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Two crispy skinned chicken thighs sit on a sheet tray surrounded by roasted baby sweet peppers, sliced lemon, quartered shallots, garlic, thyme, and cherry tomatoes.

Lemon Chicken Tray Bake

An easy weeknight dinner of crispy chicken thighs, sweet baby peppers, roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic, shallots, thyme, and bright lemon. Ready in under an hour and using only one sheet pan, you'll want to add this dinner to your weekly menu!
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Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 58 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 486kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
  • 2 shallots quartered, skins removed
  • 8 cloves garlic in their skins
  • 1 lemon sliced, seeds removed
  • 1 pound sweet baby peppers sliced in half, seeds and stem removed
  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes stems removed
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme or more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin, plus extra to grease pan
  • kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F or 205°C. Cover your sheet pan with tin foil. Pat chicken as dry as possible, then rub olive oil and some salt onto chicken and spread a bit of olive oil on the sheet pan.
  • Once the oven is up to temperature, add the chicken, skin side up, and cook for 25 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, mix remaining olive oil, salt, lemon, sweet peppers, tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and thyme in a bowl. Remove the chicken from the oven and add the remaining ingredients around the perimeter of the sheet tray.
  • Cook for another 25 minutes or until the peppers are sweet and slightly charred, the chicken skin is crisp, and its internal temperature reads at least 165°F (74°C).
  • Remove the thyme leaves from the stem and discard the stem.
  • Let the garlic cool for a minute or so until ready to handle, or use a knife to extract the garlic from its skin. Chop the garlic and mix into the dish. Squeeze the lemon (being careful not to burn yourself) over the vegetables and serve.

Notes

  • You can also make this dish with chicken leg quarters. Use the same cook times.
  • Cool and then store in an airtight container, making sure to transfer to the fridge within 2 hours of cooking for food safety reasons. It will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
  • You can make this ahead of time, but the texture of the chicken skin will not remain crispy. I often remove the skin in this scenario.
  • To make this a meal, try having the chicken and vegetables with a baguette, over pasta, rice, or with some boiled or sautéed potatoes. You can also just have the chicken and vegetables for a low carb option.
  • If your skin is not getting crispy, your oven may be displaying an incorrect temperature. Purchase a reliable oven thermometer (the one I own is linked above under Equipment) for an accurate reading. 
  • Avoid crowding the chicken with too many vegetables, particularly the cherry tomatoes which may burst and release their juices. Place vegetables near the outer edge of the sheet pan so that you do not steam the crispy chicken skin.

Nutrition

Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 893mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4284IU | Vitamin C: 190mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg