Sheet-Pan Chicken With Jammy Tomatoes and Pancetta
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1½pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 9whole unpeeled garlic cloves
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1½tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
- 1tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
- 1teaspoon dried oregano
- 1teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
- ¾teaspoon ground cumin
- 1pint cherry tomatoes (preferably different colors), halved
- 2ounces diced pancetta or bacon
- ¼cup torn fresh dill, parsley or other herbs, for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
361 calories; 20 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 512 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken all over with salt, and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Step 2
Smash all the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and peel them. Finely grate one garlic clove and put it in a small bowl. Stir in the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1½ tablespoons lemon juice, paprika, oregano, brown sugar (if using) and cumin. Pour over chicken, tossing to coat.
- Step 3
Add tomatoes and remaining smashed, peeled garlic cloves to baking sheet, spreading them out around the chicken. Season tomatoes lightly with salt and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Scatter pancetta on top.
- Step 4
Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir the tomatoes and pancetta, but don’t disturb the chicken.
- Step 5
Transfer chicken to plates. Stir the tomatoes and pancetta around in the pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom and sides, and stir in the herbs and black pepper to taste. Taste and add salt, if needed, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if you like. Spoon tomatoes, garlic and pancetta over the chicken to serve.
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Cooking Notes
ithaca boxer
If you have time to let the chicken marinate in the spices, lemon juice, and olive oil, even for an hour, it makes a big difference. I added cayenne to raise the heat and bit of arugula at the end to brighten it up a bit.
Staci
Great recipe for a solo eater (or many), and very simple to make and clean up. I made a bit more of the vinaigrette and added cauliflower to roast along with the tomatoes. Served over rice. Delicious. Remaining chicken will get chopped up and added to rice bowls for lunch during the week. Love these sheet pan meals, keep the recipes coming!
Jason
This is a winner with my family. Made some slight modifications due to pandemic pantry supplies. 1) Used smoked paprika instead of sweet. Fantastic. 2) Didn't have pancetta or bacon or garlic. Family doesn't like garlic and I have to say it was wonderful with the smoky flavor from the smoked paprika even without the bacon/pancetta. 3) Used 3x the amount of tomatoes. My view of roasted cherry tomatoes, more = better.
Bill Oehler
As this was my first attempt, I made it exactly as presented. 5 stars! Next time I will serve it with orzo or roasted baby potatoes or angel hair pasta. It was a perfect match for the white blend wine we shared.
Deborah
Just what I needed after weeks of not cooking much for one! Hits all the right notes. Served on sourdough sliced so thin you could see through It. Perfect. Add lemon/evoo-dressed arugula.
John
I used bone-in, skin-on thighs. I also added ground coriander and ground thyme to the spice mix and threw in a few small new potatoes for starch. Had to cook it longer, but wow, scrumptious!
cindy
After chicken is done, deglaze the sheet pan with some white wine for more delicious sauce!
Julie
As others suggested, I marinated the chicken in the spices/olive oil/lemon juice and doubled the tomatoes, and used smoked paprika. Served over polenta. The smell of garlic and pancetta roasting is a lovely side benefit. If we need to be quarantined thank goodness we have Melissa Clark’s sheet pan recipes!!!
cary nyc
This dish is wonderful! The marinade is exceptional. My thighs were with skin and on the bone. A 30-minute roast was perfect. You might want to line the sheet pan with parchment to make clean up easier.
Bo
Had this twice now, first time I think there was still too much liquid on the sheet when the chicken was done. My suggestion is to start the tomatoes and garlic (and optionally the pancetta) 8-10 minutes before the chicken goes on the pan. That made for really jammy tomatoes and well roasted garlic this second time. Love the recipe it will go into our rotation
nolini
Def marinate the chicken in the am. Add 1tsp Harissa paste to the marinade. Delish!
cary nyc
To add to my other comments, I marinated the chicken all day. Makes a difference. I might double the marinade next time.
Bill Oehler
The recipe called for skinless. This eliminates your first point. Why add butter after removing rendered chicken fat - usually delicious? Seems illogical. Suggest trying original recipe instead of cooking by assumptions. This would add validity to your critique.
chris
Absolutely delicious! I did marinade the chicken two hours as suggested by one reviewer. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
nancy
Covid cooking: very tasty however the tomatoes do not get jammy in the time it takes chicken to cook, in small skillet over high heat and it happens quickly. Smoked paprika good choice. Added Brussels to pan, potatoes on separate pan for an easy oven dinner.
Betsy
I’m not quite sure what all the fuss is about! My family and I were UNDERwhelmed. This is a serviceable recipe. Not much more.
Laura G.
A simplified version of this worked well for me as a summer weeknight meal. Halved the recipe to 2 thighs. Omitted cumin, brown sugar, and pancetta--going for a light profile; marinated thighs for about 1/2 hour with the lemon, olive oil, garlic, and some thyme. Surrounded them with the tomatoes, roasted in toaster oven for 40 minutes, spooned juices over and served with a side of pesto couscous salad. Yum!
Laura G.
Ah meant to say I used bone-in, skin on thighs.
MToner
This is a really delicious and easy recipe. Deep flavors of tomato, garlic, herbs and olive oil. Do not hesitate to make this one!
Jocelyn W
Lovely dinner idea.
cornelia
Da-lish!
susan
Tasty. Used smoked paprika and 4 bone in chicken thighs. Needs more tomatoes. Cut garlic to 2 smashed cloves Parchment paper would make cleanup easier. Sheet pan was too big. The quarter size of a large frying pan would have worked better. Served rice salad but orzo, polenta would also be good bit even little potatoes roasted alongside chicken and tomatoes.
Ruby
Marinating the chicken (even for just an hour) really helps here. When you pull it out of the oven there might seem to be too much liquid, but just keep stirring those tomatoes around. Everything will thicken up quickly. I served it with fresh spinach, a drizzle of balsamic, and toasted sourdough. So yum!
Tiffany
I followed others suggestions to marinate the chicken for a few hours before cooking. I threw some brussel sprouts in the pan as well halved with olive oil and salt. I served with angel hair pasta and my family licked the plates clean.
Sharon De Cook
My husband made this for dinner--perfectly delicious. I loved it. Yes to more tomatoes. He left out the sugar, but I served it with baked sweet potato wedges, and an arugula salad with a creamy boursin (sp?) dressing. Great combination that would do for guests when you need a quick meal that is soooo good.
SBG
My husband found this online with his New York Times subscription. He made it for me tonight for Mother's Day. He agreed with other reviewers who did the marinade. He used half the amount of garlic because we had minced garlic in the jar. It was quite delicious! I would add it probably needed some vegetables on the side.....
Lynne Seacord
This is has been my go-to dinner party recipe all winter. I use bone-in thighs for richer flavor, smoked paprika, marinate all day. I prefer bacon to pancetta as the pancetta gets a bit dry in the hot oven while the rendered bacon fat enhances the chicken schmaltzy goodness.
Christine
This was so easy to make and so delicious. Will definitely be put on regular rotation.
sabrina
Very good recipe, and it’s easy to make. I added 1.5 tbs of harissa paste (the NY Shuk brand, always) to the bowl with the spices, oil etc. I felt like the spice blend just needed more umph, more spice. Plus harissa goes well with smoked paprika, in my opinion. Added a little water to thin it after adding the paste, mixed it together and poured it on the chicken. I tasted the oil/spice mix before adding the harissa and again after, and it was an awesome addition and improvement!!
Shannon
Love this recipe, it’s become a common rotation in our dinners and we always soak all the extra sauce with bread! Since we like to double or triple it and have leftovers, I usually bake the chicken and then prepare the rest separately- otherwise the chicken won’t crisp up. I like to fry off the pancetta in a pan, remove, and then let the tomatoes cook in the same pan until they burst. You can add the drippings from the chicken back in for an even more delicious sauce!
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