Three chicken dinner recipes use only one baking sheet
A blend of honey, smoked paprika, and orange peel delivers high-impact flavor in this seriously easy chicken casserole bake. Even the knife action here is minimal—you’ll only need to trim a chicken, quarter an orange, and cut a vegetable into wedges.
After transferring the roasted chicken and vegetables to a platter, mix the remaining broth on the griddle with the softened butter and toasted orange juice. The ingredients come together in a sweet, shiny, savory sauce that makes dinner taste a lot more labor-intensive than it actually did.
Pat the chicken dry to get rid of excess moisture that prevents the honey and oil mixture from sticking while also preventing a delicious browning.
1/4 cup of honey
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Zest an orange and grated orange, cut into quarters
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and ground black pepper
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed and patted dry
2 medium sweet potatoes (1 pound total), cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges, with root end intact
2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 475 degrees with rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, oil, orange zest, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
On a rimmed baking sheet, mix chicken, sweet potatoes, and onions. Drizzle with the honey mixture and rub it on the chicken and vegetables. Arrange the chicken skin in a single layer in the center, then arrange the vegetables in an even layer around the chicken. Place an orange quarter, cut side up, in each corner of the baking sheet. Roast until golden brown and thigh parts are 175°, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Using tongs, transfer chicken and vegetables to a plate. Tent with foil. Using tongs, squeeze juice from orange quarters onto griddle; Ignore the quarters. Add the butter and whisk, scraping up any brown bits, until melted and incorporated with the pan juices. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour half of the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Serve the rest on the side.
Crispy chicken tray with fennel and green onions
Makes 4 servings
Soft, silky, and slightly charred scallions serve as an accompaniment to spice-crusted chicken, as well as a flavor to a roasted lemon dressing. For the best texture, crush the fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a pan — don’t crush them to a powder in a spice grinder. A sprinkle of fresh herbs at the end keeps the dish bright and lively. Tarragon plays the licorice notes of fennel seed; Coriander will come out of the cilantro.
Serve with a grain or rice pilaf, with crusty bread, or over polenta.
2 teaspoons of fennel seeds, crushed
1½ teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and ground black pepper
3 pounds of chicken breast or thighs
1 bunch green onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 lemon, halved
Extra virgin olive oil, for serving, fresh chopped tarragon or fresh cilantro
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the fennel, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken skin on a folded baking sheet. Arrange the green onions and lemon halves around it. Drizzle with oil, then sprinkle with spices. Roast until breasts (if using) reach 160° or thighs (if using) reach 175°, about 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Squeeze lemon juice into halves into skillet and stir until combined with scallions. Pour around chicken and sprinkle with tarragon or cilantro.
Baked chicken tray with grilled poblano and tomato sauce
Makes 4 servings
In Oaxaca, in southeastern Mexico, the salsa begins with chili peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic on a steel or clay brick (a flat tray used to make tortillas) to soften and deepen their flavors. We adapt this concept in this griddle, roasting chili alongside chicken nuggets. Bright green, bright green poblano peppers have an earthy, metallic flavor and a mild heat level. The habanero adds a burst of bright, fruity heat that sharpens the flavor of the tomatoes (only include a habanero if you want plenty of heat in your salsa). Tomatoes release their juice during cooking, so topping up the plate with water after roasting is not necessary.
Leave the root end of the onion intact so that the wedges don’t separate into layers. If they separate, they tend to burn during roasting.
1 tablespoon of chili powder
Salt and ground black pepper
2 poblano chile peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, roots intact, cut into 8 wedges
1 liter of cherry or grape tomatoes
1 habanero chili pepper, cut, halved, and seeded (optional)
Half a cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar, packed tightly
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed and patted dry
10 medium garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup fresh coriander, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, mix the chili powder and 1 teaspoon salt. In a large bowl, mix poblanos, onion wedges, tomatoes, habanero (if using), 1 tablespoon chili powder mixture, and oil. In remaining chili powder mixture, stir together sugar, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper.
On a rimmed baking sheet, evenly season both sides of the chicken pieces with the chili powder mixture. Place garlic cloves in center of baking sheet, then arrange chicken pieces, skin side up, around garlic; This prevents the garlic from burning during roasting. Arrange the vegetables evenly around the chicken.
Roast until the thickest part of the breast (if using) reaches about 160° and the thickest part of the largest thigh/leg (if using) reaches about 175°, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Using tongs, transfer chicken to a platter and onion wedges and habanero to a cutting board. Pour garlic, remaining vegetables, and any liquid on griddle into a medium bowl. Coarsely chop the onion and habanero, then add them to the bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash until crumbly but slightly lumpy, then stir in half of the cilantro and vinegar. Serve the sauce with the chicken and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.
Christopher Kimball is the founder of Milk Street, home to a magazine, school, and radio and television programmes. Globe readers get 12 weeks of complete digital access, plus two issues of Milk Street magazine in print for just $1. Go to 177milkstreet.com/globe. Send comments to [email protected].
