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This sheet pan chicken and apples with sweet potatoes is the perfect fall weeknight meal! Roasted chicken thighs paired with warm fall flavors are all cooked on the same sheet pan.
If you’re looking for a tasty chicken thigh recipe, I have you covered with this sheet pan chicken and apple recipe with sweet potatoes and fresh herbs.
This dish is literally autumn on a plate and is the PERFECT way to celebrate the savory apple season.
That’s right, apples aren’t just for pie, crumble, and sauce.
I used fresh rosemary in this recipe because it just so happens to be my favorite fall herb.
However, if you’re short on rosemary, you can easily substitute it with fresh thyme or even fresh sage.
This dish is cozy, perfect for fall, and cooks up in just 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
What is a sheet pan meal?
A sheet pan meal is just what it sounds like – a meal prepared on a sheet pan!
If you know me at all, you’ll know that I love nothing more than a sheet-pan meal. It’s easy to clean and everything cooks at the same time.
That means no waiting for everything to be ready because it will all finish simultaneously.
How do I make sheet pan chicken and apples?
Making sheet pan chicken and apples is super simple!
You only need a handful of ingredients to pull off this dish.
- Chicken thighs – for this recipe I LOVE using bone-in skin-on chicken thighs because they bake up with crispy golden skin and the meat stays juicy and tender.
- Fresh garlic – big bright garlic flavor that works perfectly with all the ingredients. If you are out of fresh garlic simply use 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder per clove.
- Fresh rosemary – this is my favorite fall herb! You can also use fresh thyme in its place but try to stick with fresh herbs for this recipe becuase it really brings in a bright fresh flavor.
- Olive oil – this helps bring moisture to the dish so vegetables and chicken do not stick to the pan. Plus, it brings in a fresh olive oil flavor.
- Unsalted butter – this bring in big time flavor and help keep the chicken juicy and moist.
- Sweet potatoes – one of my favorite fall root vegetables. They roast up soft and sweet and pair perfectly with rosemary and garlic.
- Granny smith apples – they bring in a big bite of sweet and tart flavor that pairs perfectly with all the other ingredients.
Making this sheet pan dish is super simple but does require some timing. You’ll need to cook your chicken a bit longer than the sweet potatoes and the apples.
You’ll cook the chicken for 10 minutes alone, then add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 15 minutes, lastly you’ll throw on the apples, cook for 5 minutes and BOOM dinner!
Can I use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs?
Yes, you can use boneless skinless chicken breast but you’ll need to cook it a lot less than the bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.
Put the chicken breast and sweet potatoes in the oven at the same time and then follow the rest of the recipe directions.
You’ll likely need to tweak the cooking time based on the thickness of your chicken breasts. You want to make sure the middle of the chicken breast is at least 165 degrees F.
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs?
Yes, you’ll follow the same directions as you would for chicken breast.
How do I store leftover sheet pan chicken and apples?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.
To reheat I like to wrap in foil and warm in the oven.
You can also reheat in the microwave but it will make the skin a bit soggy.
Love this sheet pan chicken and apples?
Try a few of my other delicious sheet pan meals!
- Looking for a sheet pan meal that uses chicken breast? Try my Sheet Pan Mediterranean Chicken.
- Want to use up some chicken sausage? Try my Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Fajitas.
- Why not get fancy and try my Sheet Pan Spatchcocked Cornish Hens with Summer Vegetables.
- Need a traditional dinner? Try my Sheet Pan Chicken and Potato Dinner.
- Love all things quesadilla? Try my Sheet Pan Chicken Quesadillas.
Sheet Pan Chicken and Apples
Ingredients
For chicken:
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
For vegetables
- 2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 granny smith apples, cut into 1/2 inch slices
Instructions
For chicken:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a rimming baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and loosen the skin of the chicken away from the meat.
- In a small bowl mix together minced garlic, olive oil, room temperature butter, minced rosemary, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Rub the mixture over each chicken thighs, making sure to stuff a small amount of the mixture underneath the skin of each thigh.
- Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, in the center of the prepared sheet pan.
- Cook for 10 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
For vegetables:
- Combine the sweet potatoes, garlic, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
- After 10 minutes of bake time, remove the chicken from the oven, spread the sweet potatoes around the chicken thighs, making sure to place them all in an even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, toss the potatoes, and add the apples to the sheet pan. Again, try to make sure everything is laying flat and not piled on each other.
- Cook for an additional 5 minutes, to help soften the apples, or until the chicken registers 164 degrees F. on a meat thermometer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
