Italian Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs
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Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs have a deep, complex Italian flavor, but couldn’t be easier to make! All it takes is one pan, a handful of ingredients, and your favorite produce for a scrumptious chicken thigh sheet pan dinner the whole family will love. The best part — Italian baked chicken is ready in just 45 minutes!
Any recipe that saves me a bit of time prepping, baking, and cleaning up is almost immediately 5 stars in my book.
But a recipe that’s easy, low effort, and actually tastes good? It blows all of the other options right out of the water!
That’s why I can’t get enough of this chicken thigh sheet pan dinner that’s classically delicious yet impossibly convenient to make! We also have a recipe for pan fried chicken thighs that is amazing!
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs
You can make this Italian chicken thigh recipe with veggies any time of the year, though it’s best with seasonal produce.
Luckily, almost any vegetable fits right in with these mouthwatering Mediterranean seasonings!
Is it grilling weather? Try this smoked chicken recipe! They’re just as juicy as these sheet pan chicken thighs, but with plenty of BBQ sauce and smoky heat.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken Thighs – I like to go with thighs for Italian baked chicken because of the juiciness it adds to the meat.
Ultimately, though, most cuts will work just fine. Keep an eye on the veggies and the internal temperature of the meat so that nothing overcooks. - Italian Seasoning – All of our Italian favorites in one blend: basil, thyme, oregano, and rosemary.
However, it’s especially delicious to use fresh herbs instead of a dried blend! Be sure to chop finely to help them disperse throughout the marinade. - Fresh Vegetables – Zucchini, eggplant, and grape tomatoes create a great mix of savory, acidic, and herbaceous!
But you can use all sorts of veggies in this Italian chicken thigh recipe.
To keep things Mediterranean, I’d recommend trying bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, or artichokes. - Italian Flat Leaf Parsley – All parsley has a peppery, lemony, and fresh taste, but Italian parsley takes it to the next level.
It has extra flavor, making these Italian chicken thighs extra tasty!
Tips For Perfectly Juicy Italian Baked Chicken
- Preheat the baking sheet too!
Once the chicken hits the pan, it will sear from the heat — locking in flavor and juices.
It’s also a surefire way to get browned, crispy veggies. Which is the goal!
- Drain off excess liquid.
Some of the veggies will leak a lot of juice into the baking sheet.
Remove the excess halfway through cooking so that the vegetables and chicken skin can brown properly.
As for the juice that comes from the fat, use it to baste the sheet pan chicken thighs while they bake!
Not only does this add moisture and flavor, but it also helps the skin to crisp up.
- Rest before slicing.
Poultry needs about 5 to 10 minutes of rest time to really lock in all of those juices.
If you serve or slice too early, all those juices will end up on your plate!
Italian Chicken Thigh Recipe FAQ
It takes about 45 minutes to bake marinated chicken thighs.
This involves preheating the oven and the baking sheet to 425°F first, which helps sear the meat and brown the veggies).
At the end, the whole chicken thigh sheet pan dinner gets a couple of extra minutes on broil to really help that skin crisp up.
Nope! You will, however, need to give the zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes a toss after 20 minutes.
If there’s excess liquid on the pan, be sure to drain that off as well.
With poultry, you have to go by temperature. When the center of the meat reaches 165°F, then you’re good to go!
Just broil a bit before removing from the heat and let the meat rest before serving.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Italian Chicken Thighs
You can store leftover sheet pan chicken thighs in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
As always, be sure to use an airtight container!
To reheat Italian chicken thighs, put them back in the oven at 350°F. No higher, or else you may dry out the meat.
Cook just until the meat warms through and reaches 165°F.
The veggies won’t get crispy as easily as the meat, however. Heat them under a broiler for a couple of minutes to help them get some of that texture back!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
Italian Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 5 cloves garlic, grated
- 6 chicken thighs
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced into ½” half moons
- 1 medium eggplant, sliced into ½” thick pieces and cut into 1-2” pieces
- 10 ounces grape tomatoes, whole
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- Italian flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Whisk together olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and grated garlic in a small bowl.
- Use paper towel to pat chicken thighs dry; place in a large bowl. Pour half of the olive oil mixture over the chicken thighs (set remaining mixture aside).
- Rub the seasoning mixture into the chicken thighs, lifting the skin gently from the chicken thighs and rubbing the seasoning under the skin as well.
- Place the chicken thighs on a sheet pan and set in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour up to overnight. Do not cover the chicken – this will help dry out the skin a bit leading to a crisper skin after baking.
- Place the diced and prepared vegetables into a large bowl. Pour the remaining olive oil marinade over the vegetables and toss to coat.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray or brush with olive oil; place pan in the oven (empty) to preheat.
- Transfer vegetables and chicken to the hot sheet pan, spreading everything evenly into a single layer (divide between two pans, if needed, for ample spacing).
- Bake for 20 minutes, then toss the vegetables. If there is excess liquid in the pan, drain it before returning the sheet pan to the oven. Continue baking another 20-25 minutes, or until the center of the chicken registers 165°F on a thermometer.
- For additional browning on the chicken, turn the oven to the broil setting and broil 2-3 minutes until the chicken is browned to your liking.
Donna’s Notes
For liquid that is chicken fat, use that to baste the chicken skin, to help it brown and crisp. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Be aware that the vegetables will not be crispy when reheated. To crisp them up slightly, place them under an oven broiler for a couple of minutes.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published August 2022, updated and republished October 2023
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how much is a serving size? notes just says 1 with the nutrition amounts. so 1 chicken thigh? how much veggies? ty
Hi Laura,
Yes, 1 serving = 1 chicken thigh and 1/6th of the total amount of veggies.
TSRI Team member,
Becca
Doing everything in the same sheet pan sounds great as you would only have to wash one pan. However, the liquid from the veggies would contaminate the browning of the chicken and make it wet. How about doing the veggies in a second pan or a different way or a different vegetable.
Hi Shirley,
Before we publish our recipes, we always test them. We didn’t find that the chicken became soggy at all, but feel free to try it a different way if you’d like to! Another option is to cook the chicken and veggies on top of a metal rack set over a sheet pan. This way, the chicken fat will drip into the pan below and keep the veggies nice and dry!
TSRI Team member,
Becca
Sounds delicious ~ may try for dinner tomorrow
Hi Deb,
IT is amazing, you are going to love it! Let us know how it goes.
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
Simply delicious!
Hi M.Dagenais,
We are so happy you enjoyed it! Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
I thought about skipping preheating the baking sheet, but I’m glad I didn’t. I made these yesterday night and they came out so good, and the vegetables were nice and crispy.
I’m making this tonight but don’t see when/where to add the parmesan cheese?
Hi Connie,
We sprinkle it on when it comes out of the oven. Hope this helps!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
Love this recipe. I have prepared a similar recipe using, in addition, onions, carrots and potatoes. When I noticed the excess juice, near the end of baking, I drained the juice into a small pan and cook it down. When you pull the meal out of the oven, pour the condensed juice over the chicken and vegetables.
Also, the larger zucchini tend to release more water. In that case, I remove some of the seed section. I also try to find smaller zucchini, which tend not to release too much liquid.
Chicken was so tender and delicious!
Hi Sue,
We are happy to hear that! Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
When do you add the Italian parsley? In the marinade or when the dish is done?