Sheet pan BBQ chicken is a full dinner on one pan: spice-rubbed chicken breast, roasted sweet potatoes, red onion and broccolini, finished with a sticky glaze of BBQ sauce and honey. Everything cooks in the oven on a single lined sheet pan, in three short stages, so the sweet potatoes are tender, the vegetables are roasted and the sauce is glossy and not burnt. It takes 50 minutes, with only 10 of them at the cutting board, and there is almost nothing to wash up.
How to make sheet pan BBQ chicken: Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss 4 cups of diced sweet potatoes with oil and part of a paprika spice mix and roast 15 minutes. Add 1 1/2 pounds of spice-rubbed chicken breast pieces, red onion and broccolini and roast 15 minutes more. Brush the chicken with 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon of honey and roast a last 10 minutes, to 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pan. Protein, starch and vegetables together.
- Easy cleanup. A lined pan means almost no washing.
- Sticky glaze. BBQ sauce and honey, added late so it does not burn.
- Homemade spice rub. Six pantry spices.
- Balanced plate. Chicken, sweet potato and greens.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breast. One and a half pounds, cut into 8 pieces.
Sweet potatoes. Four cups, peeled and diced, from about 2 medium to large sweet potatoes.
Red onion. Two cups, diced.
Broccolini. One pound, trimmed. Regular broccoli works too.
Spice mixture. One teaspoon each of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, kosher salt and brown sugar.
Olive oil. A teaspoon for the sweet potatoes, plus olive oil spray for the pan and vegetables.
BBQ sauce and honey. Two tablespoons of sauce and 1 tablespoon of honey, for the glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 8 pieces
- 4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 cups red onion, diced
- 1 pound broccolini, trimmed and washed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
How to Make Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and spray the lining with olive oil spray.
2. Mix the spices. Combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, kosher salt and brown sugar.
3. Start the sweet potatoes. Toss the diced sweet potatoes with the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture. Spread them on the sheet pan, spray with more olive oil spray and roast for 15 minutes.
4. Prepare the chicken and vegetables. While the sweet potatoes roast, dice the onion, trim and wash the broccolini, and cut the chicken into 8 pieces. Rub the remaining spice mixture onto the chicken.
5. Fill the pan. Move the sweet potatoes to one side. Spray the pan with more olive oil spray, then add the chicken, onion and broccolini. Spray the vegetables and add a pinch of salt to the onion and broccolini. Roast for another 15 minutes.
6. Glaze and finish. Mix the BBQ sauce and honey. Brush the mixture onto the chicken, toss the vegetables and return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes. Check that the chicken reaches 165°F with a food thermometer before serving.
When Should the BBQ Sauce Go On?
At the end. The sauce and honey are brushed on only for the last stretch in the oven. BBQ sauce and honey are both full of sugar, and sugar burns quickly at 425°F. If the chicken were sauced from the start, the glaze would turn black and bitter long before the meat was cooked.
The same thinking explains the whole recipe. Each food goes onto the pan when it needs to, not all at once.
| Stage | What goes on the pan | Time | Why then |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Sweet potatoes | 15 minutes | They are dense and need the longest in the oven |
| Second | Chicken, red onion and broccolini | 15 minutes | They cook faster and would dry out or scorch with a longer roast |
| Third | BBQ sauce and honey, brushed on the chicken | 10 minutes | Long enough to turn sticky, short enough not to burn |
By the time the pan comes out, the sweet potatoes have had the full 40 minutes, the chicken and greens have had the last two stages, and the glaze has had just enough heat to set.
How do you know the chicken is done?
Check the thickest piece with a thermometer. It should read 165°F. The roasting times are a good guide, but pieces of chicken are never all the same size.
Tips for Success
How big should I cut the sweet potatoes?
Small, even dice, so they turn tender in the time allowed. Large chunks will still be firm when the chicken is done.
Where should the chicken sit?
Directly on the pan, not on top of the vegetables. Vegetables under the chicken do not roast properly.
Should I rinse the chicken?
No. Rinsing raw poultry is not needed.
Can I use broccoli?
Yes. Cut it into florets about the size of the broccolini stalks.
Why line the pan?
The honey glaze drips and bakes on. Foil or parchment lets you lift the mess off and throw it away.
Do I need a big pan?
Use your largest sheet pan. Crowded food steams, and you want it to roast.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow, covered containers. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
The pan is a complete meal, so extra BBQ sauce at the table is all you need. For more easy chicken dinners, try the slow cooker chicken and baked beans, the slow cooker brown sugar chicken or the 4-ingredient slow cooker chicken. There is also the 4-ingredient French onion chicken, the Ritz cracker chicken casserole and the chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should BBQ sauce go on the chicken?
Near the end, mixed with honey and brushed on before the last 10 minutes of roasting.
How can the chicken and vegetables cook on the same baking sheet?
Add them in stages. The sweet potatoes go in first, and the chicken, onion and broccolini follow.
How do I know when the chicken is done?
A food thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest piece.
Can chicken be cooked on a baking sheet?
Yes. A lined sheet pan in a hot oven roasts it well.
Final Notes
I mix the sauce and honey in a small cup while the chicken roasts, and leave the brush in it, ready for the last stage. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cut into 8 pieces
- 4 cups sweet potatoes peeled and diced; about 2 medium to large sweet potatoes
- 2 cups red onion diced
- 1 pound broccolini trimmed and washed; broccoli is an alternative
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- olive oil spray for the lined pan and vegetables
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt for the spice mixture; plus a pinch for the broccolini and onion
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and spray the lining with olive oil spray.
- Combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, kosher salt and brown sugar.
- Toss the diced sweet potatoes with the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture. Spread them on the sheet pan, spray with more olive oil spray and roast for 15 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes roast, dice the onion, trim and wash the broccolini, and cut the chicken into 8 pieces. Rub the remaining spice mixture onto the chicken.
- Move the sweet potatoes to one side. Spray the pan with more olive oil spray, then add the chicken, onion and broccolini. Spray the vegetables and add a pinch of salt to the onion and broccolini. Roast for another 15 minutes.
- Mix the BBQ sauce and honey. Brush the mixture onto the chicken, toss the vegetables and return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes. Check that the chicken reaches 165°F with a food thermometer before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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