Whole30 Chicken Thighs Sheet Pan Dinner (30 minute meal)
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This Whole30 Chicken Thighs sheet pan dinner is an entire flavorful, healthy, and easy to make meal on one single sheet pan! Whole30 or not, make it tonight!
I’m so excited to share this recipe with you guys! I didn’t intentionally set out to create this as a Whole30 compliant recipe, but as I was developing the flavors and ingredients, I realized…hey, this is Whole30 compliant! I know January is a big month for Whole30, so I decided to get it out to you guys ASAP!
Regardless of if you’re doing a Whole30 or not (I’m not!), this recipe is a total winner. If you’re looking for more dinner inspiration, check out our list of easy Whole30 recipes!
And….it’s all made on one pan. That’s what I do best, you know? Avoiding extra dishes at all costs. Oh, and making good food.
About this Whole30 Chicken Thighs Sheet Pan Meal
The evolution of this recipe began with chicken thighs with a little fresh chimichurri on the top, but as much as I love chimichurri, sometimes it can be bold and overpowering. It also can appear intimidating to make, especially for our friends who aren’t as comfortable in the kitchen .
I thought why not take some of the flavors of a classic parsley and lemon chimichurri and make them into a little rub for the chicken? I also add Dijon and garlic powder to kick the flavors up a notch.
Putting the good stuff on as a rub and not as a sauce after the chicken has cooked allows the flavors to soak into the chicken as it cooks. Brilliant, huh?
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of fresh parsley just before serving brightens the dish and adds fresh flavor.
Tip: Love garlic? Ben doesn’t, so I often opt for garlic powder over fresh garlic, but 1-2 cloves of minced garlic are great in this recipe in place of the garlic powder.
Not that it’s uncommon for me to do this, but I was definitely eating this for lunch on the day I photographed it. I’m not sure it was even noon. Sometimes I even sit on the floor of my studio and eat, but I think I waited to start eating until I was back downstairs and had put the stuff I wasn’t going to eat into the fridge.
I’m a bit of a crazy person about food safety, and by the time I finish photographing something, it’s about time for it to chill out in the fridge, you know?
This is a great meal for the meat and potato lovers in the crowd. The smashed potatoes get perfectly crispy on the outside, but are soft and silky on the inside.
Based on the popularity of my Parmesan roasted green beans, I thought they’d be a great vegetable to round this out and make it a complete meal. Add the beans part way through the cooking time. They don’t take long to cook at all and you don’t want to overcook them.
Tip: While the potatoes are cooking in the microwave, prep the parsley mixture/rub for the chicken and put the chicken on the sheet pan (don’t forget to preheat your oven!). While the potatoes and chicken cook in the oven, you’ll have plenty of time to prep the green beans. I know the recipe looks long and complicated at first glance, but it really is quite simple and quick.
More sheet pan dinners
If you love one pan dinners as much as we do, make sure to also check out these:
- Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner with Cabbage and Carrots
- Mini Turkey Meatloaves Sheet Pan Dinner
- Sheet Pan Fajitas
- Walnut Crusted Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
- Crispy Chicken Thighs with Dijon and Dill
- Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken with Smoky Sweet Potatoes
- Hasselback Chicken with Spinach and Artichokes
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 1 pound baby yellow potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, more to taste
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the green beans:
- 1/2 pound fresh green beans, washed and dried
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
To finish:
- Fresh lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Microwave potatoes in a microwave safe bowl, covered in water, for 8-10 minutes, or until fork tender but still firm (soft enough to smash/flatten). Let cool for 5 minutes and then carefully drain.
- Rub a little bit of olive oil on rimmed baking sheet and place potatoes onto oil. Carefully smash/flatten with a potato masher or a fork. Rub potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil (a brush also works well for this), and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place chicken next to potatoes. In a small bowl, mix together parsley, olive oil, mustard, lemon zest, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture onto each chicken thigh with a spoon or your hands.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix green beans with olive oil, salt and pepper. Remove pan from oven and add green beans in a single layer, if possible.
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until beans and potatoes are cooked and internal temperature of chicken reaches 165ºF.
- If desired, broil for 3-4 minutes on high to brown potatoes and make them extra crispy. Watch carefully to prevent burning!
- Squeeze with lemon juice (as much or as little as you like, alternately, you could serve it with lemon wedges). Serve immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Make sure to choose a Whole30 compliant Dijon mustard if following the Whole30 plan. Many contain white wine and/or sugar, so read your labels.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Catherine says
Maryann Turlington I’m not sure how Rachael felt after reading your review, however… I am assuming RGN is short for Regional District Nurse? If this is correct, I find it difficult to believe that you have the audacity to preach about nutritional content or obesity for that matter. It seems to me that people in your profession are alarmingly and surprisingly in the majority when it comes to eating poorly. The pandemic has put a fair amount of you on the silver screen, from all over the globe and let it be said that very few, if any, appear to be eating healthily. Obesity seems rife in your profession and it seems unfair that you would focus your negativity on Rachael’s dishes. It would fit you better to eat well balanced meals, such as she suggests, perhaps after a few months, you’ll be in the position to comment. Perhaps giving nutritional advice to your colleagues would be more beneficial.
Ashley CW says
Absolutely delicious! Flavour bomb in every bite – YUM! For someone who doesn’t look forward to eating chicken, this blew my mind and had me going back for more. Cannot wait to make again. Roasted carrots and brussel sprouts were perfect additions (in lieu of green beans, which my husband and I do not enjoy).
Rachel Gurk says
Your comment brought a smile to my face! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review, it means a lot!
Josh C. says
Thanks for a great recipe and cooking method. I subbed rosemary and little celery seed for the parsley (I knew I forgot something at the store!). Great meal.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked this recipe! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Tom says
It was really delicious and very easy to make. My only question is why did I get so much liquid from the chicken as it was cooking? I used boneless/skinless chicken thighs and no additional liquids in the recipe, but the entire sheet pan was almost filled with the chicken juice that it made the potatoes really soggy.
Rachel Gurk says
Hmm, that’s a bummer! I think it kind of depends on the kind of chicken you buy, to be honest. If you want to, next time you could use two separate pans.
Amanda M says
Do you use fresh parsley or dried in your recipe? I didn’t see anywhere that said one way or another. (Maybe I just missed it.)
Rachel Gurk says
Fresh! :)
Erin says
We loved this! I modified it a bit by cooking the chicken on the grill (it is summer :). The lemon/parsley/dijon mustard sauce was SO GOOD on it still! This will definitely become a regular meal on the rotation for the family – thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear that! Great idea to do the chicken on the grill. We’ve been grilling everything we possibly can, too.
MaryAnn Turlington says
As a RDN, I have noticed that a large majority of your entrees are high in calories. With obesity/ overweight running at high rates, would it be possible to turn down the calories AND fat in your recipes?
Rachel Gurk says
Hi MaryAnn! I respect your feedback, but this is a complete meal (protein, starch, vegetable, fat) and is only 577 calories per serving. Three meals of this would put an individual under 1800 calories for the entire day, which is most definitely not too many. I do offer a variety of recipes on my site (over 1000!), and they can be sorted by special diet. I’m sure everyone can find something to love and to achieve their personal health goals.
Suzie Broccolo says
Can boneless skinless chicken breast be used for this?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tried it, but it should work! You may have to adjust cooking time slightly depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
Sam says
I don’t think I’ve ever left a comment on a recipe, and I probably use an online recipe for 1-2 meals daily – this was just THAT GOOD!! For a simple, weeknight dinner, it packed in an insane amount of flavor and goodness. I didn’t have lemon zest, so used a squirt of lemon juice instead and had to use freeze dried herbs, which I imagine didn’t make much of a difference, but this will definitely be going into the normal rotation! Loved it and can’t wait to try more of your recipes. So excited for leftovers for lunch (it was insanely difficult to leave leftovers and not eat it all last night, but I’m sure glad I did!!!)
Rachel Gurk says
Wow, what high praise! Thank you so much! I’m so glad you like this recipe so much and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. It means a lot!
Megan Schreiner says
Delicious and very easy to make. My entire family including my two teenagers and a picky 10 year old. Slam dunk! Perfect amount of food for a hungry family of 5. Thank you!!
Rachel Gurk says
That’s the ultimate compliment! I’m so glad everyone liked it! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Arelis says
This was delicious loved it, definitely making it again and I shared the recipe with my family and friends ❤️
Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing the recipe, and thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Katie says
This looks great and I’m going to make it tonight! I wanted to let you know that this recipe isn’t actually Whole30 compliant using the Dijon mustard. Dijon mustard is made with white wine, so it’s not allowed. I’m just going to use a different mustard.
Rachel Gurk says
I hope you loved it! Many dijon mustards do contain white wine, but some don’t. This is the one I use. Maybe it’s not “true” dijon, but it gets the job done. :)
Kara says
This was DELICIOUS! Thanks for the suggestion, Rachel.
Rachel Gurk says
Oh my gosh, you are QUICK! I’m so impressed. I’m glad you liked it! :)
Renee E says
This was so easy and so good. I made it for a friend with a newborn and she said her family gobbled it up, leaving no leftovers (and I even doubled it for her big family!)
denise says
looks really yummy
Rachel Gurk says
Thank you! We loved this one!