Like most sheet pan dinners, this Sheet Pan Chicken with Caramelized Shallots is fast, delicious, and versatile. It’s the perfect recipe for a mid-week feast after a busy day, or to serve to guests on the weekends.
I hope you love shallots because this weeknight sheet pan meal of crispy chicken thighs would not be as irresistibly delicious without them. And you really are going to want to make this one. It has become a staple in our household and it’s the easiest and tastiest chicken dish ever. Well, maybe next to this chicken recipe which is still numero uno in my books.
Sheet Pan Chicken With Caramelized Shallots Recipe
Among the many food writers that I adore, David Lebovitz ranks very high on the list. His writing totally draws you in whether it’s about his adventures (or mis-adventures) of living in France, or about his scrumptious desserts or meals. I would trust just about anything he tells me to make and this chicken recipe, which he adapted from the French Farmhouse Cookbook, is one such recipe.
Made with just a few, straightforward ingredients, I adapted it slightly to make it into a sheet pan dinner that includes baby potatoes cooking alongside the chicken. Shallots, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and olive oil – make up the simple marinade.
The chicken may benefit from a 20 minute marinate, but I find it works just as well if you can’t afford the wait. Simply toss the chicken with the shallot marinade, season it with salt and pepper, and nestle the potatoes all around it. Slide it into the oven and as it roasts the chicken will soak up all the delicious flavours, and the shallots get delightfully crispy and caramelized, almost melting into little jammy piles.
Likewise, the potatoes pick up all the rich aromatics from the pan juices becoming melt-in-your-mouth tender, and flavourful.
If you are serving more than 4, you’re going to want to double this recipe. Heck, if you’re serving only 2, you’re going to want to double this recipe because leftovers are fabulous. In which case, you will need to use two pans.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
To make this easy sheet pan chicken dinner, you will need the following:
- Chicken – I used chicken legs which I split so they would cook a little faster. You can leave them whole and add a just a few more minutes of cooking time. If you prefer using all chicken thighs, that’s fine too. Chicken breast will not be as juicy but if you go that route, bone-in, skin-on pieces will be best. For best results, check for doneness using a meat thermometer. Chicken is done once it reads 165ºF.
- Shallots – This from David Lebovitz regarding the shallots in this chicken dish: “If you don’t keep shallots around, you might want to reconsider that. Because once you taste it, you’ll want to be able to make this at a moment’s notice, as I often do”. Very sound advice. You can use red onions if you prefer. But for me, the shallots really take this dish to the kingdom of deliciousness.
- Red Wine Vinegar – I have always loved the smell and taste of vinegar in chicken so as soon as I saw vinegar as a main ingredient for this recipe, I was all over it. You can also use sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Low-sodium soy sauce – Apparently the original recipe doesn’t include soy sauce but I think it really adds wonderful complexity and depth of flavour to the marinade. In fact, I double-down on the amount of soy sauce. If your soy sauce is not low-sodium, use a little less then the recipe calls for. You will also need to reduce the salt when seasoning the chicken.
- Olive oil – Adds more flavour and helps the chicken brown.
- Baby potatoes – I prefer the waxier red or Yukon gold potatoes. Even if the potatoes are small, I prefer to cut them in half so they cook faster and get crispier. You can also use larger potatoes chopped into small bite-sized pieces, if you prefer.
- Fresh herbs – Fresh herbs are optional but always good to add if you have them on hand. Thyme and/or rosemary go really well with this chicken. Or just chop up some fresh parsley to sprinkle just before serving.
- Salt and pepper – To season the chicken and potatoes.
How To Make Sheet Pan Chicken With Caramelized Shallots
You will need a lot of shallots to make this dish. Dicing them up will be the only bit of work this recipe requires of you. Because shallots vary so much in size, it is best to weigh them. I found 1 cup of diced shallots equalled about 5 to 6 ounces of unpeeled shallots. This is about 4 large shallots, or 6 to 8 small.
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Rub 1 teaspoon oil on a large sheet pan. Use two pans if doubling the recipe.
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Toss in a few sprigs each of rosemary and thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, a few grindings of pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread the potatoes out on the sheet pan.
- In the same bowl, combine the shallots, soy sauce, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss well until chicken is completely coated. If time allows, let the chicken marinate for 20 minutes. Nestle the chicken pieces around the potatoes, skin-side down, leaving behind most of the liquid and shallots (but don’t discard).
- Roast the chicken and potatoes for 15 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven, flip the chicken skin-side up, and give the potatoes a quick stir. Spoon the reserved shallot mixture evenly over the chicken pieces.
- Reduce oven temperature to 425ºF. Roast for another 25 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken skin is crispy and golden brown, the shallots are nicely caramelized, and the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
Tips For The Best Sheet Pan Chicken
- For crispier chicken: This chicken is so tender it will melt in your mouth. The amount of liquid in the marinade, however, might prevent it from getting ultra crispy. Leave more liquid behind when topping the chicken with the shallots to ensure crispier skin.
- Broil for more colour and crispy skin: You can also turn the broiler on for a few minutes to give the chicken more colour and crispier skin. Just be careful not to burn the shallots.
- Use another sheet pan for crispier potatoes: The juices from the chicken make the potatoes super flavourful and delicious. However, all the liquid on the sheet pan can keep them from getting crusty and brown. If you prefer crispier potatoes, bake them in a separate sheet pan.
- Add more veggies: If you don’t mind using another sheet pan, it’s a great idea to add other veggies to this dish. I often fill another with sweet red peppers, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and/or mushrooms. Delish!
Serving Suggestions
Serve everything directly on the baking sheet or transfer to a large platter along with all the cooking juices.
I like to serve this sheet pan chicken with leafy greens tossed simply with olive oil, a few splashes of vinegar, and a few pinches of salt and pepper (no measuring required).
Some crusty bread to sop up all the delicious juices is also highly recommended.
To Store
Transfer any leftovers into an airtight container along with any juices from the pan. Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
To reheat refrigerated leftovers, place in the oven at 300ºF until heated through, about 20 minutes. To reheat frozen leftovers, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then place in the oven at 300ºF until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Other Favourite Chicken Recipes To Try
- Crispy Baked Parmesan Chicken
- Moroccan Sheet Pan Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (Fresh or Frozen)
Sheet Pan Chicken with Caramelized Shallots
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 2 pounds baby potatoes cut in half, or quarters if they are large
- 6 sprigs rosemary, divided
- 6 sprigs thyme, divided
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large shallots (about 5-6 ounces) peeled and finely diced (*see notes)
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, or a mix of chicken thighs and drumsticks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Rub 1 teaspoon oil on a large sheet pan. Use two pans if doubling the recipe.
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Toss in 3 sprigs each of rosemary and thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, a few grindings of pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Mix well to combine then spread the potatoes out on the sheet pan.
- In the same bowl, combine the shallots, vinegar, soy sauce, remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to the bowl along with the remaining sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Toss well until chicken is completely coated with the shallot mixture. If time allows, let the chicken marinate for 20 minutes.
- Nestle the chicken pieces around the potatoes, skin-side down, leaving behind most of the liquid and shallots (but don't discard).
- Roast the chicken and potatoes for 15 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven, flip the chicken skin-side up, and give the potatoes a quick stir. Spoon the reserved shallot mixture evenly over the chicken pieces.
- Roast for another 25 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken skin is crispy and golden brown, the shallots are nicely caramelized, and the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
- Serve directly from the sheet pan or transfer to a large platter with all the pan juices.
Notes
- For crispier chicken: This chicken is so tender it will melt in your mouth. The amount of liquid in the marinade, however, might prevent it from getting ultra crispy. Leave more liquid behind when topping the chicken with the shallots.
- Broil for more colour and crispy skin: You can also turn the broiler on for a few minutes to give the chicken more colour and crispier skin. Just be careful not to burn the shallots.
- Use another sheet pan for crispier potatoes: The juices from the chicken make the potatoes super flavourful and delicious. However, all the liquid on the sheet pan can keep them from getting crusty and brown. If you prefer crispier potatoes, bake them in a separate sheet pan.
- Add more veggies: If you don't mind using another sheet pan, it's a great idea to add other veggies to this dish. I often make it with sweet red peppers, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms. Delish!
Phyllis
I made this recipe for dinner tonight! It turned out fabulous! Tasty and easy and we all loved it! Thank-you for sharing this recipe!
Sandra Valvassori
Yay so happy to hear it was a success for you! It is on repeat at our house – so easy and so good. Thank you so much for writing and sharing!