When the sheet pan dinner craze started, I was all on board. What’s not to like about a dinner with minimal prep, minimal effort and maximum flavor? I decided to take advantage of that one-pan method, but I use a roasting pan as my sheet pan—shhh, don’t tell anyone. That way, I can layer the ingredients with a rack so that the chicken cooks evenly and the vegetables roast effectively.
To maximize the fall flavors, I’m using a mix of root and aromatic vegetables, plus savory herbs. The chicken on top flavors all of it. This dinner is just impeccable—it works every time. You’re going to love it. It’s in heavy rotation this season in our house.
Watch the Video
Get my tips on how to chop the vegetables and layer the dish perfectly in the video below!
Preheat the Roasting Pan
Add your roasting pan to a 375-degree oven on convection setting so it can be warmed through. This is important later on so that the vegetables don’t stick, instead creating a nice crust.
Prepare the Vegetables
I like to use a range of colors and textures here so that it’s not all one-note. I’m using a rustic chop on rainbow carrots, celery, golden beets (red are fine but they’ll make everything a bit more red), fennel, acorn squash, red onion, lemons, and a whole head of garlic with the outer paper removed and the tops sliced off. Brussels sprouts would make a fine addition as well but are optional.
Add these to a bowl with some fresh or dried oregano, pepper, my house seasoning (garlic and onion powder are major components), and a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg. Then add in some olive oil and duck fat (or just olive oil), and toss or stir everything together until evenly coated.
Prepare the Chicken
Get your butterflied chicken out of the fridge and lay flat. Coat it with duck fat and olive oil, spreading around the whole bird and adding some under the skin. Sprinkle it with seasoning blend and pepper on both sides. Finish the top with some freshly ground nutmeg and lemon zest.
Overachiever Seasoning
I add my signature spice blend to almost every savory dish I create. Now available to purchase!
shop nowAdd Everything to the Roasting Pan
Remove the roasting pan carefully from the oven and add your vegetables to the bottom of the hot pan. Shake them around to distribute evenly across the bottom. Add the roasting rack just above. Put some fresh sage leaves in the corners and some rosemary stems across the middle of the rack. Lay the chicken breast side up across the top.
Put a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken breast, return the whole pan to the oven, and turn the heat up to 400 degrees. Then watch and wait until the chicken reaches 163 degrees so the chicken has a nice even brown crust that is crisp and the vegetables are cooked through.
Let it cool down a little bit before slicing into it, but it’s that simple. It can be a weeknight dinner. The flavor in all of these ingredients is so nice—it’s a main course that’s comforting, warm and delicious. Squeeze a little lemon across the top just before serving and enjoy!
Give it a try and let me know what you and your family or friends think!
One-Pan Roasted Chicken & Vegetables
Ingredients:
- 1 chicken, spatchcocked
- duck fat
- olive oil
- Overacheiver seasoning or salt, pepper and garlic powder
- ground nutmeg
- 4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4-5 sprigs fresh sage
- 2 lemons, zested and quartered
Vegetables
- 6-7 carrots, rustic chop
- 1 bulb fennel, rustic chop
- 5 whole beets, quartered
- 1 acorn squash, scooped out and sliced
- 3 stalks celery, rustic chop
- 1 red onion, rustic chop
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 3 bulbs garlic, papery outside removed, entire bulb sliced in half
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 °F and place a roasting pan inside.
- Add all of the chopped vegetables, the oregano and quartered lemons to a large bowl along with 2 tbsp duck fat and 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Season with 2 tsp of your favorite seasoning, 1/2 tsp of extra black pepper, and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg. Toss everything together evenly.
- Rub the outside of the chicken with duck fat and olive oil, then season with 1-2 tsp of seasoning all around the outside, along with a pinch of nutmeg and 1-2 tsp lemon zest.
- Remove the heated pan from the oven and close the door quickly to prevent heat loss. Add the vegetable mix to the pan and spread out evenly. Lay a roasting rack over top the vegetables and spread the sprigs of sage and rosemary across the top. Lay the chicken directly on the herbs, insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thicket part of the breast and put the pan in the oven.
- Roast everything for 30-40 minutes, until the meat probe reads 163-165 °F internal temperature. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving warm. Enjoy!
Q – do you eat the beets with the skin on?! Love beets and have never had them this way. Also, do you squeeze the roasted garlic or let your fam dish up how they like?
Nope, no need to peel beets unless you prefer to do so for aesthetic or textural reasons—just scrub them well. I do squeeze the garlic cloves out usually.
I feel dumb asking this but is the linked thermometer the kind that you can put in the oven? Or would I need a different kind? Thanks, love these recipes!
Switched out the link for one that can be put into the oven! That’s what you’ll want here.