This Sheet Pan Baked Apricot Chicken with Sweet Potatoes is a cheap healthy meal that’s the perfect weeknight dinner. A 30-minute meal baked with a foolproof cooking method.
With a less is more approach, the few ingredients in this recipe all pack a big punch! Simply chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, apricot preserves, caramelized peaches, and roasted red onions. These ingredients hit on all the flavor notes to keep you coming back for more. Big flavor with ease, this easy weeknight meal will quickly become a staple in your weekly dinner rotation!
A foolproof cooking method using a sheet pan!
Easily answer the question of what’s for dinner tonight with a meal of perfectly roasted chicken and vegetables any night of the week using this foolproof sheet pan baking method. Place chicken skin side down on a screaming hot sheet pan, then add vegetables in order of cooking time to ensure everything is perfectly cooked with ease.
As a bonus, the same glaze that coats the chicken is easily turned into a salad dressing! Simply add olive oil and vinegar and shake up to serve with greens alongside this Sheet Pan Baked Apricot Chicken and Sweet Potatoes.
Sheet Pan Apricot Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs work best. The bones give big flavor and the skin gets deliciously crispy and glazed. Sweet potatoes, yams, or red garnet yams can all be interchangeable without adjustment. Look for potatoes of similar size and shape and cut pieces in roughly the same size to avoid burnt or undercooked portions.
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 4 large
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 4 wedges each
- 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
- 1 15.25-oz can sliced peaches, drained
- ½ cup apricot preserves
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Sea salt and fine ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF and place a large rimmed baking sheet in oven to heat.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season evenly with salt and pepper. Coat sweet potato wedges with 2 tablespoons oil and salt and pepper.
- Place seasoned chicken skin side down on preheated baking sheet and evenly space sweet potatoes around the sides. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make apricot glaze: Combine apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, garlic clove, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Reserve 2 tablespoons glaze.
- After 15 minutes, remove sheet pan from oven. Flip chicken skin side up and coat with remaining apricot glaze. Flip sweet potato wedges and add red onions and peaches to the pan.
- Bake until sweet potatoes are evenly tender, peaches are caramelized, and chicken is crispy and reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF, about 15 minutes more. Cool on baking sheet before serving.
- Meanwhile, make apricot vinaigrette: Whisk 2 tablespoons cider vinegar and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into 2 tablespoons reserved apricot glaze.
- Serve alongside salad greens dressed with apricot vinaigrette.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Make it even faster! Substitute boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders and instead of roasting alongside sweet potatoes, place alongside red onions and peaches on the sheet pan. Coat entire meal with apricot glaze and bake 15 minutes total. Serve over salad greens dressed with apricot vinaigrette or another quick side like white rice or quinoa.
Customize your new favorite weeknight dinner!
Use whatever protein you have available! Chicken breasts, thighs, tenders, or even pork chops or loin would all be delicious. Use any other potato like russet, yellow, purple, or red. Actually you can substitute any vegetable for that matter. Broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, and green beans are all excellent sheet pan dinner additions.
You may need to adjust cooking times when substituting ingredients. Simply follow the same method, but increase or decrease overall cooking time and place vegetables on the pan in order of individual cooking times. Substitute any other flavor preserve for apricot in the glaze, or use honey or maple syrup. Add citrus juice or peel and/or fresh or dried herbs. In the summer, use fresh peaches or apricots in place of canned, or try apples in the winter. Get creative, have fun and eat delicious!
We hope you love this Baked Apricot Chicken with Sweet Potatoes from SoFabFood Home Chef, Tristin from One Armed Mama, as much as we do. If you enjoyed this simple and versatile recipe, be sure to stop by our 30-Minute Meals Section to find more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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