Roasting is my preferred method of cooking this time of year because it’s easy and hands-off, plus it creates the most scrumptious caramelized flavors and super tender and juicy meat. Not to mention, it will help keep your kitchen warm and cozy. 😏 This recipe for Roasted Chicken and Vegetables combines budget-friendly bone-in chicken thighs with a medley of winter vegetables and an herb-infused seasonoing for a hearty meal that will keep you full and warm on cold winter nights.
Why I Love This Dish
Roasting absolutely transforms food. It caramelizes the natural sugars in the vegetables, making their flavor deep and sweet. It browns the skin on the chicken making it crispy and delicious, all while keeping the meat inside tender and juicy. Plus, all of that time in the oven allows all of the flavor of the herbs to infuse every bite. It’s ✨magical✨.
The best part, though, is that roasting is very hands-off, meaning you can go take care of other things while the food in the oven working its magic. There’s a little bit of chopping and seasoning in the beginning, but then it just goes into the oven and an hour it comes out delicious! BOOM!
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cozy winter dinner:
- Chicken Thighs: I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe because they are budget-friendly and always turn out super tender and juicy. You can also use chicken drumsticks, but I would avoid boneless or skinless cuts of chicken because they will dry out with this longer cooking time (and you won’t get that beautifully crispy skin!).
- Vegetables: I used a combination of potatoes, carrots, garlic, and onions to create a colorful, filling, and flavorful mix. The potatoes and carrots are firm enough to hold up to the long roasting time, the potatoes absorb all of that amazing flavor, and the garlic and onions get deliciously soft and caramelized in the process. I used tri-colored baby potatoes, but if those are out of budget you can use red potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Herbs and Spices: To add flavor to the chicken and vegetables I added a hefty dose of seasonings including dried basil, dried thyme, dried rosemary, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Every bite will have maximum flavor!
- Olive Oil: Oil helps the seasoning stick to the chicken and vegetables and it also helps prevent them from drying out from the heat of the oven. Instead of shriveled dry vegetables, you’ll get tender caramelized vegetables and crispy chicken skin!
What Kind of Baking Dish to Use
You’ll want to use a very large casserole dish for the roasted chicken and vegetables so the ingredients have good exposure to the hot air. Aim for a dish that is at least 9×13 inches and around 3-4 quarts in volume. Glass or ceramic work best, but if you have a metal casserole dish you may need to reduce the cooking time slightly as the dish will heat up faster. A sheet pan will allow the ingredients to be too far spread out, causing more evaporation and less of the flavorful juices that soak into the potatoes.
How to Store Leftovers
This cozy meal makes a great meal prep, if you are feeding just yourself or have a household of two. Simply divide the chicken and vegetables into single-serving containers after cooking, then refrigerate. The chicken and vegetables will stay good for about four days in the refrigerator and can be reheated quickly in the microwave.
Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
Roasted chicken and vegetables is an easy wintertime dinner with juicy chicken thighs, caramelized vegetables, and an herb-infused seasoning.
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- 24 oz. baby potatoes* ($2.99)
- 2 large carrots ($0.31)
- 1 red onion ($0.80)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.48)
- 2 tsp dried basil ($0.20)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp paprika ($0.02)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs.) ($5.49)
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Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Wash and cut the baby potatoes in half (or, if using larger potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces). Wash and slice the carrots into 1-inch pieces. Peel and cut the red onion into wedges. Peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole.
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Add the olive oil, basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl and stir until well combined.
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Place the prepared vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle half of the seasoning over top. Toss the vegetables until they are fully coated in oil and herbs, then transfer them to a 9×13-inch or larger casserole dish.
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Place the chicken thighs into the same bowl and pour the remaining oil and herbs over top. Toss until the chicken is fully coated, then nestle the chicken down into the vegetables in the casserole dish, making sure the chicken is not covered with vegetables.
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Roast the chicken and vegetables in the preheated 425ºF oven for 40 minutes, then remove the casserole dish and carefully stir the vegetables. Spoon some of the liquid from the bottom of the dish over the chicken, then return the dish to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes or until the chicken skin is golden brown and crispy and the vegetables are browned and caramelized. Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
*To reduce costs you can substitute the baby potatoes with red potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes.
Serving: 1servingCalories: 781kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 41gFat: 52gSodium: 794mgFiber: 6g
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How to Make Roasted Chicken and Vegetables – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Begin by preparing the vegetables. Wash and slice 24 oz. potatoes in half (or into 1-inch pieces if using larger red potatoes). Wash and slice two large carrots into 1-inch pieces. Peel and slice one red onion into wedges. Peel four cloves of garlic and leave them whole.
Prepare the seasoning mix for the chicken and vegetables. In a bowl combine ¼ cup olive oil with 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
Place the prepared vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle half of the seasoning mix over top. Toss the vegetables until they are fully coated in the oil and herbs. Transfer the seasoned vegetables to a very large casserole dish.
Place four bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs.) into the same bowl and pour the remaining seasoning over the top. Toss the chicken thighs until they are fully coated.
Nestle the chicken thighs down into the vegetables in the casserole dish. Make sure the vegetables are not covering the chicken. Transfer the casserole dish to the preheated 425ºF oven.
Roast the chicken and vegetables in the oven for about 40 minutes, then remove the dish and carefully stir the vegetables in the casserole dish and spoon some of the liquid from the bottom of the dish over the chicken. Return the chicken and vegetables to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden and caramelized and the chicken skin is golden and crispy.
(Garnished with parsley for color, not needed for flavor.)
