This big mess of baked chicken thighs, potatoes, peppers and olives was a last minute, throw-everything-in-the-pan dinner and it's turned out to be one of the best things I've cooked all year. A recipe inspired by a trip to Portugal with its luscious rustic cuisine, everything steeped in fruity olive oil and garlic.
As with any huge dinner success that takes minimal effort, I couldn't wait to share this recipe here with you. Actually, I can hardly call it a recipe - it's more of a 'heap' of chicken and veggies, tossed with oil and spices and thrown in the oven. And highly adaptable to whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Nonetheless, I'm writing out the recipe exactly as I made it that very first time, when it so completely hit the spot!
How To Make One Pan Baked Chicken Thighs and Veggies
The recipe is super easy. The ingredients are boneless skinless chicken thighs, baby potatoes, zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, lots of garlic, green olives and paprika. Toss everything together, throw it in the pan, and bake!
- Prep for 20 minutes: While the oven is preheating to 425ºF, thinly slice the peppers and potatoes, cut the zucchini into chunks, roughly chop the garlic, measure all the spices out into a small bowl: paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Put everything into a big bowl, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and toss well so the chicken and veggies are all coated with oil and spices. Spread the mixture out in a large baking pan or rimmed sheet pan.
- Bake for 25-40 minutes: Bake the chicken and veggies in the oven, tossing and checking the chicken for doneness after 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender and starting to brown.
That's all there is to it!
This is a rustic hodgepodge of ingredients that happen to work together deliciously well.
Pile some chicken and veggies onto a plate. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley, if you like, and enjoy!
Tips on How to Cook Boneless Chicken Thighs in the oven
- Chicken thighs are a great choice for oven-baking. They've got lots of natural flavor, way more than chicken breasts, due to their higher fat content. And while chicken breasts can easily dry out, chicken thighs are forgiving and hard to overcook, so you don't have to worry so much about precise timing.
- I've chosen boneless thighs for this one-pan recipe because they need about the same amount of time in the oven as the veggies. And if they're ready slightly before the veggies, simply transfer them to a platter and tent them with foil to keep them warm while you finish roasting the vegetables.
- How long does it take to cook chicken thighs in the oven? At a temperature of 425º bone-in chicken thighs take 30-40 minutes to cook through. Boneless thighs take only 20-30 minutes, depending on their size.
- How to you know when baked chicken thighs are done? If you have a meat thermometer you can easily test for doneness by sticking the probe into the thickest part of the thigh. According to the USDA, as long as all parts of the chicken have reached a minimum internal temperature of 165°, it is safe to eat.
- Without a thermometer, check baked chicken thighs for doneness by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a sharp knife. If the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked and ready to eat.
- If you want to use boneless skinless breasts for this recipe, I would recommend cooking them for a shorter time and checking the doneness of your chicken along the way. It's a leaner cut and will overcook more easily, especially at a high temperature. Remove the chicken when it's done and continue to cook the vegetables on their own.
If you're craving more rustic dinner recipes with lots of veggies, here are a few others I heartily recommend:
- Spice-Crusted Pork Potatoes and Vegetables
- Easy Spanish Paella
- Chicken Cacciatore with Roasted Vegetable and Potatoes
- Sausages, Onions, Potatoes, Peppers and Green Beans
- Healthy Shepherd's Pie
Here's the recipe for Baked Chicken Thighs with Potatoes Peppers and Olives. If you cook this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!
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Baked Chicken Thighs with Potatoes, Peppers and Olives
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 3-5 1x
Description
A scrumptious rustic one-pan chicken and vegetables meal that comes together quickly.
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons paprika (sweet or Hungarian)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder or garlic granules
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 1 ½ pounds)
- 2 large red or yellow bell peppers or one of each, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 pound of baby potatoes, cut into ¼ to ⅓-inch thick slices
- 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup pitted green olives
- 1 dry pint of cherry tomatoes, on or off the vine (15-20 cherry tomatoes)
- 1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into ½-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Optional Garnishes:
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
- 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges
Instructions
Equipment: A large baking pan or rimmed sheet pan.
- Preheat oven to 425ºF Set oven rack in the middle of the oven.
- Combine the spices in a small bowl: 1½ tbs paprika, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine everything else: chicken, peppers, potatoes, garlic, olives, tomatoes, zucchini and olive oil. Sprinkle spice mix evenly over everything and toss well to fully combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a large baking pan or sheet pan and spread out the chicken and vegetables as much as possible, making sure the chicken pieces have nothing on top of them. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the remaining ½ teaspoon of pepper and a few pinches of salt.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Toss the potatoes and vegetables. Turn the chicken over to moisten with the juices in the bottom of the pan. Close the oven and continue to cook everything for 10-20 minutes longer, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the vegetables are done to your liking. If the chicken is done before the vegetables, transfer it to a platter and tent with foil and continue to cook the vegetables until they're tender and done to your liking.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: dinner, one-pan
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: Portuguese, Mediterranean
Angelika
First remark from family....olives? Why? Then they tasted the dish and couldn't stop eating until the last drop. Made it exactly per the recipe, no need to change anything. Thank you for a delicious meal.
Candace C
What happens with the lemon?
Lisa Goldfinger
It's a nice finishing touch but not essential so I listed it as an optional garnish. You can cut it into wedges and serve it on the side for those who want to squeeze fresh lemon juice over their meal for a final layer of bright fresh flavor. I should probably spell that out in the directions - thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Mich
This was very good! It was super easy and I will be making it again!
Penny
Awesome!
Laura Balsamo
My family loved this! I am adding this to my recipes. I did exactly as written and served it with string beans. So easy, healthy and finger licking good! Going to try adding mushrooms and red onion for next time as well. Thank you 😊