One-tray roast chicken thighs with new potatoes, green beans and cherry tomatoes
A fuss-free sheet-pan supper: crispy-skinned chicken thighs roasted with herby new potatoes, green beans and sweet cherry tomatoes.
This is the kind of sheet-pan dinner that makes weeknights feel civilized. Crispy-skinned chicken thighs share a tray with herby new potatoes, snap-fresh beans and sweet cherry tomatoes — minimal washing up, maximum flavour.
Make it when you want something hearty but unfussy. The marinade is bright and sticky so the skin caramelises, and a short rest keeps the meat succulent.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs
- 600 g new potatoes
- 200 g green beans
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 brown onion — halved and sliced into crescents
- 4 garlic cloves — crushed
- 1 lemon — zest and juice
- 45 ml olive oil
- 15 ml honey
- 15 ml Dijon mustard
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 10 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- baking tray
- digital probe thermometer
- tongs
Instructions
Zest the lemon, then halve and juice it. In a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, smoked paprika, honey, Dijon mustard, crushed garlic cloves, lemon zest and half the lemon juice. Strip the leaves from one rosemary sprig and two thyme sprigs, finely chop and stir into the dressing; season with the sea salt and black pepper.
Score the chicken thighs skin-side up with a small knife (three shallow cuts each). Put the chicken thighs in the bowl with the dressing, rub it well into the skin and under it where possible, cover and chill for 30 minutes to let the flavours penetrate.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Halve the new potatoes so pieces are roughly equal; toss them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and a crack of black pepper. Spread the potatoes cut-side down on a large baking tray and roast on the middle shelf for 15 minutes to start them browning.
Remove the tray from the oven. Add the sliced brown onion and place the marinated chicken thighs skin-side up among the potatoes, tucking the remaining rosemary sprig and thyme sprigs between pieces. Spoon any remaining dressing from the bowl over the chicken and potatoes. Return the tray to the oven and roast for 18 minutes.
After 18 minutes add the green beans and cherry tomatoes to the tray, tossing the potatoes gently so they brown evenly. Roast for a further 12 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through — the thickest part of the thigh should reach 75°C or the juices should run clear when pierced.
Remove the tray from the oven and rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving. Squeeze the remaining half lemon over the vegetables, scatter any remaining thyme leaves and serve straight from the tray.
Tips
- Score the chicken skin with shallow cuts so it renders fat and crisps rather than steams.
- Start the potatoes alone for 15 minutes so they get a head start on browning; otherwise they can be underdone when the chicken is ready.
- If you don’t have a probe thermometer, check by piercing the thickest part of the thigh — clear juices mean it’s done.
- Make the marinade up to 24 hours ahead and marinate in the fridge for deeper flavour; bring the chicken back to room temperature for 20 minutes before roasting.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days; reheat in a 180°C fan oven for 10–12 minutes so the skin crisps back up.
Substitutions
new potatoes → baby potatoes or quartered waxy potatoes, same weight
Stays closechicken thighs → chicken drumsticks, 4–6 depending on size; adjust roasting time slightly
Stays closegreen beans → asparagus or tenderstem broccoli, added at the same point
Stays closehoney → light brown sugar, use 15 g
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 480
- Calories
- 22 g
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 550 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
You can, but breasts cook faster and can dry out. Use bone-in breasts or reduce the second roasting time and check with a thermometer — 75°C is still the safe target.
Can I make this ahead and reheat?
Yes — roast fully, cool, then refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat in a 180°C fan oven for 10–15 minutes; finish under a hot grill for a minute if you want crisp skin.
My potatoes aren’t cooked through when the chicken is done. What went wrong?
They were likely too large or overcrowded. Halve large potatoes, spread them in a single layer cut-side down, and start them alone for 15 minutes as instructed.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Cooked chicken and veg can be frozen up to 2 months, but texture may suffer. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat thoroughly before eating.
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