Transform your weeknights with this incredibly flavorful and unbelievably easy Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken and Potatoes recipe. It’s the ultimate one-pan meal, requiring minimal prep and delivering maximum taste, making it a perfect solution for busy evenings. Featuring succulent chicken drumsticks—a budget-friendly and kid-approved protein—roasted alongside a medley of vibrant seasonal vegetables, all coated in a rich, tangy balsamic dressing. This dish promises a satisfying dinner with effortless cleanup, making it a staple for any family.
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Easy One-Pan Chicken Drumsticks with Potatoes
Finding a dinner recipe that’s not only kid-friendly and healthy but also incredibly simple to prepare for those hectic weeknights can feel like a quest. This easy sheet pan chicken drumstick recipe is a true culinary hero, checking all the boxes and more! It’s designed to minimize fuss while maximizing flavor, making it a go-to solution for families everywhere.
The magic of this sheet pan meal begins with a simple yet powerfully flavorful balsamic dressing. This versatile marinade infuses both the chicken and vegetables with a delightful tang and depth. What’s even better? You can quickly mix everything together in the morning before you head out, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully throughout the day. This simple step transforms ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary dish.
Once you’re ready to cook, all you need to do is spread the marinated chicken and veggies evenly across a single baking sheet. Then, let your oven do the rest! Roasting transforms everything to crispy, tender perfection. And the best part? Cleanup is an absolute breeze. With only one pan to wash, you’ll have more time to enjoy your evening with your family, making this an ideal choice for a stress-free dinner.
This sheet pan chicken and potatoes recipe isn’t just easy; it’s also incredibly versatile. It serves as a fantastic base for swapping ingredients based on what you have on hand or what’s in season. Experiment with different dressings or spice blends to create diverse flavor profiles. Once you experience the convenience and deliciousness, this one-pan chicken dinner will undoubtedly become a regular feature in your meal rotation, celebrated for its simplicity and comforting appeal.
Why You’ll Love This Sheet Pan Recipe
- Effortless Preparation: With minimal chopping and a simple marinade, your prep time is drastically cut down. It’s perfect for busy schedules.
- One-Pan Wonder: The entire meal cooks on a single sheet pan, which means less cleanup and more relaxation after dinner.
- Budget-Friendly: Chicken drumsticks are an economical choice, allowing you to create a satisfying meal without breaking the bank.
- Family Favorite: Kids love eating drumsticks with their hands, and the comforting flavors appeal to all ages. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
- Healthy & Wholesome: Packed with lean protein and an abundance of roasted vegetables, this meal is nutritious and well-balanced.
- Customizable: Easily adapt the vegetables and even the marinade to suit your preferences or use up ingredients you have on hand.
- Flavorful Balsamic Glaze: The balsamic dressing creates a rich, sweet, and savory glaze that perfectly complements the chicken and vegetables.
This balsamic chicken and potatoes recipe is perfect for a cozy night in, whether you’re cooking for a special someone or simply treating yourself to something deliciously wholesome. The comforting flavors make it an excellent choice for chilly evenings, providing warmth and satisfaction. If you’re looking for more culinary inspiration, be sure to explore our collection of seasonal recipes for February, offering even more delightful and nourishing meal ideas!
Essential Ingredients for Balsamic Chicken and Veggies
To craft the most delicious and easiest Sheet Pan Chicken Drumsticks and Potatoes, here are the key ingredients and my favorite vegetable combinations:
- Chicken Drumsticks: Inexpensive, flavorful, and they cook beautifully, becoming wonderfully crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
- Baby Red Potatoes: These small potatoes roast up perfectly, developing a tender interior and slightly crisp skin. Their natural sweetness complements the balsamic.
- Green Beans or Brussels Sprouts: Both options add a lovely green color and earthy flavor. Brussels sprouts become deliciously caramelized, while green beans offer a fresh snap.
- Onions: Sliced onions add aromatic depth and sweetness when roasted, enhancing the overall flavor profile of the dish.
- Carrots: Whether baby carrots for convenience or chopped full-sized carrots, they bring a natural sweetness and vibrant color.
- Balsamic Dressing: This is the star of the marinade, providing a sweet, tangy, and savory base that tenderizes the chicken and coats the vegetables beautifully.
I often opt for baby carrots to save time on chopping, but feel free to use larger carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces. The beauty of this roasted chicken and vegetables recipe lies in its flexibility. You can certainly include other robust vegetables that can withstand high heat roasting. Some excellent additions include diced sweet potatoes for extra sweetness, colorful beets, hearty acorn or butternut squash, tender asparagus, or even florets of cauliflower for a different texture.
When using a good quality balsamic dressing, there’s typically no need for additional salt, pepper, or other spices. The dressing itself usually contains all the seasonings required to flavor this chicken drumstick sheet pan dinner to perfection. Just ensure your chosen dressing has a balanced flavor profile.
Step-by-Step Guide to Roasting Chicken and Potatoes
This truly is an effortless one-pan sheet pan dinner recipe, designed to get a delicious meal on your table with just a few straightforward steps.
- Prepare the Vegetables: Begin by washing and thoroughly drying your chosen vegetables. Chop the baby red potatoes, green beans (or Brussels sprouts), onions, and baby carrots into uniform 1-inch chunks. This ensures even cooking. Place all the chopped vegetables into a large bowl or a sturdy Ziploc bag. Pour half of the balsamic dressing over the vegetables. Toss well or gently rock the bag to ensure every piece is thoroughly coated in the flavorful marinade.
- Marinate the Chicken: In a separate bowl or another Ziploc bag, add your chicken drumsticks. Pour the remaining half of the balsamic dressing over the chicken, making sure each drumstick is completely covered.
- Allow to Marinate: Place both bags (or bowls, covered) into the refrigerator. Allow them to marinate for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors infuse. For an even deeper flavor, you can marinate the chicken and vegetables for up to 8 hours, making this an ideal recipe for advanced meal prep.
- Preheat the Oven: When you’re ready to cook dinner, preheat your oven to a hot 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). A high temperature is key for achieving crispy skin on the chicken and perfectly roasted vegetables.
- Arrange on Sheet Pan: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Evenly spread the balsamic marinated chicken drumsticks and vegetables in a single layer across the prepared baking sheet. Ensure there’s enough space between the pieces to allow for proper roasting and browning; overcrowding the pan can lead to steaming instead of roasting.
- Roast to Perfection: Bake the chicken drumsticks and vegetables for approximately 30 minutes. Cooking time may vary slightly depending on your oven and the size of your drumsticks. The chicken is thoroughly done when it’s no longer pink inside and the juices run clear. For absolute certainty, use an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a drumstick (avoiding the bone); it should register an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). The vegetables should be tender and slightly caramelized.
- Rest and Serve: Once cooked, remove the sheet pan from the oven. Let the chicken and veggies rest directly on the baking sheet for a few minutes before serving warm. This allows the juices in the chicken to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavorful bite.
- Effortless Cleanup: After enjoying your delicious meal, simply toss the parchment paper in the trash, and your baking sheet will be practically clean! This truly highlights the beauty of a one-pan dinner.
Tips for the Perfect Sheet Pan Meal
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: This is crucial for successful roasting. If your sheet pan is too crowded, the ingredients will steam instead of roast, leading to soggy chicken and vegetables. Use two sheet pans if necessary to ensure everything cooks evenly and gets deliciously crispy.
- Chop Uniformly: Cut your vegetables into similar-sized pieces (approximately 1 inch). This ensures that all the vegetables cook at roughly the same rate and are perfectly tender at the end.
- Parchment Paper is Your Friend: Always line your baking sheet with parchment paper. It not only prevents sticking but also makes cleanup incredibly fast and easy.
- Marinating Time Matters: While 15 minutes is enough to impart some flavor, allowing the chicken and vegetables to marinate for longer (up to 8 hours) will result in a more intensely flavorful and tender dish.
- High Heat for Crispy Results: Roasting at 450°F (230°C) is ideal for achieving beautifully browned chicken skin and caramelized, tender-crisp vegetables.
- Check Internal Temperature: For food safety and optimal doneness, always use a meat thermometer. Chicken drumsticks are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Rest the Chicken: Allowing the chicken to rest for a few minutes after cooking helps the juices redistribute, ensuring your drumsticks are as juicy as possible.
Serving Suggestions and Meal Prep
This balsamic chicken and potatoes sheet pan dinner is a complete meal on its own, offering protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables all in one go. However, you can easily enhance it with simple side dishes. For instance, consider whipping up a batch of delicious self-rising drop biscuits! With just three simple ingredients, they are a mix, drop, and bake recipe that bakes in the last 15 minutes of your chicken’s cooking time, ensuring everything is ready to serve piping hot at once. A fresh green salad with a light vinaigrette would also complement the rich flavors beautifully.
Furthermore, this recipe is fantastic for meal prepping. The leftovers reheat wonderfully, making it a convenient option for lunches or quick dinners throughout the week. Simply store any remaining chicken and vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to enjoy, reheat in the microwave or in the oven for a few minutes until warmed through. The flavors often deepen overnight, making it even more delicious the next day!
Recipe FAQs
While drumsticks are fantastic for their flavor and budget-friendliness, you can easily swap them for other cuts. Bone-in chicken thighs or whole chicken legs (which include both drumsticks and thighs) are excellent alternatives. Just be aware that these might require a few extra minutes of cooking time to ensure they reach full doneness. If you opt for boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, the cooking time should be roughly the same as for drumsticks, but always confirm doneness with a meat thermometer.
Absolutely! The versatility of this Sheet Pan Chicken Drumsticks with Potatoes recipe extends to the marinade. If you’re looking to explore flavors beyond balsamic, it’s also incredibly delicious when made with a zesty ranch dressing or a classic Italian dressing. Each will lend a distinct and delightful flavor profile to your chicken and vegetables.
This recipe is excellent for meal prepping throughout the week. Leftovers, when properly sealed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator, will remain fresh and delicious for up to 3 days. It’s a convenient way to have healthy, ready-to-eat meals on hand.
Other Delicious Dinner Recipes to Try
If you’re looking for more quick, easy, and family-friendly dinner inspiration, be sure to check out these other fantastic recipes:
- Meatballs in Spicy Sauce
- Smoked Chicken Quarters Pellet Grill
- Breaded Lemon Chicken
- Lazy Lasagna Instant Pot
If you tried this chicken drumstick recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and helps other home cooks discover delicious meals! Thanks for visiting!
Sheet Pan Chicken Drumsticks
By Renae Gerhardstein
Sheet pan drumsticks with potatoes is an easy, kid-friendly one-pan balsamic chicken and veggies recipe that’s an effortless weeknight meal.
Pin Recipe
Main Course, Dinner
American
4 servings
5 minutes
30 minutes
15 minutes
50 minutes
349
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Ziploc bag or large bowl
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
-
8
chicken drumsticks -
¾
pound
baby red potatoes, cut in half -
½
pound
green beans or Brussels sprouts, cut in half -
1
small onion, cut into 1″ cubes -
½
pound
baby carrots, cut in half (or 1-inch chunks) -
1
cup
balsamic dressing, divided
Instructions
Wash, dry, and chop the vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Place them in a large bowl or Ziploc bag and pour in half of the balsamic dressing. Toss gently to coat thoroughly. In a separate bowl or bag, add the chicken drumsticks and the remaining balsamic dressing, ensuring they are well coated. Marinate both for at least 15 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F (230°C).
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the marinated chicken and vegetables from the refrigerator and spread them out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Use two pans if necessary.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside, the juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a drumstick (avoiding the bone) reads 165 degrees F (74°C). The vegetables should be tender and lightly caramelized. Let the chicken and veggies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before serving warm for maximum juiciness.
Notes
Storing Instructions:
- This is a great recipe for meal prepping. Leftovers will stay good for up to 3 days when properly sealed and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts (Approximate per serving)
Serving:
1 serving
|
Calories:
349 kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
25 g
|
Protein:
30 g
|
Fat:
14 g
|
Saturated Fat:
4 g
|
Cholesterol:
139 mg
|
Sodium:
222 mg
|
Potassium:
1019 mg
|
Fiber:
5 g
|
Sugar:
7 g
|
Vitamin A:
8280 IU
|
Vitamin C:
18 mg
|
Calcium:
69 mg
|
Iron:
3 mg
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