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I wanted a quick, healthy meal with just a few ingredients, and this one-pan dinner was perfect. It was ready in under an hour. I served it with a tomato avocado salad but feel free to serve it with the salad or sides of your choice!
If you love quick and easy sheet pan dinners, check out this sheet pan chicken and vegetables and baked chicken tender fajitas!
Table of Contents
I feel intimidated about spatchcocking a chicken, can I use something else instead of a whole chicken?
I promise, spatchcocking a chicken is really easy (I’ll walk you through it step by step in the recipe card)! It also helps the chicken cook much faster than roasting it whole. But if you’re not comfortable doing it, no worries at all.
You can use:
- Chicken thighs (super juicy and forgiving)
- Chicken drumsticks
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
- Boneless thighs if you want to keep it extra simple
Some Ingredients You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and complete instructions.
- Chicken – I used a 5-lb whole chicken, but any chicken between 3–7 lbs will work for this recipe. If you’re using a larger chicken, cook it in a heavy skillet instead of a sheet pan, since a sheet pan is too thin to support the weight.
- Sweet Potatoes – Not a fan? Use russet potatoes instead!
- Spice Rub – I made my own spice rub, which I’ll include in the recipe card, but feel free to use your favorite seasoning blend instead. Just make sure to use enough salt!
Top Tips
- Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels, especially the skin. This is what gives you that golden, crispy top.
- Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs and rub seasoning underneath too, not just on top. That’s how you get flavor in the actual meat, not just the skin.
- I like to slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise and roast them cut-side down. They come out much fluffier this way compared to dicing or cutting them into chunks. When you cut them into small pieces, some end up bigger than others, which can cause uneven cooking and overcooked bits. Plus, leaving them in larger halves like this means no peeling required.
- Let it rest! Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it!
- It’s important to take the chicken out of the fridge about 20 minutes before roasting. Starting with less cold chicken helps it cook more evenly.
Storage
Let the chicken and sweet potatoes cool down, but don’t leave them out for more than 2 hours. Put the leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can store them together to keep everything moist, or separately if you want the potatoes to stay a little firmer. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to make them crispy again instead of using the microwave.
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback and would greatly appreciate it ❤️
You can find more delicious recipes and cooking tutorial videos on Youtube and Facebook.
Sheet Pan Spatchcock Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- 9×13 Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 5 lb whole chicken
- 2 sweet potatoes , sliced in half, lengthwise
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt , or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary , finely minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage , finely minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme , finely minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the giblets from the chicken, pat it dry with paper towels, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika, then set aside.
- HOW TO Spatchcock The Chicken…Using kitchen shears, cut from the tail up to the neck along one side of the backbone. Repeat on the other side to fully remove the backbone. Flip the chicken over so the breast is facing up. Place both hands on the breastbone and press down firmly until you hear a crack. This breaks the breastbone so the chicken lays flat. Tuck the wing tips behind the breasts so they don’t burn.
- Place the chicken in the center of the baking sheet. Add the fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage to the melted butter, then brush it all over the chicken, including under and over the skin.
- Season the chicken all over and underneath the skin with the spice mixture.
- Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt to taste. Place them cut-side down on the baking sheet next to the chicken.
- Cook for 50–55 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and enjoy!
Notes
- Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels, especially the skin. This is what gives you that golden, crispy top.
- Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs and rub seasoning underneath too, not just on top. That’s how you get flavor in the actual meat, not just the skin.
- I like to slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise and roast them cut-side down. They come out much fluffier this way compared to dicing or cutting them into chunks. When you cut them into small pieces, some end up bigger than others, which can cause uneven cooking and overcooked bits. Plus, leaving them in larger halves like this means no peeling required.
- Let it rest! Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it!
- It’s important to take the chicken out of the fridge about 20 minutes before roasting. Starting with less cold chicken helps it cook more evenly.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
