One-Pan Honey Garlic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

There are nights when I don’t mind making a big dinner. I will have something simmering on the stove, something else in the oven, and enough dishes scattered across the kitchen to make you wonder whether I was cooking supper or catering a wedding.

Then there are the nights when I want good food without dealing with all of that.

Those are the nights when I pull out one big sheet pan.

I have become a huge fan of meals where the meat and vegetables can cook together, especially during the week. You still get an actual homemade dinner, but when everyone is finished eating, you aren’t staring at three pots, two skillets, a baking dish, and every cooking utensil you own.

This One-Pan Honey Garlic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables is exactly that kind of meal. The chicken gets coated in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce, and the vegetables roast right alongside it. Some of that sauce finds its way onto the vegetables while everything cooks, which is certainly not a bad thing.

It’s also a good September recipe because we’re in that strange time of year when the calendar says summer is winding down, but Georgia hasn’t necessarily gotten the message. I am not ready for a heavy pot of chili when it’s still hot enough outside to make me regret walking to the mailbox. At the same time, I’m starting to want something a little more substantial than the really light meals I make when summer is at its hottest.

This fits right in the middle.

A Dinner That Doesn’t Need Much Fuss

One of the reasons I like this recipe is that you don’t need anything unusual to make it. I usually have most of the ingredients somewhere in the kitchen already, and the vegetables are easy to change depending on what I have.

I love using baby potatoes because they get those wonderful browned edges in the oven. Broccoli works well because the little florets catch some of the honey garlic sauce, and carrots become sweeter as they roast. Add some red bell pepper and you have a pan full of color before it even goes into the oven.

You certainly don’t have to use exactly those vegetables, though.

If zucchini is what you have, use zucchini. Green beans are wonderful here. Brussels sprouts would work once the weather gets cooler. Sweet potatoes are another good choice, although I would cut them fairly small so they cook at about the same rate as everything else.

That’s how I cook most of the time anyway. I like recipes, and I obviously share plenty of them here, but I don’t believe supper should come to a screeching halt because you’re missing one vegetable.

Use what you have.

The sauce is what brings everything together, and it’s simple enough that I can make it without having to pull half the pantry apart. Honey gives it sweetness, soy sauce adds that salty flavor, and then there is plenty of garlic because I have never understood recipes that call for one tiny clove of garlic.

What is one clove going to do?

We’re using four.

You can adjust that if you’re not as enthusiastic about garlic as I am, but around here I’d rather be able to taste it.

Give Those Potatoes a Head Start

The only little trick to this dinner is giving the potatoes and carrots a few minutes in the oven before adding everything else.

Chicken cooks fairly quickly, and broccoli definitely doesn’t need as much time as a potato. If you put everything onto the pan at once, you’ll either end up with undercooked potatoes or broccoli that has given up on life completely.

I roast the potatoes and carrots for about 15 minutes first. While they’re in the oven, I make the sauce and get the chicken ready. By the time that’s done, the pan is ready for everything else.

That doesn’t feel like an extra step to me because I’m using those 15 minutes anyway.

Once the chicken, broccoli, and peppers join the party, brush or spoon that honey garlic sauce over the chicken and give the vegetables a little toss. Then the oven does most of the work.

Those are my favorite instructions on a weeknight.

Don’t Forget the Sauce on the Pan

When everything comes out of the oven, don’t immediately move the food to a serving platter and leave all that goodness behind.

There will usually be a little honey garlic mixture and chicken juices on the bottom of the pan. Spoon some of that over the chicken and vegetables before serving. That’s where a lot of the flavor is hiding.

I also like adding a little chopped parsley or green onion at the end. It isn’t absolutely necessary, but it makes everything look fresh and adds a little something to the finished dish.

You could serve this exactly as it is because you’ve already got chicken, potatoes, and several vegetables on the pan. If you’re feeding a bigger crowd or someone in your house believes dinner isn’t dinner without bread, add some warm rolls.

I know people like that.

I’m related to several of them.

One-Pan Honey Garlic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables Recipe

Serves: 4 to 6
Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Cook Time: About 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the chicken and vegetables:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
• 1 pound baby potatoes, halved or quartered if larger
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onions for serving, optional

For the honey garlic sauce:

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F and lightly grease a large rimmed sheet pan or line it with parchment paper for easier cleanup.

Place the potatoes and carrots on the sheet pan. Drizzle them with about a tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss everything together. Spread them into a single layer and roast for 15 minutes.

While the potatoes and carrots are getting their head start, make the honey garlic sauce. Add the honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, ginger, and red pepper flakes to a small bowl. Whisk until everything is well combined.

Season the chicken with salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.

Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven after the potatoes and carrots have roasted for 15 minutes. Add the broccoli and red bell pepper to the pan and drizzle the vegetables with the remaining olive oil. Give them a quick toss.

Move the vegetables around enough to make room for the chicken. Place the chicken on the pan and spoon or brush about two-thirds of the honey garlic sauce over it. Drizzle a little of the remaining sauce over the vegetables and toss them lightly.

Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part.

If you’d like a little more color on everything, you can turn the broiler on for the final 2 or 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it because the honey in the sauce can go from beautifully caramelized to burned faster than you might expect.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes. Spoon some of the juices from the pan over the chicken and vegetables before serving. Finish with chopped parsley or green onions if you have them.

A Few Easy Changes

If you’re cooking for someone who doesn’t like broccoli, leave it off and add green beans instead. If you have sweet potatoes that need to be used, swap them for the baby potatoes. You can even use a mixture of whatever vegetables happen to be sitting in the refrigerator, although you’ll want to pay attention to cooking times.

Chicken thighs are also excellent in this recipe. In fact, they can be a little more forgiving because they stay juicy even if they spend an extra few minutes in the oven.

For a little more heat, add extra red pepper flakes to the sauce. If you’re feeding children or someone who doesn’t care for spicy food, leave them out completely. The honey garlic sauce has plenty of flavor without them.

Leftovers are easy, too. Store everything in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat it for lunch the next day. I like having leftovers that are already a complete meal because I don’t have to stand in front of the refrigerator trying to figure out what goes with what.

That’s really what I want from a Wednesday-night recipe. I want something everyone will eat, something that tastes like I made an effort, and something that doesn’t leave me cleaning the kitchen for the rest of the evening.

One pan going into the dishwasher sounds pretty good to me.