One-Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts with Sweet Potato-Poblano Salad
By Amanda LuchtelPublished on June 21, 2021
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Chicken and Vegetables
4 sweet potatoes (8 to 10 ounces each), peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced crosswise ¾ inch thick2 poblano chiles, stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut crosswise into ½-inch-wide strips3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1¾ teaspoons table salt, divided2 teaspoons chili powder 2 teaspoons dried oregano 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon pepper 4 (10- to 12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed1 tablespoon honey 2 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled (½ cup)2 tablespoons roasted, salted pepitasDressing
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced1½ teaspoons grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon pepperBefore You Begin
Look for poblano chiles that are about 4 ounces each. If your chili powder is salt-free, increase the amount of salt on the chicken in step 2 to 2 teaspoons and decrease the amount of chili powder to 1½ teaspoons. You can substitute feta cheese for the cotija cheese, if desired.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Toss potatoes, poblanos, oil, and ¾ teaspoon salt together on prepared sheet. Arrange sweet potatoes around perimeter of sheet and poblanos in center of sheet in even layer.
- Combine chili powder, oregano, cumin, pepper, and remaining 1teaspoon salt in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place over poblanos on sheet. Sprinkle chicken all over with spice mixture. Roast, skin side up, until chicken registers 160 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes.
- While chicken and vegetables are roasting, whisk all ingredients together in bowl.
- Remove sheet from oven; transfer chicken to large platter. Return vegetables to oven and continue to roast until potatoes are browned on bottom, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Let vegetables cool on sheet for 5 minutes.
- Toss vegetables with dressing and juices on sheet; transfer to platter with chicken. Microwave honey until warm and loose in texture, about 15 seconds. Brush skin side of chicken with honey. Sprinkle vegetables with cotija and pepitas. Serve.
for the chicken and vegetables
for the dressing
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Chicken and Vegetables
Dressing
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken and Vegetables
Dressing
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken and Vegetables
Dressing
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
The key to a successful sheet-pan dinner is getting the cooking times for all the ingredients on the same schedule. We chose bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for the flavor and moisture that the skin and bone add to the tender breast meat. To give the chicken some southwestern character, we seasoned it with a mixture of salt and pepper, chili powder for kick, cumin for warmth, and dried oregano for herbal depth. We cut the sweet potatoes into sizable half-moons so that they wouldn't cook too quickly and then tossed them with sliced poblano chiles, olive oil, and salt. To avoid soggy potatoes and overcooked chiles, we arranged the poblanos in the middle of the baking sheet and put the chicken on top of them. We positioned the sweet potatoes around the perimeter of the sheet (where it's hotter), uncovered by the chicken, to ensure that everything cooked at a similar rate and that the potatoes were browned and tender. Positioning the spiced chicken atop the poblanos had another benefit: The savory chicken juices that released during cooking carried some of the seasoning down onto the chiles below. For a boost in flavor, we whipped up a bright cilantro-lime dressing to toss with the roasted vegetables. And we brushed the chicken with warmed honey to give it a touch of sweetness that highlighted the spices. To crown the dish, we sprinkled a little cotija cheese and some crunchy pepitas on top.
Before You Begin
Look for poblano chiles that are about 4 ounces each. If your chili powder is salt-free, increase the amount of salt on the chicken in step 2 to 2 teaspoons and decrease the amount of chili powder to 1½ teaspoons. You can substitute feta cheese for the cotija cheese, if desired.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Toss potatoes, poblanos, oil, and ¾ teaspoon salt together on prepared sheet. Arrange sweet potatoes around perimeter of sheet and poblanos in center of sheet in even layer.
- Combine chili powder, oregano, cumin, pepper, and remaining 1teaspoon salt in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place over poblanos on sheet. Sprinkle chicken all over with spice mixture. Roast, skin side up, until chicken registers 160 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes.
- While chicken and vegetables are roasting, whisk all ingredients together in bowl.
- Remove sheet from oven; transfer chicken to large platter. Return vegetables to oven and continue to roast until potatoes are browned on bottom, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Let vegetables cool on sheet for 5 minutes.
- Toss vegetables with dressing and juices on sheet; transfer to platter with chicken. Microwave honey until warm and loose in texture, about 15 seconds. Brush skin side of chicken with honey. Sprinkle vegetables with cotija and pepitas. Serve.
for the chicken and vegetables
for the dressing
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