This flavor-packed rosemary chicken and vegetables is a winner on all fronts! It takes one sheet pan, and you’ll love the comforting Mediterranean flavors from piney rosemary, garlic, warm spices, a splash of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
If you ask my husband or one of your closest friends, they’ll probably tell you I’m dubbed “the one-pan queen.” I do use my cast iron skillet as much as I use my sheet pan, but you get the idea–fewer dishes is always my goal!
For me, the struggle of making a meal is all about the cleanup. I will happily cook dinner on one condition: eaters be ready to roll up your sleeves! That’s why I much prefer meals like baked chicken with chickpeas or this rosemary chicken and vegetables. This rosemary roasted chicken dinner has all the components for a complete meal baked all at once–using far fewer dishes and little hands-on time!
You’ll love the comforting Mediterranean flavors from rosemary, garlic, warm spices, and of course, a splash of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. I guarantee, this dish will become a regular in your meal rotation!
Let me tell you a bit more about this delicious rosemary chicken…
Rosemary Chicken with Veggies: A One-Pan-Wonder
This tasty, comforting garlic rosemary chicken and veggies has three simple components:
1. Chicken
For this baked rosemary chicken recipe, I used bone-in leg quarters. I often find dark meat will stay tender and juicy in a dish like this, compared to white meat portions.
But, this dish will work with whatever you have on hand, be sure to see my roasting tips below for best results.
2. Vegetables
We’re just staying with the classics here: Potatoes (I used fingerling potatoes here, which are smaller in size), carrots, and onions. Loads of comfort.
You can change things up and use cubed sweet potatoes or even cubed butternut squash.
3. Mediterranean Flavor Makers
To me, what really seals the deal on this dish is the bright, yet comforting flavored that are layered here.
First, the chicken is seasoned well with kosher salt before applying fresh minced garlic (10 garlic cloves) underneath the skin. This is a trick that adds a ton of flavor, but also protects the garlic from burning.
Garlic gives sweetness (especially when it’s roasted like we have in this recipe) and aroma that balances so well with the rosemary. Then, we apply our beautiful spice mixture–rosemary, coriander, black pepper, and just a pinch of nutmeg–all over the chicken, and of course underneath the skin. (I like to use a bit of the same spice mixture on the veggies as well).
A splash of lemon juice is the perfect complement to all the warm flavors and really plays up the piney goodness of rosemary.
Rosemary for Flavor and Health!
Many people order rosemary garlic chicken in restaurants, but they shy away from using rosemary when making chicken at home.
If you have cooked with rosemary before, likely it was with a beef or lamb dish. Rosemary is well-known to pair well with red meats because its slightly bitter and piney flavor can hold up to heavier meats.
Using it as the main flavor in this rosemary roasted chicken recipe can be an excellent starring flavor without overpowering the chicken. Absolutely delicious!
Rosemary has so many health benefits, also. The plant’s medicinal use goes back to ancient times in the Mediterranean. Today, rosemary is used in so many ways because of its amazing benefits that help prevent infections and cancers, reduce inflammation, and even acts as a natural pain reliever.
I use all-natural dry rosemary in this recipe because I always have it on hand. You can find the one I use at our online shop here.
Quick Guidelines for How to Bake or Roast Chicken
One question people frequently ask is “when is my chicken done?” Regardless of what cut of chicken you end up using in this sheet pan chicken and vegetables recipe, it’s always a good idea to use an instant-read thermometer to find out whether your chicken is done. Baked chicken is ready when its internal temperature (at the thickest part) registers 165 degrees F.
As I said earlier, I used chicken legs for this recipe, but I thought I’d share super quick guidelines for baking with the different cuts of chicken in this recipe:
– How to Bake Chicken Legs or Thighs
If just using chicken legs or thighs, follow the recipe below and bake in a 400 degree F heated-oven for 30 minutes, then check to see if chicken is done at this point (depending on your oven, it could be a bit longer.)
– How to Bake Chicken Breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
With bone-in, skin-on chicken breast pieces, I learned that a lower-temperature oven produced better results and juicer chicken. Somewhere around 350 degrees F was better. Cooking time will vary, but somewhere around 40 to 45 minutes or so (start checking earlier using an instant-read thermometer.)
Can I Use Boneless Chicken in this Rosemary Chicken Recipe?
By now, some of you are asking “can I use boneless chicken pieces in this recipe?” And the answer is sure! It’s not my preference for this recipe, but it will work.
Boneless chicken does take less time to bake. One thing to do here is to bake veggies first for say 10 to 15 minutes or so, then add the boneless chicken pieces to your sheet pan and bake until chicken is done and the juices run dry (depending on how many pieces and the size, this could take 20 minutes or so.)
Also, because most boneless chicken packages are also skinless, I like to apply a little bit more extra virgin olive oil to protect the garlic and spices from burning or drying up too much.
With all the basics covered, here’s how to make this rosemary chicken step-by-step…
How to Make the Best Rosemary Chicken
Prepare and Season Chicken
- Pat chicken dry and season with kosher salt on both sides and underneath the skin, then add the fresh minced garlic underneath the skin also.
- Mix the spices together in a small bowl (reserve about 1 tsp of the spice mixture for later). Season the chicken quarters on both sides and under the skin with the spice mix. Add lemon juice and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (give a little rub to distribute the lemon juice and olive oil.)
Tip: if you have the time leave the chicken pieces to rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This will yield better results, especially if you use chicken breast, as baking cold chicken can tend to dry out the pieces and cause the meat to be tough.
- In a large bowl, mix the vegetables together and drizzle with olive oil (I prefer using Private Reserve Greek EVOO), season with a pinch of kosher salt and coat with the remaining spice mix.
- Although this baked rosemary chicken dish uses potatoes and carrots, you can use other root vegetables you have on hand (Sweet potatoes, rutabaga, beets, and parsnips are all great substitutes, just be sure the veggies are cut to smaller pieces that are of equal size)
- Arrange the vegetables on the pan with chicken pieces in between.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is done and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the thickest part.
- Tip: for crispier skin, cook the chicken thoroughly and place under the broiler for a couple of minutes or so.
What to Serve with this Rosemary Roasted Chicken?
The idea behind a sheet-pan dinner like this is you get both the main course and the side cooked all at once! You don’t need to add much else to complete this delicious meal, really.
That said, I always love to serve a big bowl of salad to start with. I often make my Lazy Mediterranean Salad, but if it’s fall, I’m all for this easy Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Arugula salad! And if you really want something more, I would recommend a side of Lebanese rice.
Leftovers?
This rosemary garlic chicken dish is so delicious, it’s hard to believe there would be anything left! But if you end up with any, keep leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 4 days and frozen for up to one month.
Looking for more chicken dinners? Try this Citrus Rosemary Chicken. Lots more ideas here!
Print
Rosemary Roasted Chicken Recipe with Vegetables
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 5 to 6 people 1x
Description
Comforting, flavor-packed roasted rosemary chicken recipe and vegetable all in one sheet pan. Be sure to review the step-by-step photos and tips in the post!
Ingredients
For Spice Mixture
- 2 tbsp dry rosemary
- 2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¾ tsp nutmeg
For Chicken
- 3 lb chicken pieces (I used bone in pieces, 5 thighs and 5 drumsticks)
- Kosher Salt
- 10 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lemon, juice of
- Extra virgin olive oil (I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO)
- 10 fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
- 5 to 6 carrots, peeled and halved
- 1 yellow onion, cut into large pieces or slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix spices. Reserve 1 tsp of spice mixture to the side for now.
- Pat chicken pieces dry and season with kosher salt on both sides, and make sure to get some salt underneath the skin. Lift chicken skin up and add minced garlic underneath (this provides a lot of flavor and protects the garlic from burning in the oven. Now seasons chicken with the spice mixture all over, making sure to get some of it also underneath the skin. (remember to keep 1 tsp of the spice mixture aside for the vegetables.)
- Arrange chicken pieces on a lightly oiled large sheet pan. Add lemon juice and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (give a little rub to distribute the lemon juice and olive oil.)
- In a large bowl, mix the vegetables (potatoes, carrots, and onions) with the remaining 1 tsp of spice mixture, a dash of salt, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Toss to combine, then transfer to sheetpan with the chicken. Arrange everything on the pan in one layer.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked (check at the earlier mark so you don’t over-cook the chicken. Using an instant-read thermometer, inserted at the thickest part of the chicken, it should register register 165 degrees F.) If you like a little more color, place the sheetpan under the broiler briefly and watch carefully.
- Remove from heat and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook’s Tip: If you have the time, once seasoned, let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
- To use chicken breast pieces instead: It helps to cut the pieces to smaller portions. Also With bone-in, skin-on chicken breast pieces, a lower-temperature oven produces better results and juicer chicken. Somewhere around 350 degrees F was better. Cooking time will vary, but somewhere around 40 to 45 minutes or so (start checking earlier using an instant-read thermometer.)
- Cook’s Tip for Using Fresh Rosemary: If you choose to use fresh rosemary, start with a smaller amount as it is more fragrant than dried rosemary.
- Visit our Online Shop to browse our extra virgin olive oils, all-natural and organic spices for Mediterranean cooking and more!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in October of 2015 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers’ benefit. Enjoy!
I have fresh rosemary from my garden. How would I adjust the recipe to use fresh instead of dried? This sounds delicious!
Hi Sheryl, Generally speaking, dried herbs are more concentrated and potent, so you’ll probably need more fresh rosemary 2 to 3 times the amount listed for dried. I hope this helps.
Dear Suzy,
I am from the Czech Republic and I would like to thank you for wonderful recipes. I love Mediterranean dishes and I follow your recipes carefully on Pinterest. They are amazing and are very tasty. I thank you very much.
Sincerely, a friend from Prague Vlada 🙂
Thank you so much for the kind note! It means a whole lot to me!
Very good, easy to make, the flavors were great. I used a whole chicken, and cut it up.
Wonderful, Jim! Yes, you can totally use a whole chicken instead here. Glad you enjoyed it.
This looks amazing! Just wanted to know if I can use chicken breast instead? Can’t wait to try it out!
Hi Anna. Thank you! Yes, you can use chicken breast instead…the cooking time will vary depending on the size of the breasts, but just watch for internal temp between 165 F to 170 degrees F. Enjoy!
Just having this recipe now. Everyone loved it! Thanks for posting.
Oh My Gosh is all I can say about this recipe!!! This is the first time I have tried a roasted chicken recipe and this is the absolutely best thing I have tasted since brownies lol! This may be the first and only one recipe I will use for roasted chicken! It tasted like candy it was do delicious I might have to have chicken for dessert!! Thanks so much for this recipe and was super simple and easy! YUMMY!
Maria, you made me smile! Thank you. For my rosemary chicken to rival brownies…now that’s a big deal! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
What a delicious chicken! Packed with flavors and aromas! My type of meal for sure!
Katerina, thank you so much, friend! Glad you liked it.
I live in a small rural town, and have no access to Meyer lemons. Can I use a regular lemon? Thank you!
Sure, Mary Ellen! In general, regular lemons are larger than Meyer lemons. It will be just fine if you have a little more lemon juice in this recipe!
THE CLEAN-UP!!! That’s always the killer isn’t it!!! Last night I made the most incredible steak dinner annnnd then I had to clean-up 🙁 That cast iron pan is still in the sink 🙂 This dish is so right up my alley…when I was eating meat, I would have been able to eat 3 chicken pieces like this and scarf down the potatoes and veggies and be happy and full. Love this dish !!!
I am glad i’m not the only one who doesn’t love the cleanup! Thanks for stopping in, Mila!
Can you cut down on the olive oil? Is it any good with skinless (boring but less fatty) chicken?
Sure, Beth! You will notice I don’t really specify how much olive oil. Just enough so the chicken is not too dry once roasted. The juice in the pan is mostly olive oil and lemon juice flavored with the rosemary from the roasted chicken. My family enjoys a little of it with a nice rustic Italian bread. But again, you can certainly discard the juice.
Yes, you can try it skinless. I actually keep the skin on because I like to have the herbs and spices tucked under the skin. But I typically remove the skin once ready to eat! So it’s up to you again.
I really like roast chicken dinner. It’s like going back to visit grandma and every bite is a delicious memory of my childhood. Our chicken dinners didn’t have Mediterranean flavors when I was growing up in Maine but tender succulent chicken dishes like this are wonderful. Your children will one day feel the same about this chicken.
Thank you, Maureen! What a sweet memory to share. There is something so comforting and special about a simple roast chicken meal, isn’t there? Thanks again, friend.
Saw your email. Had all the ingredients on hand. Made this for lunch today. DELICIOUS!!!!
That’s awesome, Rich! So glad you liked it! And thank you for taking the time to let me know!!!
Can’t wait to try this-looks yummy!
Yay! I hope you’ll like it!!!
Sunday dinner oh yea!
I hear you! This is the perfect Sunday dinner. Simple and cozy!
Making this now. Smells delicious!
Wow! Awesome, Rich! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!
This look delicious! I love rosemary with chicken. 🙂
Thank you, Shari! Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs.