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!
PrintRecipe
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
Dina
All I did was add a red onion to this (I had one to use up) and it was perfection! Leftovers the next day were just as good!
I made it another time subbing kalamata olives for green olives and they were just as delicious too.
Thanks for the great recipe!!
Lisa
I'm so glad you enjoyed Dina! Thanks for circling back to review the recipe 🙂
Denise
This was delicious. I added onions & left out the olives. My son does not like olives. I also added some fresh basil, parsley, & rosemary from my garden. You can never have enough herbs. The worst part is the prep of cutting & slicing everything but I love sheet pan dinners.
Mella
Such a simple preparation and so delicious! All that easy chopping is relaxing. I can't eat onion, so it's great to have a recipe that doesn't require them. Same problem with garlic, so I used a little garlic infused oil as a sub, still turned out great. Next time, I'll follow the recipe suggestion and take the chicken out at 20 minutes--it's possible that the veggies might have been done by then too. Thanks--can't wait to try some of your other recipes too!
Lisa
Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed!!
Ellen Yesley Silberman
This is a winner for simple weeknight or fancy dinner party. I love the flavors, and the colors of all the vegetables in the dish are so inviting! Thanks for another winning recipe, Lisa!
Lisa
Hi Ellen - So great to get your note. I'm happy you enjoyed this Portuguese inspired chicken and veggie bake!
Helan
Thanks For Sharing this Amazing Recipe. My Family Loved It. I will be sharing this Recipe with my Friends. Hope They will like it.
Anne-Marie
WOW! I AM HIGHLY IMPRESSED! I dont say that often about online recipes I try. AMAZING. Will now be a regular meal.
Lisa
I'm am thrilled to hear it Anne-Marie! I'm so glad you enjoyed the meal and very grateful that you came back to leave a rating and a comment. Thank you!
Jean
I just love simple, rustic meals like this. I made it exactly as shown, and I even had cherry tomatoes on the vine. The olives were a great addition. Because this recipe doesn't need a lot of fuss during cooking, it would be ideal for a simple meal to serve to company. Throw it in the oven and entertain your guests! Thanks, Lisa!
Lisa
I'm so happy this recipe worked out well for you Jean! Thanks so much for your comment and star rating.
Loonchick
The combination of flavors and ease of preparation make this a winner. Delicious! Thanks!
Gary Barron
This was delicious! Followed the general directions/ingredidnts. I used green and red peppers, red and white potatoes, onion, cremini mushrooms sliced, kalamata olives, carrots and used your spice recipe and liberally used olive oil to top bowl of ingredients. Cooked as directed plus 5 minutes snd all turned out Delicious !!!! Chicken, moist and delicious! Veggies awesome never topped w/ fresh cilantro and some lemon juice from slices! Awesome recipe!! It’s on our go to weeknight dinners- 2 of us and we have another dinner ready to go. Thank you! Great recipe!
Donna Kemp
This recipe was so delicious! I was very curious about the olives, and it proved to be a great addition. I also will add more vegetables next time...they were soooo yummy! Thanks for a winner,Lisa.
Lisa
I'm so glad you enjoyed Donna! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
Susan
Made this tonight and it was so good! Substituted carrots for the peppers. Will definitely put this in rotation
Lisa
I'm so glad you enjoyed Susan! Thanks so much for your comment.
Ruth
Tried this recipe with visiting family. So easy and absolutely delicious. They cleaned the cooking pan out, and would have eaten more. Would be easy to add more vegetables. Will try it again. And it makes a beautiful presentation!
Trish
Great recipe! I added 2 roughly chopped red onions and didn't have zucchini. Mixed smoked paprika and sweet. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Lisa
Great to know - thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment Trish!
Mike
Excellent recipe! I may use 2 zucchinis next time, or a yellow squash and zucchini to get more veggies in. The whole family loved it, and the prep was surprisingly easy! This would even be a good recipe for my teens to cook for us!
Russell
Does this need to be covered?
Lisa
Hi Russel, no, this doesn't need a cover. It all cooks relatively quickly since you're using boneless chicken thighs and cut veggies.
Eva
Another winner Lisa! The prep took me longer but the results were worth it!
Lisa
Hi Eva, I'm so glad you enjoyed!!
Mary
Made this last night and it was fantastic. I think I needed to cut the potatoes thinner as mine we still a bit tough. Also I had a lot of shallots so I added one to the mix. It was fantastic and will be made again soon. Thanks Lisa
Lisa
Hi Mary, I'm so glad you enjoyed. Sorry your potatoes weren't cooked through. Cutting them thinner should do the trick. xL
Ed
Wow - this dish is so easy and delicious! Loved it and will definitely make it again.
2pots2cook
Totally agree ! Simple is always the best. Thank you for this lovely idea !
Laurie
You don't mention what to do with cilantro or lemons
Lisa
Hi Laurie - You're right, and you're the first person to mention that. Here's what to do: 'Pile some chicken and veggies onto a plate. Add a lemon wedge and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, if you wish.' I'm going to update the recipe with that information. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.