Sheet-Pan Roast Chicken With Tangy Greens

By Sarah Copeland

Updated October 10, 2023

  • Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Rating
5(651)
Comments
Read comments

Chicken quarters are the unsung hero of weeknight dinners. In under an hour, they roast evenly, yielding consistently crisp skin with juicy insides. Curry powder and red-pepper flakes meld with the cooking juices, creating an effortless sauce directly in the pan, perfect for serving over the meat and tossing with greens for a fast, flavor-drenched side. The pickle brine from a jar of bread-and-butter pickles (or a splash of standard apple cider vinegar) lends a tangy finish to the greens. For this recipe, choose slightly larger and fattier chicken leg quarters to ensure enough pan drippings — and luscious schmaltz in every bite. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus for drizzling 

  • 6 garlic cloves

  • 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for finishing

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes 

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters (2 ½ to 3 pounds) 

  • 10 ounces chopped fresh kale leaves or other braising greens (about 6 packed cups)

  • ½ cup pitted or unpitted green olives (optional) 

  • 2 tablespoons bread-and-butter pickle brine or apple cider vinegar 

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

4 grams carbs; 193 milligrams cholesterol; 538 calories; 20 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 42 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 642 milligrams sodium; 35 grams protein

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 the oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl or heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, combine 3 tablespoons olive oil with the garlic, curry powder, salt, pepper and red-pepper flakes. Add chicken and toss well to coat. (If time allows, you can refrigerate the chicken in the marinade overnight, for deeper flavor.) Add one more tablespoon of oil if the chicken is lean or on the small side.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, laying the chicken legs skin-side up and scattering the garlic among them. Roast until golden brown and just cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes, turning the pan front to back once about halfway through cooking for even browning. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees.)

  4. Step 4

    Transfer the chicken to a platter or four plates to rest. Add the greens, olives (if using) and brine to the baking sheet; toss to coat in the cooking juices, then roast until wilted, bright green and slightly crispy on some of the edges, 5 minutes. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.

  5. Step 5

    Serve the greens with the chicken, scraping any excess juices from the pan to drizzle over the top.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
651 user ratings
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Comments

Madeleine W.

This was delicious and easy, the whole family loved it. I ended up using 6 thighs because they were out of quarters. Only thing I would change is it was just a *tad too salty, and I would cut down the curry powder by a pinch or too. Also to make the meal more robust, I thinly sliced gold potatoes, tossed them in oil, and put them around the edge of the sheet to cook with the chicken. They soaked up some of the juices, not too much, and also got a little brown and crispy. Highly recommend!

Fran

Won't peeled garlic cloves burn in 40 minutes at 425?

AW

Can you use chicken breasts , bone in, skin on ? Adjust cooking temp or time?

NTP

My version: I pureed the garlic, and added some turmeric to round out the garam masala. Marinaded the chicken legs as written and added peels of one lemon and 1TBS of lemon juice, then cut slits in the leg, pushed some of the garlic puree in it and added a small sliver of butter in the slit. Baked as instructed. Then in a pan, sauted some finely chopped garlic, added 2 TBs of chickpea flower, roasted, added a handful of spinach, salt pepper, drippings, broth. Boiled to perfection. Yumm!

Mr Bean

Like so many other NYT sheet pan recipes, I find it nearly impossible to toss floppy springy greens into a hot sheet pan, especially when there are hot drippings in it. Plan on emptying the sheet pan drippings into a large bowl with the greens, mix them well, then put them back on the pan.

Tom Hobbes

I made this today and was very pleased. I usually follow a recipe as published the first time I make it. I made the marinade in the morning and put it in a 1 gallon Ziplock bag with the chicken so it could marinate during the day. I found that the marinade didn’t distribute well, and ended up putting the chicken quarters on the sheet pan and spreading it out with a brush to get it to cover all the chicken leg/thigh quarters. Thanks to other posters for suggesting adding sliced potatoes.

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