Sheet-Pan Chicken With Jammy Tomatoes and Pancetta

By Melissa Clark

Updated April 28, 2020

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. (Photography and Styling)
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Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(4,896)
Comments
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In this relatively speedy sheet-pan dinner, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are seasoned with a savory, cumin-scented spice mix and roasted with whole garlic cloves and cherry tomatoes, which turn soft and sweet in the oven’s heat. If you have ripe summer cherry tomatoes, you can skip the brown sugar. If you’d rather use boneless chicken breasts, reduce the cooking time by about 5 to 7 minutes. This makes a light meal on its own, but you can add rice or crusty bread, and maybe a salad, if you need something more substantial.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

  • 9 whole unpeeled garlic cloves

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving

  • 1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)

  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes (preferably different colors), halved

  • 2 ounces diced pancetta or bacon

  • ¼ cup torn fresh dill, parsley or other herbs, for serving

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

9 grams carbs; 169 milligrams cholesterol; 361 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 512 milligrams sodium; 37 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken all over with salt, and place on a rimmed baking sheet.

  2. Step 2

    Smash all the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and peel them. Finely grate one garlic clove and put it in a small bowl. Stir in the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, paprika, oregano, brown sugar (if using) and cumin. Pour over chicken, tossing to coat.

  3. Step 3

    Add tomatoes and remaining smashed, peeled garlic cloves to baking sheet, spreading them out around the chicken. Season tomatoes lightly with salt and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Scatter pancetta on top.

  4. Step 4

    Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir the tomatoes and pancetta, but don’t disturb the chicken.

  5. Step 5

    Transfer chicken to plates. Stir the tomatoes and pancetta around in the pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom and sides, and stir in the herbs and black pepper to taste. Taste and add salt, if needed, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if you like. Spoon tomatoes, garlic and pancetta over the chicken to serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,896 user ratings
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Comments

ithaca boxer

If you have time to let the chicken marinate in the spices, lemon juice, and olive oil, even for an hour, it makes a big difference. I added cayenne to raise the heat and bit of arugula at the end to brighten it up a bit.

Staci

Great recipe for a solo eater (or many), and very simple to make and clean up. I made a bit more of the vinaigrette and added cauliflower to roast along with the tomatoes. Served over rice. Delicious. Remaining chicken will get chopped up and added to rice bowls for lunch during the week. Love these sheet pan meals, keep the recipes coming!

Jason

This is a winner with my family. Made some slight modifications due to pandemic pantry supplies. 1) Used smoked paprika instead of sweet. Fantastic. 2) Didn't have pancetta or bacon or garlic. Family doesn't like garlic and I have to say it was wonderful with the smoky flavor from the smoked paprika even without the bacon/pancetta. 3) Used 3x the amount of tomatoes. My view of roasted cherry tomatoes, more = better.

K Gardner

If you use smoked paprika sprinkle a bit of sherry vinegar on the veg before serving. It brightens it nicely! We add either potatoes or sweet potatoes plus some shallots to the tomatoes.

JMS

I served it on top of orzo that I mixed in the amazing, jammy tomato sauce. Delicious!

Jodi

This was wonderful, quick, and very easy. Served in a shallow bowl over spaghetti, which was necessary since the sauce was quite brothy with the final splash of a very juicy lemon. We mopped up the sauce with a toasted baguette and used dried Greek oregano instead of fresh herbs.

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