Sheet Pan Dinner: Rosemary Balsamic Chicken Recipe

Get ready to love this sheet pan dinner recipe for Rosemary Balsamic Chicken. I think I might be obsessed with these one sheet recipes. I know they still require a small amount of chopping and prep and attention, but there’s something about dealing with one baking sheet that makes these meals seem so simple and doable.

Rosemary Balsamic Chicken is just a really reliable, delicious, workhorse of a meal. If you make a big batch, the leftovers will last several days for take-to-work (or work-at-home) lunch salads and sandwiches. It works as a “fancy meal” that you can make for guests, or to take to a friend who had a new baby.

Let’s get cooking.

Some notes before we jump to the recipe:
It’s really simple to whisk up the balsamic marinade, but if you’re short on time, or just want a shortcut, a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette is a great substitution here.

The vinegar helps tenderize the chicken as it marinates. The honey and vinegar combo also work as a sort of brine to keep the chicken extra juicy. (You can read about brining here.)

And if you reserve the marinade, you can turn it into a delicious, warm sauce to serve over the chicken and potatoes. It is perfection. Think of all of these flavors as a sticky bbq sauce of sorts, only without the tomato sauce base.

When making sheet pans dinners, it’s all about the timing. Sometimes you need to cook the meat longer than the veggies, so you roast that first, then add everything else later. It may not be as simple as putting everything into the oven at once, but it really does make a difference.

In this balsamic chicken recipe, the chicken thighs go in first for a few minutes, then the potatoes are added, and last the asparagus. Do not overcook the asparagus. The quick 10 minutes is perfect to tender-crisp asparagus to accompany the soft, butter potatoes and tender chicken.

One more thing: This rosemary balsamic chicken recipe really benefits from the use of parchment or foil to line the baking sheet. It makes clean-up a snap, as it always does, but especially with this particular marinade where it will burn onto the baking sheet.

The potatoes get an extra hit of rosemary and garlic. Is there anything better than herby roasted potatoes?! No, there isn’t. They do soak up the marinade a little, too, and develop a sort of glaze.

See that dark, caramelized glaze down there on the chicken and potatoes? So good. The chicken is so tender — especially if you use skin-on, bone-in thighs. Way more flavor and they tolerate a longer cooking time without becoming dry. But if you prefer chicken breasts, there are some tips in the notes below the recipe. (You just have the tweak the timing a bit.)

Rosemary Balsamic Chicken Recipe

Ingredients
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional, but recommended)
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely minced, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 pound baby golden or red potatoes, halved
1 pound asparagus
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 8 small cubes

Rosemary Balsamic Chicken Recipe Instructions

1. Place chicken thighs in a shallow dish or resealable gallon size plastic bag.
2. In a glass measuring cup, combine balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, half of the rosemary and minced garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pour the balsamic marinade into the dish or bag. Cover dish or seal bag. Place in fridge and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes, preferably a few hours, or even overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. If using foil, lightly oil to prevent sticking.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade allowing any excess to drip back into the bag or dish. Reserve marinade. Place chicken thighs on prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil plus the remaining minced rosemary and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper. After the first 15 minutes of roasting, remove pan from oven and arrange the potatoes around the chicken. Place back in oven and roast for 20 minutes.
6. While chicken and potatoes are roasting, prepare the sauce and asparagus.
7. Place the reserved marinade into a saucepan or skillet. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken broth and bring back to a simmer. Continue simmering until the liquid is reduced by about half. Keep warm until ready to serve.
8. To prepare asparagus, snap off the tough ends and cut the spears into 2-inch pieces. Season well with salt and pepper.
9. After the first 20 minutes of roasting time are up, scoot the potatoes over to the side and place the asparagus on the baking sheet. Gently toss a bit to coat the asparagus with the oil on the baking sheet. Place back in oven and roast for about 10 minutes longer, or until the asparagus are just tender-crisp.
10. Just before serving, bring the balsamic sauce back to a simmer. Whisk in the small butter cubes, one at a a time, whisking well after each addition. Remove from heat and keep warm.
11. Serve chicken with potatoes and asparagus on the side and a good drizzle of the balsamic sauce.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Notes
– Chicken breasts can be substituted for the chicken thighs, but will cook more quickly especially if they are boneless and skinless, as will boneless, skinless thighs. The marinade will help to keep them juicy, but be careful not to overcook of they run the risk of becoming dry. Roast the boneless, skinless chicken at the same time as the potatoes. A whole, cut-up chicken can also be used; use the same directions for the bone-in, skin-on thighs in the original recipe.
– To make this recipe even easier and quicker, store-bought balsamic vinaigrette can be used in place of the vinegar, oil, honey, and mustard.
– Green beans or broccoli florets can be substituted for the asparagus.

—-

P.S. — More easy one-sheet dinners here.

---

Credits: Recipes and photos by Lindsey Rose Johnson for Design Mom.