Juicy and succulent, these easy Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs are a family favorite! Baked together with low carb veggies, this keto dinner recipe comes together with minimal effort. So full of flavor!
I originally created Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies for my first cookbook, The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen. But this recipe is such a fabulous standout, a perfect one-pan keto meal, I just had to share it here on my website too.
It became a family favorite from the very first bite. The flavors meld so well and the vegetables soak up the delicious juices. Even my kids will willingly eat the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts because they taste so good!
This delectable keto chicken recipe is in regular rotation, along with French Onion Chicken and Easy Pizza Chicken.
Spectacular keto chicken recipe
It’s been almost 6 years since my cookbook came out, and I’ve honestly lost count how many times we’ve made these Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs since then. It’s such an easy recipe, I keep thighs on hand for it at all times.
I love keto sheet pan meals because they are typically quick and convenient. You cook the whole meal on the same pan, so there is less to prep and fewer dishes to wash.
But this sheet pan chicken is truly something special. The mouthwatering smells that emanate from the oven literally stop you in your tracks. It’s the combination of the roasting poultry, the cumin and coriander spice rub, and the hearty low carb veggies.
When cooking is complete, you have luscious, juicy chicken thighs and meltingly tender vegetables. It’s the kind of meal that makes you want to curl up somewhere cozy and savor all the scents and flavors.
This Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies is the ultimate keto comfort food. And it has only 5.3g net carbs per serving!
Five Star Reviews
“This is SOOOOOOO easy, quick AND delicious. My husband and kids love it just as much as I do and nobody misses any carbs!” –Lori
“Winner of a chicken dinner! Loved the mix of flavors. Will be making this one again. Thanks!” –Linda
“This recipe was absolutely delicious. My husband said it was some of the tastiest chicken he has ever eaten. Total winner for whole family. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!” — Liz
Ingredients you need
- Skin-on bone-in chicken thighs: You can do this with boneless, skinless thighs but the meal won’t be quite as filling. It will also cook through faster so you likely only need 20 to 25 minutes. I don’t recommend chicken breasts as they tend to dry out easily.
- Avocado or Olive Oil: I like to toss the veggies with oil, salt, and pepper right on the pan itself.
- Butter: I use melted butter for the spice mixture that I brush over the chicken. But you can use additional oil if you prefer to be dairy-free.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic provides the best flavor.
- Spices: The unbelievable flavor in these Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs comes from a mix of cumin, coriander, paprika, and a little cayenne.
- Low carb vegetables: I used cauliflower and Brussels sprouts for this recipe, but you can mix it up a bit. Try to choose hearty vegetables that won’t soften too much during cooking. Broccoli, turnips, or rutabaga are good choices, but zucchini will become mushy.
- Thick-cut bacon: Bacon adds a delicious smokiness to the vegetables. But feel free to skip if if you don’t eat pork.
Step-by-step directions
1. Season the vegetables: Spread the cauliflower, sprouts, and bacon out on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat well and spread out into a single layer on the pan.
2. Prepare the seasoning: In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne and additional salt and pepper.
3. Season the chicken: Nestle the chicken thighs into the vegetables. Brush the tops of the thighs with the spice mixture.
4. Roast: Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 450ºF, until the center of the chicken thighs registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Turn on the broiler and set the pan on the second highest rack of the oven. Broil 1 to 3 minutes to brown the chicken.
Expert tips
Cooking everything at a high temperature helps crisp the chicken skin and caramelize the vegetables. If you are swapping out vegetables, be sure that they are approximately the same size and thickness. Veggies that cook faster should be added later in the roasting process or they will become too soft and mushy.
Be sure to use a large sheet pan so your food isn’t overcrowded and the veggies can spread out in a single layer. This ensures even cooking and allows the hot pan to brown the vegetables properly.
Don’t line your pan with foil or parchment, as it will keep the veggies from browning properly. The oil and juice from the chicken will be sufficient to keep things from sticking.
Store any leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It reheats well in the oven or the microwave and makes fabulous easy lunches! I’ve even eaten it for breakfast a few times.
Dairy-Free Option: Replace the butter in the spice rub with oil or ghee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bake the sheet pan chicken thighs at 450ºF to for crispy skin and caramelized vegetables. You know the chicken is done when the juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165ºF.
Bone-in, skin-on thighs take longer to bake than boneless skinless chicken. When baking at 450ºF, they will take 30 to 35 minutes to cook through properly.
This keto sheet pan chicken recipe has 8.8g of carbs and 3.5g of fiber per serving. That comes to 5.3g net carbs per serving.
More delicious sheet pan recipes
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower cut into 1-inch florets
- ½ pound Brussels sprouts quartered
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- Salt and pepper
- 6 medium chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
- 2 tablespoons butter or additional oil melted
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Spread the cauliflower, sprouts, and bacon out on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat well and spread out into a single layer on the pan.
- In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne and additional salt and pepper.
- Nestle the chicken thighs into the vegetables. Brush the tops of the thighs with the spice mixture.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the center of the chicken thighs registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer.
- Turn on the broiler and set the pan on the second highest rack of the oven. Broil 1 to 3 minutes to brown the chicken.
MJM says
Made this for dinner. Thank you ! Fabulous- easy- definitely in my rotation!
Oli D says
Very surprised you didn’t put turmeric in your spice lot….
Gail says
This was SOOOOO good!!! The vegetables were amazing!! Thank you! I look forward to your cookbook coming to Costco February 5.
Jacque says
Love this recipe. I sliced a head of cabbage into slabs for the vegetable and put the thigh on top.
Irina says
Amazing recipe! I love it:)
irinathayer.com
Angie says
Can you use boneless skinless chicken thighs and if so how would you adjust the cooking time? Thx!
Carolyn says
You can…the timing would probably be more like 25 minutes, depending on how big they are. And they aren’t going to give off as much juice when cooking so your veggies won’t quite be as tender but it should still be good.
Amy says
Ok so I have this in the oven now but I used cauliflower, fresh green beans, and cut up sweet peppers. I am hoping for good results.
Laurie says
I have boneless thighs… what time & temp do you recommend?
Carolyn says
Same temp but they will cook a lot faster. Probably less than 25 minutes but you will have to check them.
Michelle says
I made this today for lunch with 8 chicken thighs. I made it as written except I used melted ghee instead of butter for the chicken thigh’s spice mixture, and I had some broccoli to use up so I added it to the sheet pan with the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. It cooked to perfection in 35 minutes and I didn’t have to broil at the end. We loved it and my house smells amazing! Thanks for the yum! ?
Carolyn says
See what I mean? This recipe makes your house smell like comfort!
Karen Lambert says
I made this last night and we loved it. My husband even ate the cauliflower! I did not have avocado oil so used olive oil. Thanks for a great recipe to add into our rotation.
Jeanne says
I made this last night. I will do a few things different next time, as the veggies were to soft. I halved the spouts but will leave them whole and the cauliflower I will have in larger flowers. I was out of avocado oil so used 1 T sesame oil and 1 T olive oil which was fantastic. The flavor of the chicken was awesome and I will definitely make this again with just larger pieces of vegetables. Thank you for sharing!
Pam says
Okay. I have to try this. Looks divine and promising of your words. I just ordered your cookbook. I had it on my Christmas list and didn’t get it so now I am just going to order it. Dang it. Lol I am so excited to receive your cook book. Mmmmmm……
Katharine says
Made this tonight, we thought it was yummy! My cauliflower got a little over cooked bc I had to go 5 minutes longer on my big chicken thighs. But I’ll definitely make it again!
Jennifer Farley says
This looks like a great meal!
Brandie says
Absolutely delicious!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
What a great dinner idea!
Gerry Speirs says
So easy and tasty looking!!
Teresa D says
Made this tonight and it was fantastic. I could have made a meal of the veggies alone. I have your cookbook and have pre-ordered your other two. Love your recipes. Thanks for all you do.
Also made the Italian Wedding Soup, put some in freezer and portioned some out for weekday dinners. I know it will be fantastic too.
Carolyn says
I agree, the veggies might be the best part!
Karen says
Looks AMAZING — can’t wait to make it! How many servings is the nutritional info based on?
Carolyn says
6 servings. But you can make it more or less, depending on how much chicken you use.
Dee says
Can I use olive oil instead of avocado oil?
Carolyn says
You bet.
Paula says
Yes, this is a fantastic recipe! I made it as soon as your cookbook arrived. Such a wonderful cookbook, too. We’ve enjoyed most of those recipes multiple times now. My go-to Keto cookbook. Looking forward to my pre-ordered copies of your new books.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Paula!
Susan York says
Is it possible to include a bar code for the macros for one survey. Great recipe! And I don’t cook.
Thank you
Carolyn says
I don’t have a bar code.