This easy sheet pan Chicken and Peppers Recipe combines boneless skinless chicken thighs with sweet peppers, seasonings, and lemon juice to create a bold chicken dinner perfect over rice or pasta and your favorite vegetables for an easy weeknight meal.
Baked chicken recipes are a staple meal in many homes, and for good reason. Chicken is an affordable protein that pairs well with bold flavors like the ones in this sheet pan chicken and peppers recipe or sweeter flavors like the ones used in this sheet pan brown sugar baked chicken.
Skinless boneless chicken recipes like this one are even better because they cut down on prep, cooking time, and general hassle, making them perfect for quick and easy weeknight dinners.
And the dipping sauce can't be forgotten. It's a creamy, cool sour cream-based sauce that pairs perfectly with the bold flavors used to season the chicken.
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Why You'll Love This Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs Recipe
- Limited Ingredients: This recipe uses simple ingredients you can find in your kitchen or any grocery store.
- Quick and Easy: This recipe only takes a few minutes of prep and about 40 minutes in the oven.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: Cooked chicken is freezer-friendly, so you can make a big batch of this chicken and store it for future meals.
- Healthy: This is a high-protein, gluten free recipe that gets its bold flavor from spices, not a ton of fat. When served without rice or pasta, it's also a great low carb option.
- Delicious: The rich flavor of chicken thighs combined with the zesty spices and sweet peppers is absolutely delicious.
Chicken and Peppers Recipe Video
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Boneless skinless chicken thighs are packed with flavor without the extra saturated fat of the skin. I prefer Springer Mountain Farms chicken thighs because of their exceptional quality and commitment to never using antibiotics, hormones, or animal by-products in their feed.
- Garlic Olive Oil: I use Costabile garlic olive oil to add more flavor to the dish while helping the seasonings stick to the chicken thighs. Use Coded: 15GOLDENGK for 15% off.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: Lemon juice and zest add a bright citrus flavor that balances the bold spices.
- Spices: I use a bold blend of smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, and a few others to create a complex flavor.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is the base for the dipping sauce used with this chicken. It's combined with lemon juice, garlic olive oil, and sweet pepper for a rich, creamy flavor.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Use Bell Peppers: I used long sweet peppers, but sliced red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, or green bell peppers will work well.
- Use chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts will work in place of chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Use regular olive oil: You can use regular olive oil for the chicken if you prefer.
- Make it spicy: Add red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
How to Make This Sheet Pan Chicken and Peppers Recipe
1: Combine the garlic olive oil, tomato paste, lemon juice and zest, and the chicken seasonings in a large bowl.
2: Add rinsed, dried chicken thighs to the bowl and massage the seasoning mixture into the chicken with gloved hands.
3: Place the seasoned chicken thighs on a baking sheet and place the peppers next to them.
4: Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees.
5: Add all the dipping sauce ingredients to a food processor and blend until creamy.
6: If serving with pasta, boil and drain the pasta. Add it to a large skillet with dairy-free butter and pour the sauce from the chicken into the pot. Stir and top with the chicken and peppers.
Hint
You can cook the chicken immediately after coating it in the spice mixture, or you can let it marinate overnight for deeper flavor.
Chicken Peppers Storage
Refrigerate this chicken without the pasta for up to 4 days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag with as much air removed as possible. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
To reheat the chicken, place it and the sauce in a baking dish, cover it, and bake at 350 until heated through. Or simply warm it up in the microwave.
What to Serve with Chicken and Sweet Peppers
Serve this chicken over pasta, rice, or quinoa. You can also serve it alongside a variety of vegetables like black beans, asparagus, or a salad.
This chicken dish is full of zesty seasonings, so opt for a creamy, mild dessert to finish things off. Golden Oreo cheesecake, Oreo peanut butter pie, or oatmeal cream pies are all excellent choices.
Tips
- Use low water pressure to rinse the chicken. Turning the faucet on full blast will splash contaminated water all over your kitchen.
- Using gloved hands is the easiest, most effective way to ensure your chicken thighs are fully coated with the seasoned mixture.
- Be sure you add your chicken thighs in a single layer on the baking sheet for even cooking.
More Chicken Recipes
FAQ
Chicken should only be rinsed if you're adding a spice rub to it. There was a time when it was believed that rinsing chicken reduced bacteria, but that's since been debunked. In fact, rinsing chicken can splash contaminated water onto other chicken surfaces.
To safely rinse chicken, run your faucet at a low pressure. It should be more than a trickle and less than a powerful flow. This low pressure allows you to rinse the chicken for seasoning with minimal splashing.
Chicken thighs are very healthy. Although they have more fat than chicken breasts, they are still lower in fat than beef and about the same fat as lean pork. When cooked without the skin, they're even healthier.
Color is not an indicator of doneness when it comes to chicken. Fully cooked chicken may still be a bit pink around the bone or if you're using dark meat chicken.
A meat thermometer is the best way to know if your chicken thighs are done. When the thermometer registers 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh, they're done.
Related
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📖 Recipe
Sheet Pan Chicken and Peppers
Ingredients
Chicken and Sweet Peppers
- 1 ½ lbs Springer Mountain Farms boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 5 long sweet peppers
- 1 tablespoon garlic olive oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- drizzle of olive oil for peppers
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- ¾ tablespoon thyme
- ¼ tbsp oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 long sweet pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Sheet Pan Chicken and Peppers
- Preheat the oven to 420 degrees. Rinse the chicken thighs and pat them dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, tomato paste, minced garlic, lemon juice and zest, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chicken to the bowl, and using gloved hands, massage the mixture into the chicken. You can cook the chicken immediately or marinate it overnight in the refrigerator.
- Place the chicken thighs on the baking sheet in a single layer. Then, place the peppers next to them. Sprinkle the peppers with salt and pepper.
- Bake the chicken and peppers for 30 to 40 minutes until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.
Dipping Sauce
- Add the sour cream, sweet pepper, garlic olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to a food processor.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- Defrost overnight if frozen. Then, bake covered at 350 until heated through or microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals.
- Your peppers will have charred skin by the time the dish is finished cooking. That's what you want!
- Hold your chicken as close to the bottom of the sink as possible and use a gentle stream of water when rinsing it to avoid splashing.
- Wash your sink and counters immediately after rinsing your chicken.
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Swathi says
This chicken and peppers are delicious meal. I tried it yesterday night. My family loved it.
Amy says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Genevieve says
I love an easy recipe that's also healthy to make and isn't too complicated to figure out. This one fit the bill and was delicious!
Alex says
This recipe is not only delicious but also incredibly easy to make. With minimal prep and cook time, it’s perfect for a busy weeknight dinner!
Criss says
I tried your Chicken and Peppers recipe, and it turned out amazing! The flavors were spot on, and the dish was so easy to make. Definitely adding this to my regular rotation. Thanks for sharing!
NKendrick says
So happy to hear that!
Lissette Contreras says
My whole family loved this recipe so easy and delicious! Thank you so much!
Nicole Kendrick says
Love to hear this!!!