Citrus and Thyme Sheet Pan Chicken Drumsticks and Potatoes
Sheet pan chicken and potatoes are flavored with a citrus and thyme marinade that gives this one pan meal amazing flavor. The chicken is bright and citrusy with smoky hints of paprika, cumin and coriander.
Don’t forget - the chicken drumsticks need to marinate 12 to 24 hours (the longer the better) so make the marinade the night before.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Sheet Pan Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds chicken drumsticks (10 to 15 drumsticks)
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1/3 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed, if possible)
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 medium lemons)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with your palm
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 red onion, peeled and sliced in half, then slice each half into 4 wedges and pull apart the pieces
- 1 to 2 pounds baby, marble or fingerling potatoes*
Instructions
*Buy the smallest potatoes you can find, like baby "marble” potatoes often sold in a small mesh bag. Fingerlings work too. The idea is that you don’t want to cut or slice the potatoes, you just want to dump them right on the sheet pan. The smaller the potato, the more likely that it will cook completely while the drumsticks bake.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients: soy sauce, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, orange juice, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic and thyme. Pour the marinade over the chicken drumsticks, either in a large baking pan or in a ziploc plastic bag or two. Put the chicken in the refrigerator and marinate 12 to 24 hours (the longer the better).
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- For easier clean-up, cover two rimmed sheets pans pans in parchment.
- Divide the potatoes and red onion between two sheet pans. Toss in a light coating of olive oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Take the chicken out of the marinade (discard marinade) and evenly space the drumsticks out on the rimmed sheets pans with the potatoes and red onion. Use tongs to pluck the garlic cloves out of the marinade and place the garlic on the sheet pan too.
- Roast until the drumsticks are nicely browned and the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes.
Notes
This recipe can also be made with bone-in chicken thighs or chicken legs. Chicken legs will need a slightly longer cooking time.
