Everyday Healthy Recipes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Cookie Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Easy Meals

    Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs

    October 27, 2020 By Monika Last Updated November 10, 2020 16 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This sheet pan chicken thighs recipe comes with a sweet and tangy honey balsamic dressing and involves a few easy steps. It contains a handful of pantry staples and comes together in under 40 minutes!

    Side view of roasted sheet pan chicken thighs with onions.

    This sheet pan chicken recipe is a fantastic weeknight dinner idea requiring minimal effort while producing delicious results.  The chicken is briefly fried (to remove excess fat) before being coated in a sweet and tangy honey balsamic glaze and roasted to perfection along with sweet red onions.

    Sheet pan chicken thighs ingredients

    I created a simple glaze for coating the chicken thighs before briefly frying and them popping them in the oven.  The glaze ingredients include a little oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, tomato puree, onion and garlic granules and thyme. 

    Top tip

    I used chicken thighs with the skin and bone but you can use boneless chicken if you prefer (though I do not recommend removing the skin).

    Ingredients for sheet pan chicken thighs in individual dishes.
    Sheet pan chicken thighs ingredients.

    How to prepare the chicken

    The only thing you need to do before cooking the chicken is wiping it thoroughly to remove excess moisture (use paper towel to do this). This is especially important if you are using chicken that had been frozen and then defrosted. 

    Then simply season the chicken on both sides and make the recipe (see Instructions below).

    Step-by-step recipe instructions

    1.Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ gas mark 6. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper (optional) and set aside.

    Season the chicken on both sides. In a large non-stick pan heat up 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes (skin side down) over a fairly high heat. Turn over and fry for 2 more minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the fat from the pan.

    6 chicken thighs in large frying pan.

    2. In a bowl whisk together all the glaze ingredients until smooth. 

    Coat the chicken pieces in the glaze mixture (both sides). Heat up the pan again, add a tablespoon of oil and fry the chicken over a medium heat for 2 minutes on each side (until lightly browned, skin side first). Transfer the chicken thighs onto the baking sheet (skin side up) leaving lots of room in-between.

    6 browned chicken thighs in large pan.

    3. Using the same pan (no need to wipe it) fry the onion wedges for 1 minute turning and coating in the sticky mixture left in the pan after cooking the chicken.

    Red onion wedges with balsamic dressing in large pan.

    4. Add the onions (along with the juices) to the sheet pan spreading evenly around the chicken pieces, drizzle any leftover glaze mixture over the chicken and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes turning the onions halfway (but not the chicken).

    Chicken thighs and red onions with sticky glaze in sheet pan.

    5. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

    Roasted chicken pieces and onions on top of parchment.

    Serving suggestions

    Delicious with mashed potatoes, celery root puree, rice as well as steamed or boiled vegetables

    Substitutions and optional extras

    • Honey: Substitute maple syrup or agave syrup.
    • Red onion: Use regular onion or another vegetable(s) (root vegetables would work well) but do not overcrowd the sheet pan. Alternatively roast the chicken without any vegetables.
    • Seasoning: You can (but don't need to) add a bit of smoked paprika or chili powder into the glaze mixture.

    Close-up view of roasted chicken pieces with onions.

    Top tips and FAQs

    • Use boneless chicken if you prefer but do not remove the skin.
    • Wipe the chicken thoroughly to remove excess moisture before cooking.
    • Don't forget to season the chicken before pan frying.
    • I recommend using a non-stick frying pan.
    • You can prepare the glaze mixture in advance (overnight), cover and refrigerate it. Stir before coating the chicken.
    • Use a large sheet pan so the ingredients have plenty of space to cook evenly.
    • Best served immediately.
    • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
    • Not suitable for freezing.

    What pan to use

    I recommend using a large sheet pan so that you can spread the ingredients easily and prevent them from overlapping one another. A sheet pan (baking pan) tends to have lower sides than a roasting pan so the air circulates better encouraging browning. 

    I like to line my sheet pan with parchment paper (or tin foil) to prevent the juices sticking to the pan but this step is optional.

    Sticky roasted chicken thighs and onions with fork on parchment.

    You might also like

    • Moroccan Spiced Crispy Chicken Legs Recipe
    • Honey Chicken and Peaches with Cauliflower
    • Oven Pulled Chicken The Healthy Way
    • Easy Apricot Chicken Tagine with Chickpeas

    Check out also this collection of 13 healthy, easy one pot chicken recipes!

    Keep in touch!

    If you make this balsamic chicken traybake I'd love to know how it turned out for you.  Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!

    Recipe

    Side view of roasted sheet pan chicken thighs with onions.

    Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs

    This sheet pan chicken thighs recipe comes with a sweet and tangy honey balsamic dressing and involves a few easy steps. It contains a handful of pantry staples and comes together in under 40 minutes!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: International
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 311kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Equipment

    • Large non-stick pan
    • Large sheet pan/baking pan

    Ingredients

    • 6 chicken thighs with skin
    • 2 red onions peeled, cut into 6 wedges each
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • Fine sea salt and pepper to taste

    For the glaze

    • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • ⅔ teaspoon garlic and onion granules/powder each

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ gas mark 6. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper (optional) and set aside.
      Season the chicken on both sides. In a large non-stick pan heat up 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes (skin side down) over a fairly high heat. Turn over and fry for 2 more minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the fat from the pan.
    • In a bowl whisk together all the glaze ingredients until smooth. 
      Coat the chicken pieces in the glaze mixture (both sides). Heat up the pan again, add a tablespoon of oil and fry the chicken over a medium heat for 2 minutes on each side (until lightly browned, skin side first). Transfer the chicken thighs onto the baking sheet (skin side up) leaving lots of room in-between.
    • Using the same pan (no need to wipe it) fry the onion wedges for 1 minute turning and coating in the sticky mixture left in the pan after cooking the chicken.
    • Add the onions (along with the juices) to the sheet pan spreading evenly around the chicken pieces, drizzle any leftover glaze mixture over the chicken and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes turning the onions halfway through (but not the chicken).
    • Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

    Notes

    • Use boneless chicken if you prefer but do not remove the skin.
    • Wipe the chicken thoroughly to remove excess moisture before cooking.
    • Don't forget to season the chicken before pan frying.
    • I recommend using a non-stick frying pan.
    • You can prepare the glaze mixture in advance (overnight), cover and refrigerate it. Stir before coating the chicken.
    • Use a large sheet pan so the ingredients have plenty of space to cook evenly.
    • Best served immediately.
    • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
    • Not suitable for freezing.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!

    More Easy Meals

    • Side view of potato lasagna with meat filling and white sauce in rectangular dish.
      Potato and Meat Lasagna
    • Top down view of braised pork steaks with onion in large shallow pan.
      Braised Pork Shoulder Steaks (Polish Style)
    • Top down view of turkey meatballs in gravy in large shallow pan.
      Polish-Style Turkey Meatballs in Gravy (Klopsiki)
    • Side view of stuffed potato cakes in brown bowl.
      Stuffed Potato Cakes (Meat, Mushrooms)
    447 shares

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Katie Bryson (@cookingkt) says

      October 31, 2016 at 1:32 pm

      This really sounds appealing as I'm hugely into sweet and sour flavours... what gorgeous pictures too! Thanks so much for linking up with Simple and in Season this month 🙂

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        October 31, 2016 at 1:45 pm

        Thank you! I love to mix different flavours - making this dish was so much fun!

        Reply
    2. Krystyna says

      October 25, 2016 at 7:58 pm

      This is an excellent recipe. This dish is such a combination of wonderful flavors!!! It's great since you can precook everything BEFORE your guests arrive, arrange everything nicely in your oven dish and then simply place it in the oven while everyone is busy eating their starters! Just half an hour of baking and there you go!

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        October 29, 2016 at 9:28 pm

        Thank you so much for your feedback Krystyna!

        Reply
        • Monika says

          November 10, 2016 at 10:04 pm

          Thanks Krystyna! Do let me know what you think if you make it:)

          Reply
          • Marybeth C. says

            December 05, 2016 at 6:53 pm

            Krystyna made this Rooibos Chicken again for some other guests - my husband and me! It was excellent!

            Reply
            • Monika says

              December 05, 2016 at 7:15 pm

              Great! Thanks for letting me know, Marybeth:)

    3. Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says

      October 16, 2016 at 9:29 am

      What a fantastic idea! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        October 16, 2016 at 9:33 am

        Thanks Kirsty!

        Reply
    4. chefjulianna says

      October 14, 2016 at 11:18 pm

      Oh yum! This must be an amazingly fragrant dish! Thanks so much for sharing with us at FF this week! 😀

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        October 15, 2016 at 7:07 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    5. Maggie says

      October 14, 2016 at 3:03 pm

      I love this recipe! The photos are just gorgeous and so colourful.

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        October 14, 2016 at 3:18 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
        • Maggie says

          October 14, 2016 at 3:20 pm

          It's such a fantastic idea!

          Reply
    6. Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com says

      October 13, 2016 at 10:53 am

      I love this recipe, Monika! It looks wonderfully simple, and such great flavours 🙂 Eb x

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        October 13, 2016 at 11:37 am

        Thanks Eb! This recipe really was very simple:)

        Reply

    Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking.

    Find out more about me →

    Popular Posts

    • Side view of 3 plesniak cake slices on top of wooden surface.
      Polish Pleśniak Cake
    • Top down view of pierogi in bowl, making pierogi and dough.
      5 Traditional Pierogi Recipes (plus tips for serving, freezing)
    • Top down view of cottage cheese egg salad in grey bowl with spoon.
      Simple Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
    • Top down view of meatballs in mushroom sauce in large pan.
      Healthy Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce

    Polish Recipes

    • 4 colourful Polish soups in bowls.
      28 Traditional Polish Soups
    • Sauerkraut stew in green bowl with spoon with hands holding it, and grey pot with stew in background.
      Authentic Polish Bigos Stew Recipe
    • Top down view of cabbage rolls in large white shallow pan.
      Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Golabki) in Tomato Sauce
    • Close-up view of Polish potato dumplings in green bowl.
      Authentic Polish Potato Dumplings (Kopytka)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • About

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for recipe updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2025 · Everyday Healthy Recipes

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required