Sheet-Pan Chicken With Jammy Tomatoes and Pancetta
Updated April 29, 2020
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1½pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 9whole unpeeled garlic cloves
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1½tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
- 1tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
- 1teaspoon dried oregano
- 1teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
- ¾teaspoon ground cumin
- 1pint cherry tomatoes (preferably different colors), halved
- 2ounces diced pancetta or bacon
- ¼cup torn fresh dill, parsley or other herbs, for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
361 calories; 20 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 512 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken all over with salt, and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Step 2
Smash all the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and peel them. Finely grate one garlic clove and put it in a small bowl. Stir in the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1½ tablespoons lemon juice, paprika, oregano, brown sugar (if using) and cumin. Pour over chicken, tossing to coat.
- Step 3
Add tomatoes and remaining smashed, peeled garlic cloves to baking sheet, spreading them out around the chicken. Season tomatoes lightly with salt and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Scatter pancetta on top.
- Step 4
Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir the tomatoes and pancetta, but don’t disturb the chicken.
- Step 5
Transfer chicken to plates. Stir the tomatoes and pancetta around in the pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom and sides, and stir in the herbs and black pepper to taste. Taste and add salt, if needed, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if you like. Spoon tomatoes, garlic and pancetta over the chicken to serve.
Private Notes
Comments
If you have time to let the chicken marinate in the spices, lemon juice, and olive oil, even for an hour, it makes a big difference. I added cayenne to raise the heat and bit of arugula at the end to brighten it up a bit.
Great recipe for a solo eater (or many), and very simple to make and clean up. I made a bit more of the vinaigrette and added cauliflower to roast along with the tomatoes. Served over rice. Delicious. Remaining chicken will get chopped up and added to rice bowls for lunch during the week. Love these sheet pan meals, keep the recipes coming!
This is a winner with my family. Made some slight modifications due to pandemic pantry supplies. 1) Used smoked paprika instead of sweet. Fantastic. 2) Didn't have pancetta or bacon or garlic. Family doesn't like garlic and I have to say it was wonderful with the smoky flavor from the smoked paprika even without the bacon/pancetta. 3) Used 3x the amount of tomatoes. My view of roasted cherry tomatoes, more = better.
If using bacon do I cook bacon before roasting with chicken etc or not?
Made as stated and we were underwhelmed, even did the fresh dill garnish and squeeze of lemon juice. The rub is similar to another I have used for chicken so I thought it would be tasty. While not bad, but it wasn't great either, not sure why it's 5 stars. Maybe because it's an easy and fast to prepare recipe? There are other NYT easy recipes out there that are better.
This is soooo good. I increase the tomatoes, don't use the meat and increase the cooking time to 50-60 mins. I use parsley and mint at the end.