Spicy Sheet-Pan Chicken With Sweet Potatoes and Kale

By Yasmin Fahr

Published December 14, 2020

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(1,566)
Comments
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These sheet-pan chicken thighs gain gorgeous color from a harissa-yogurt marinade, which also keeps the meat juicy during the roasting process. The thighs only need 15 minutes in the marinade, but you can leave them for up to 24 hours in the fridge. For weeknights, heat the oven, place the chicken in the marinade, then wash and cut the sweet potato and kale, so the prep work is done and the oven hot by the time the chicken is done marinating. Make the herb oil while the chicken roasts so it has time to sit. While it’s meant for the vegetables, it’s also wonderful drizzled on top of the chicken.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

  • 1 tablespoon harissa

  • ¼ cup full-fat Greek or Skyr yogurt

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 ½ to 2 pounds)

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

  • 1 bunch lacinato or curly kale, stemmed and cut or torn into 1-inch ribbons

  • 1 small red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges

  • 3 tablespoons plus ¼ cup olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ cup flat-leaf parsley or cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped

  • 1 lime, zested and juiced

  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 to 4 servings)

15 grams carbs; 196 milligrams cholesterol; 721 calories; 31 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 58 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 890 milligrams sodium; 36 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

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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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large shallow mixing bowl, combine the harissa and yogurt. Pat the chicken dry, then season all over with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture, gently rubbing until fully coated, and set aside for 15 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees and place a rack in the lower third and one 6 inches from the broiler. On a sheet pan, toss the sweet potato, kale and onion with 3 tablespoons oil. Season with cumin, salt and pepper, massaging the kale as you do so. Clear four spaces for the chicken pieces, then place them skin-side up on the pan. (It may look messy and crowded, but the kale will shrink down as it cooks.)

  3. Step 3

    Roast on the lower rack, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring the vegetables halfway and rotating the tray, until the chicken skin is crispy and the juices run clear, the squash is tender and the kale is crispy. If the vegetables are done, but the chicken skin is not as crispy as you’d like, remove the vegetables from the sheet pan and place just the chicken under the broiler for another 1 to 3 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, in a small serving bowl, combine the parsley, lime zest and half the lime juice with the remaining ¼ cup oil and the red-pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional lime juice. Serve the chicken and vegetables with the herb oil to drizzle over top.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,566 user ratings
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Comments

Terry

If you put kale in the oven at 450 for 30 minutes, you'll turn the pan to a pile of char and smoke. Turn this down to 425, cook the chicken alone for 15, then add the veggies and cook another 20. Also, Step 3 refers to sweet potatoes as "squash."

Jenny

This was very good and easy. Agree, add kale at the end or do separately. I added a parsnip, which was great. This is a very versatile recipe and wow love the dressing at the end. So good!

susan soroka

Excellent recipe! Followed as written. Removed chicken thighs after 30 minutes and placed in a cast iron skillet for an additional 7 minutes in the oven. Placed vegetables on top of stove and covered with baking sheet to stay warm. Definitely will make again!

MLEtm

Used shredded bagged kale in my oven at 450 (not convection) and it made a nice amount of crispy pieces in addition to wilted ones without torching the kale. Stirred part way through cooking (as written) The cumin really adds to the kale! Potatoes cut ½" as indicated in the recipe were cooked through without being mush. Chicken was great after 2 days in the marinade. Haters need to learn how to adapt recipes to their equipment and use their brains a little when cooking. This one is delicious.

Delicious!

Delicious but had to lower temperature after 15 minutes to 425 and only cooked for total of 22 minutes.

Margaret

This recipe used up ingredient's I had on hand (primarily harissa) so I gave it a try and cooked it pretty much as written. It was just OK. Not a lot of spice as others have commented. The yoghurt and harissa marinade did keep the chicken thighs juicy, but the harissa did not add much flavor. I don't know much about harissa, but what I have is not particularly spicy or hot and I was disappointed in the dish I purchased the jar for as well. Guess it is not the condiment for me.

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