Sheet Pan Chicken with Broccoli, Carrots, & Ranch

A sheet pan dinner is a glorious thing: Veggies and protein (perhaps a sweet potato or two) roast together on a baking sheet while you finish the dishes, pour a glass of wine, and set the table.

But they often lack flavor, texture, and personality. Cooking all the elements of your dinner in the same pan, often with the same seasoning, can lend a utilitarian effect to the meal.

It works, but it does not inspire.

This one-pan sheet pan chicken dinner with broccoli and carrots helped me understand what Melissa Clark is always buzzing about.

Baking bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (or thighs) with chopped broccoli and carrots causes the fat from the protein to flavor the vegetables while the heat from the oven turns the chicken golden and the vegetables bronze.

A zingy homemade ranch sauce and fresh herbs keep the dish bright, interesting, and delightfully dip-able.

I plan to make a version of sheet pan chicken all year, varying the ingredients based on the season. I’ll try cauliflower and chickpeas, eggplant and red onions, whatever seasonal produce or legumes I’m craving.

I might even switch up the sauce, although it’s so good I probably shouldn’t mess with it (at least, that’s what my sister says).

Each time I’ve made this, I also threw a couple sweet potatoes in the oven to complete the meal. The sauce tastes great on starches, too, so feel free to drizzle it over everything on your plate with abandon.

A few tips on the sheet pan dinner

• Cut your vegetables into equally-sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate.
• Don’t crowd the pan. If your ingredients are too close together, they will steam instead of crisp. If you’d really like to stuff more vegetables on the pan (I hear you), just finish cooking under the broiler— that should blast the ingredients with enough heat to get them golden brown.
• I like this dish with bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts because they stay juicy and succulent throughout the cooking process whereas boneless, skinless cuts almost always dry out. Chicken legs or thighs would work wonderfully too.

Let’s make Sheet Pan Chicken with Broccoli, Carrots, & Ranch

Add fresh broccoli and carrots to your sheet pan and season everything with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Take a bite and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and pat them dry with a paper towel (this helps to encourage browning). Season the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper on both sides. Roast the chicken and vegetables for 45-50 minutes at 425°F, or until the internal temp of the chicken is about 160°F (it should rise to 165°F as it rests). 

Meanwhile, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, dried dill weed, granulated garlic, granulated onion, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and vinegar in a small bowl.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Transfer the chicken breast to a cutting board and let it rest at least 10 minutes. Turn the oven off, place the sheet pan with the vegetables (without the chicken) back in the oven, with the door slightly ajar, to keep the vegetables warm while the chicken rests.

To serve, cut out the rib and breast bone and slice the chicken crosswise against the grain. Enjoy with the charred veggies and a dollop of ranch.

Print Recipe

Sheet Pan Chicken with Charred Veggies and Ranch

(5 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5)

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Dinner – American

By Samantha – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 45 minutes – Total Time: 1 hour

Sheet pan chicken with broccoli, carrots, & ranch is an easy weeknight feat— baked chicken breast, roasted veggies, and the best homemade ranch sauce.

Ingredients

• For the chicken and veggies:
• 6 cups broccoli, about 1 lb or 3 heads, cut into 2-inch long florets
• 1 small bunch carrots, tops removed, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced diagonally into 2-inch long pieces
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 3-4 lbs bone-in, skin on chicken breasts or thighs (about 4 breasts, or 8 thighs)
• For the ranch:
• ¾ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 2 teaspoons fresh
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet (or two smaller baking sheets) with parchment. Add broccoli and carrots to pan. Drizzle everything with olive oil, toss with salt and pepper. Take a bite and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and pat them dry with a paper towel (this helps to encourage browning). Season the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper on both sides. Roast the chicken breast and vegetables for 45-50 minutes (or about half that amount of time if you're using chicken thighs), or until the internal temp of the chicken is about 160°F (it should rise to 165°F as it rests).

2

Meanwhile, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, dried dill weed, granulated garlic, granulated onion, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and vinegar in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3

Transfer the chicken breast to a cutting board and let it rest at least 10 minutes. Turn the oven off, place the sheet pan with the vegetables (without the chicken) back in the oven to keep the vegetables warm while the chicken rests.

4

To serve, cut out the rib and breast bone (if using chicken breasts) and slice the chicken crosswise against the grain. Enjoy with the charred veggies and a dollop of ranch.

Nutrition

• 670 Calories

Notes

The broccoli and carrots will char naturally because 45 minutes at 425F is longer than you "should" cook them, but turns out those blacked bits are the best. You should use a baking sheet large enough to fit all of the ingredients without crowding. If you do not have one that big, use two smaller ones. If the vegetables are too close together, they will steam instead of roast. Cut the carrots so they are about the same width of the broccoli florets. If you have very fat carrots, you might need to cut them in half lengthwise, then cut those halves lengthwise again.