Sheet Pan Apple Cinnamon Chicken

Sheet Pan Apple Cinnamon Chicken takes your typical chicken and potatoes recipe for dinner and kicks it up, oh, about 3 notches? 4, maybe?

Chicken thighs are marinated in apple cider, apple cider vinegar and cinnamon and then baked atop sweet potatoes, apples and swiss chard.

The aroma of apples and cinnamon in your kitchen is just one perk. You’ll get juicy chicken thighs, tender veggies and a touch of sweetness from the apples.

It’s a crowd-pleasing, happy-family-making feast that just happens to be Paleo, gluten-free, grain-free and Whole30-friendly!

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Sheet Pan Apple Cinnamon Chicken

I’m going to blow your mind for a second: some people don’t like apple pie. I know!

I’m going to confess something: I’m kinda one of those people. I’m just very picky about baked apples and I’m not sure pie is the best way to show them off.

But I do love baked apples in other ways, like cake. (I know: cake but not pie? Yep.)

But I especially love savory recipes with apples. And in this Sheet Pan Apple Cinnamon Chicken, they get tender but not mushy. Their subtle sweetness blends perfectly with the sweet potatoes and balances the savory swiss chard and shallots.

All the veggies get coated in the delicious apple-y, cinnamon-y chicken juices. The sweet potatoes get wonderfully tender and even – dare I say it? – luscious. Any chard leaves sticking up get crispy (kinda like kale chips), adding another surprising texture. Plus the chicken skin will get wonderfully bronzed and crispy which is my favorite part.

Cooking with apples is the new baking with apples.

What you’ll need for Sheet Pan Apple Cinnamon Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2.5-3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 cup 100% apple cider or juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1.5 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
• 1 apple, any kind you like (I prefer Granny Smith or Fuji)
• 2 pounds swiss chard
• 4 shallots shallots
• 1/4 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 3.5 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
• 1.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
• flaky sea salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme (optional)

Equipment:

• a cutting board
• a chef’s knife
• a measuring glass
• measuring spoons
• large resealable bag or container
• a whisk
• a vegetable peeler
• a stainless steel baking sheet
• an instant read thermometer or oven probe thermometer (optional but recommended)

 

How to make this sheet pan apple chicken recipe

In a large resealable bag or container, whisk the apple cider, vinegar and cinnamon with 1.5 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Add the chicken, seal the bag/container and toss to coat the chicken evenly.

Let the chicken marinate at room temperature for up to an hour or overnight in the fridge. Flip the chicken halfway through marinating time.

If you only have 30 minutes, that’s fine. If you can do it overnight, that’s great! No matter how long, make sure the chicken is at room temperature when it’s ready for the oven.

When ready to cook, heat the oven to 425°.

When the oven is heating up, rinse and pat dry the Swiss chard (doesn’t have to be perfectly dry). Separate the leaves from the stems of the Swiss chard and chop both. Place on the baking sheet

Peel and chop the sweet potatoes, shallots and core and chop the apple. Place everything on the baking sheet.

Toss everything with the oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread everything out in one layer.

It’ll seem too packed but that’s okay! Usually you’re told to separate food on a baking sheet so everything roasts instead of steams but we’re doing things a little differently here. We’re rebels that way.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on top of the veggies. Discard the marinade.

Gently pat the chicken dry and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake for 25-32 minutes, depending on the size of the thighs, until a thermometer reaches 175°.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle everything with the fresh thyme, and remove the chicken to a serving platter.

Drizzle the reserved marinade over the veggies and toss to coat. Serve with the chicken.

 

Slow cooker method

You can also make this in the slow cooker on low for 5 hours.

However, the skin won’t get crispy so you might need to remove the chicken to a baking sheet and broil it for 3-5 minutes.

Substitutions

You don’t need every ingredient in the exact measurements in the recipe. Some substitution ideas:

• boneless, skinless chicken thighs – Marinate and cook per the recipe, omitting the step where you pat the chicken dry before baking. You’ll still want to cook them to 175° but it won’t take as long, so check at 20-25 minutes. You won’t get the crispy skin but it’ll still be delicious. Cook on low for 4 hours in a slow cooker, pushing the chicken down a bit into the veggies instead of resting it on top.
• chicken breasts – Marinate and cook per the recipe, but only to 165°. For boneless chicken breasts this may take 20-30 minutes depending on their size; for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (preferred for better flavor and juicier meat), it will take about 30-35 minutes. Cook on low for 4 hours in a slow cooker, pushing the chicken down a bit into the veggies instead of resting it on top.
• apples – if you don’t have an apple to add to the veggies, that’s fine! You can leave it out but I’d add one more medium sweet potato if possible. Or you can try using a pear instead.
• sweet potatoes – try the same amount of butternut, kabocha or delicata squash
• shallots – use a small red onion or omit entirely
• swiss chard – you can use kale instead, but just the leaves. In fact, if you want to make it easier, buy a large bag of pre-washed kale leaves and dump them right onto the baking sheet.

Sheet pan apple chicken to the rescue

There’s many healthy fall recipes for baked chicken with sweet potatoes but adding apples and cinnamon makes this a cozy, comforting recipe that you’ll want to make again and again.

And if you want to follow it up with some apple pie, that’s your call (although it should really be cake).

 

Other recipes you might like:

1. Sheet Pan Chicken, Potatoes and Peas
2. Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
3. Sheet Pan Lemon Salmon with Pesto
4. Sheet Pan Breakfast Hash with Salami

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