Sheet Pan Maple Apricot Chicken

Sheet Pan Maple Apricot Chicken and Vegetables is a crazy delicious and easy weeknight dinner that all cooks in one pan!

This Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies might be my favorite chicken sheet pan dinner ever because the marinade that doubles as the glaze is TO LIVE FOR!  It’s sweet and tangy with just the right punch of heat for juicy, multidimensional flavor.  You can prep the entire dinner ahead of time for a dump and cook dinner that comes together in minutes with ZERO hands on cook time!  You can also make meal prep bowls for instant lunch or dinner!

 

Sheet Pan Chicken

Are you converted to sheet pan dinners yet?  I am a huge fan, as evidenced my long list of sheet pan dinners listed below:

I love sheet pan dinners for many reasons, namely they are:

• Healthy
• Quick
• Easy
• No hands on cooking
• A meal-in-one
• Mostly prep ahead
• Snap to clean up
• Clean out the veggie drawer dinner
• Great for meal prep

And this Maple Apricot Sheet Pan Chicken is no exception!  It is simple to make for all those nights you don’t feel like cooking, or those hectic nights when you don’t have time for cooking, or when you would rather watch Netflix than do a pile of dirty dishes.  But, above all,  this Sheet Pan Chicken is DELICIOUS.

This Sheet Pan Chicken is all about the maple apricot sauce – OH MY YUM.  It is a slightly adapted version of the marinade in my Chipotle Maple Chicken and I have been eager to use it in another form ever since because I am obsessed!  It is sweet, tangy and spicy.  It’s multidimensional flavor doubles as the marinade to tenderize and infuse your chicken (AND  veggies!) with flavor and later as a glaze to give your chicken even more flavor.

How to Make Sheet Pan Chicken

• Whisk together all of the Marinade ingredients.
  • The marinade/ Chipotle Apricot Maple Glaze consists of pure maple syrup (not the imitation breakfast kind), apricot preserves (my favorite secret ingredient), orange juice, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and a bevy of spicy which pack a punch of flavor.

• Add ⅓ cup marinade to a large freezer bag or shallow dish along with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk together and add chicken.  Turn to evenly coat.  Marinate while you prep your veggies at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.
  • Marinating the chicken infuses otherwise bland chicken with flavor and ensures juicy chicken – as long as you don’t overcook it. It is ideal to marinate the chicken for 6 hours but if you are short on time, then just marinate the chicken while you prep the veggies.

• Add sweet potatoes and green beans to a lightly greased foil lined sheet pan. Drizzle veggies evenly with ¼ cup Reserved Marinade and olive oil. Toss until evenly combined then spread in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes.
  • Adding some of the reserved marinade to the vegetables ensures flavorful green beans and sweet potatoes as well – again, without double work!

• Remove pan from oven and push veggies to the side to make room for the chicken in the center of the pan (keep veggies in a single layer). Add chicken in a single layer.Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on size of chicken) OR until chicken is cooked through, and vegetables are tender.
  • It is important to not overcook your chicken or it won’t be as juicy (see tips and trick below). IF your chicken is done cooking and your veggies aren’t (for whenever reason), then remove chicken and continue to cook veggies.
• Brush cooked chicken with Reserved Marinade and serve with reserved Marinade/Glaze (because trust me, you won’t be able to get enough!).  Chicken Sheet Pan is delicious as is or with rice/quinoa.

Tips for Sheet Pan Chicken

• Correct Pan Size:  It is important to use a rimmed jelly roll pan which measures 15 x 21 inches.  The size of the sheet pan matters because we want our ingredients to fit on the pan in a single layer without being overcrowded.  If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, you can use 2 smaller pans.
• Easy Cleanup:  Line your sheet pan with foil to make cleanup a breeze.
• Chicken tenders:  You don’t have to use exactly 1 ½ pounds, so don’t worry too much about that.  The important thing is to not overcrowd your pan – you want to give your chicken a little breathing room so it’s not touching each other.
• Can I use chicken breasts?  Yes!  Pound your chicken breasts to an even thickness and slice into 2-3 strips to create your own chicken tenders.
• Sweet Potatoes: It is important to chop your sweet potatoes small so they are nice and tender by the end of cooking.  If your potatoes aren’t tender when the chicken is cooked through, then no fear! Simply remove the chicken and green beans from the pan and continue to cook the potatoes until tender.

• Green beans:  The green beans and sweet potatoes take roughly the same time to cook.  The green beans will shrivel and not look too pretty but, they will still remain crisp tender.  IF you like them even crispier, then remove them when desired.

• Mix up the veggies:  You are welcome to use whatever veggies you have on hand, just be aware of the cooking times.
• Chipotle Chili Powder.  The chipotle chili powder adds a smoky heat to balance out the sweet maple and is a tantalizing must in this recipe.  I think ½ teaspoon has as nice kick and would suggest this to most readers because you can add less glaze at the end if you want less heat.  If you know you don’t like spice at all then use ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder.
• Meat thermometer: No one likes dry chicken, so be sure to check it with a meat thermometer.  If you don’t have a meat thermometer, I HIGHLY recommend you pick one up at your grocery store today, they come in so handy!  If you don’t have one, then you can slice a piece of chicken to check for doneness as well, but the problem is you don’t know how long it’s been done!
• Prep ahead:  You can marinate the chicken, trim the green beans and chop the sweet potatoes, so all that’s left to do at dinner time is to dump the ingredients onto the baking sheet and cook!  If you chop the sweet potatoes, keep them submerged in cool water in the refrigerator so they don’t brown.
• Meal prep:  Easily turn your Sheet Pan Chicken dinner into meal prep by dividing the chicken and veggies and optional rice/quinoa into sealable containers then top with remaining Glaze.  

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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com

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Sheet Pan Maple Apricot Chicken

Sheet Pan Maple Apricot Chicken and Vegetables is a crazy delicious and easy weeknight dinner that cooks in one pan! It is sweet and tangy with just the right punch of heat for juicy, multidimensional flavor.  You can prep the entire dinner ahead of time for a dump and cook dinner that comes together in minutes with ZERO hands on cook time!  You can also make meal prep bowls for instant lunch or dinner!  

Servings: 6 servings

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Chicken and Veggies

• 1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders (6-8 tenders)
• 3/4 lb. green beans ends trimmed
• 3 cups sweet potatoes chopped into ¼-½” cubes (no bigger!)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Marinade/Glaze

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup not the imitation breakfast kind
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 3 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. EACH garlic pwdr, onion pwdr, dried basil, salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Instructions

• Whisk together all of the Marinade ingredients. Add ⅓ cup marinade to a large freezer bag or shallow dish along with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk together and add chicken. Turn to evenly coat. Marinate while you prep your veggies at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours (the longer the more flavorful). Let chicken sit at room temperature 15 minutes before cooking. Refrigerate remaining marinade/sauce separately.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a Jelly Roll Pan (15 x 21") with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Add sweet potatoes and green beans. Drizzle veggies evenly with ¼ cup Reserved Marinade and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss until evenly combined then spread into a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
• Remove pan from oven and push veggies to the sides to make room for the chicken in the center of the pan (keep veggies in a single layer). Add chicken in a single layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on size of chicken) OR until chicken is cooked through, and vegetables are tender.
• Brush cooked chicken with Reserved Marinade. Serve with reserved Marinade/Sauce. Chicken Sheet Pan is delicious as is or with rice/quinoa.

Notes

• Correct Pan Size:  It is important to use a rimmed jelly roll pan which measures 15 x 21 inches.  The size of the sheet pan matters because we want our ingredients to fit on the pan in a single layer without being overcrowded.  If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, you can use 2 smaller pans.
• Chicken tenders:  You don’t have to use exactly 1 ½ pounds, so don’t worry too much about that.  The important thing is to not overcrowd your pan – you want to give your chicken a little breathing room so it’s not touching each other.
• Can I use chicken breasts?  Yes!  Pound your chicken breasts to an even thickness and slice into 2-3 strips to create your own chicken tenders.
• Sweet Potatoes: It is important to chop your sweet potatoes small so they are nice and tender by the end of cooking.  If your potatoes aren’t tender when the chicken is cooked through, then no fear! Simply remove the chicken and green beans from the pan and continue to cook the potatoes until tender.
• Green beans:  The green beans and sweet potatoes take roughly the same time to cook.  The green beans will shrivel and not look too pretty but, they will still remain crisp tender.  IF you like them even crispier, then remove them when desired.
• Mix up the veggies:  You are welcome to use whatever veggies you have on hand, just be aware of the cooking times.
• Chipotle Chili Powder.  The chipotle chili powder adds a smoky heat to balance out the sweet maple and is a tantalizing must in this recipe.  I think ½ teaspoon has as nice kick and would suggest this to most readers because you can add less glaze at the end if you want less heat.  If you know you don’t like spice at all then use ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder.
• Meat thermometer: No one likes dry chicken, so be sure to check it with a meat thermometer.  If you don’t have a meat thermometer, I HIGHLY recommend you pick one up at your grocery store today, they come in so handy!  If you don’t have one, then you can slice a piece of chicken to check for doneness as well, but the problem is you don’t know how long it’s been done!
• Prep ahead:  You can marinate the chicken, trim the green beans and chop the sweet potatoes, so all that’s left to do at dinner time is to dump the ingredients onto the baking sheet and cook!  If you chop the sweet potatoes, keep them submerged in cool water in the refrigerator so they don’t brown.
• Meal prep:  Easily turn your Sheet Pan Chicken dinner into meal prep by dividing the chicken and veggies and optional rice/quinoa into sealable containers then top with remaining Glaze.  

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