Total Time 1¼ hours Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 1 hour

This sheet-pan recipe cooks chicken thighs much like roast chicken, setting the thighs in the center of a pan to cook slowly, seasoning the surrounding vegetables with their drippings as they turn golden. The chicken thus cooks in the oven, undisturbed — ideal for multitasking needs and tired nights — until the skin is impossibly crisp. It’s not necessary to push the vegetables around halfway, as the exposed parts might look crisped, but inside they are soft and full of delicious flavor as they cook in a light, mustard-flavored broth that ensures sauciness. Substitute other hearty vegetables like potatoes, brussels sprouts or mix and match with what you have lingering in the fridge.

Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings

1¼ to 1½pounds sweet potatoes (2 small/medium), unpeeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
1 small red onion, halved then cut into ½-inch wedges
4 to 6garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2½ to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 lime, halved
¼ cup cilantro or parsley leaves and tender stems, gently torn or chopped

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss the sweet potatoes, onion and garlic with the olive oil and season lightly with salt.
Step 2
In a measuring cup, whisk the broth and mustard together until mostly smooth. Add to the pan, mixing everything together so nothing looks dry.
Step 3
Pat the chicken really, really dry, especially the skin. Nestle the chicken skin-side up between the vegetables so it has contact with the pan. (It’s OK if it’s crowded.) Season the skin with the oregano, paprika and some salt, patting them to adhere to the skin. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil.
Step 4
Cook until the chicken skin is very crispy and the vegetables fork-tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the thighs. Rotate the pan halfway if some parts of the pan look dry.
Step 5
Squeeze half a lime over everything, and cut the remaining lime half into wedges for serving. Garnish with the cilantro and serve, stirring and scraping up anything on the bottom of the pan to spoon over the chicken and vegetables.