosemary chicken is one to keep in your back pocket.
It gives you juicy chicken, crispy skin, roasted vegetables and plenty of cozy flavor without requiring a sink full of dishes. And because you can swap the vegetables based on the season or whatever you have in your refrigerator, it’s a recipe you can come back to again and again.
For me, the rosemary is what makes it. It gets fragrant and crispy in the oven, works its way into the chicken skin and gives the entire sheet pan that rustic, savory flavor that feels just right as we start inching toward fall.
And when a dinner is easy enough for a weeknight and happens to be one of my husband’s favorites? That’s always a win.
Sheet Pan Rosemary Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 small to medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp Olive oil, or as needed to coast chicken and vegetables
- 1 tbsp Dried rosemary, to taste
- 1/2 tbsp paprika, to taste
- 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base, to taste
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into evenly sized pieces
- 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- Additional olive oil & salt for the vegetables
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels. Trim away any large pieces of excess skin and fat, leaving enough skin to completely cover the top of each thigh.
- Season the chicken. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, dried rosemary, paprika, Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base, salt and black pepper. Use your hands to rub the seasonings evenly over all sides of the chicken, including underneath the skin where possible. Do not dilute the Better Than Bouillon with water.
- Start roasting the chicken. Arrange the thighs skin-side up on a large rimmed sheet pan, leaving a few inches of space between each piece. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the skin has started to turn golden brown and the chicken has released some of its fat and juices onto the pan.
- Prepare the vegetables. While the chicken roasts, peel and cut the sweet potatoes into approximately 1-inch cubes. Trim the ends from the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half from top to bottom. Leave very small Brussels sprouts whole. Toss the vegetables with olive oil and season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Add the vegetables. After the chicken has roasted for 30 minutes, carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. Arrange the sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts in a single layer in the spaces between and around the chicken, placing the Brussels sprouts cut-side down when possible. Gently toss the vegetables in some of the rendered chicken juices on the pan. Avoid covering the chicken so the skin can continue to crisp.
- Finish roasting. Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, the Brussels sprouts are browned and caramelized around the edges and the chicken skin is deeply golden and crisp. The chicken should register at least 165 degrees F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.
- Rest and serve. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Toss the vegetables once more in the flavorful pan juices, then serve alongside the rosemary chicken thighs. Spoon any remaining juices from the pan over the chicken before serving.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
