Sheet Pan Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

Sheet Pan Parmesan-Crusted Chicken comes complete with a side of hearty vegetables. It's absolutely delicious, easy to prepare, and there's minimal kitchen clean-up. Win-win-win!

Here's what you get on this sheet pan: Juicy chicken with a crispy, flavor-packed crust, enveloped with garlicky-caramelized onions, potatoes and mushrooms -- all with a slight kick of heat from Poblano chiles.

A sheet pan dinner is not unlike other cozy one-pot meals -- a meal that typically doesn't require anything additional on the side.

The main difference: Sheet pan dinners are usually quick-to-cook ingredients, while one-pot dinners often involve longer cooking times.

And what's lovely about both is that you don't have very many dishes to wash!

Ingredient Notes

• Parmesan cheese - For this recipe, the Parmesan should be very finely ground. It will adhere best to the chicken this way, and form a beautiful thin crust.
• dried oregano and thyme - If you prefer to use fresh herbs, use about three times the amount.
• fresh garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which is an indication of old garlic. Substitution: You can use powdered or granulated garlic, if you prefer. Use the same amount.
• red potatoes - Choose those that are firm without sprouts. Substitutions: I love the look of red-skinned potatoes and their small size, but any potato can be substituted, as long as it's cut into very thin, bite-sized pieces.
• crimini mushrooms - I love the earthy flavor the crimini mushrooms add to the mix. Select mushrooms that are firm and smooth and not wet. Substitutions: Button, Shiitake or Portabello mushrooms. If you use Portabellos, be sure to cut them into bite-sized pieces. All of them should be thinly sliced.
• onion - Look for onions that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
• Poblano peppers - These add a fantastic subtle smoky flavor. Choose firm peppers that are deeply colored and slightly shiny. Substitutions: Bell peppers and Anaheims would both work well, and offer a mild flavor.
• boneless, skinless chicken breasts - Fresh raw chicken should be a light pink color with white pieces of fat, little to no odor, soft and moist.

How to Make it

- Coat a sheet pan with the olive oil and add the potatoes, mushrooms, onions, Poblanos, dried thyme, dried oregano and garlic.

- Mix to be sure everything is well coated with the oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, and make four spaces for the chicken.

- Mix the Parmesan cheese with 1 teaspoon of the oregano, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, and 2 teaspoons of the garlic.

- Place the chicken breasts on a clean, dry surface and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Smooth side down, place them, one by one, into the Parmesan mixture and gently press down to coat them.

- As you coat the chicken breasts, place them, crust sides up, on each cleared area on the sheet pan.

- Bake in a 375°F oven and cook just until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

- Remove the chicken breasts from the sheet pan, place them on a plate, and cover with foil. Turn the oven up to 425°F and continue to cook the vegetables until they're golden and slightly crispy.

- Place the chicken back on the sheet pan and place it under the broiler just long enough for the cheese to become golden, about 30 seconds.

Recipe Tip: Only place it under the broiler if the cheese hasn't already become golden during the baking time.

- For a pretty presentation, you can slice the chicken before serving it.

Please note that cooking times will vary, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Ideally the chicken breasts will be about 1 ½-inches thick, but this is just a guideline.

Variations

• Other cheeses. You can try the recipe with Asiago or Pecorino Romano.
• Other herbs. Feel free to experiment with other herbs. I often make the Parmesan crusted chicken with rosemary (fresh or dried), and it's also lovely with basil and marjoram.
• Other cuts of chicken. You can use other cuts of chicken, like thighs (boneless). The cooking time will be a little bit longer because their fat content is higher, in which case there's no need to remove them before the vegetables.
• Other vegetables. You can use all sorts of vegetables, as long as they are cut into pieces that are sized to cook in about the same amount of time as the chicken. Carrots, celery, broccoli and cauliflower would all be delicious.
• Spicy version. The Poblanos offer a bit of heat, but for more of a kick, add a Jalapeño or Serrano pepper. And for a lot more heat, don't remove the seeds.

Serving Suggestions

One of the joys of a sheet pan dinner is that it's a complete meal.

That said, who doesn't love a salad with dinner? My favorites to serve with this dish are Fried Lemon Caesar Salad and Cucumber Avocado Salad.

Other Must-Try Sheet Pan Dinners

I hope you love this Sheet Pan Parmesan-Crusted Chicken as much as my family and I do.

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