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Spring is my favorite time of the year to host friends and family for dinner. The weather is lovely and the giant Texas mosquitos haven’t yet come out to play. I love setting a big table outside and serving up a low lift, crowd-friendly entrée that highlights in-season produce. Enter my Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken with Leeks and Tarragon Chimichurri.
This is one of my go-to recipes if I’m hosting a dinner party! I like it because it’s not your average chicken dish and yet is still so simple to make. It features a combination of bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and legs, which results in ultra crispy skin and super tender white and dark meat. Plus, you can prep all of the veggies and tarragon chimichurri hours or even a day in advance so that when your guests arrive, you can spend more than with them and less time in the kitchen. Right before you are ready to roast the chicken, just add olive oil and dry spices and let the oven do the work!
ingredients:
- Leeks
- Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Breasts
- Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Legs
- Lemon
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Fresh Tarragon
- Fresh Parsley
- Garlic Cloves
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
step-by-step:
step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 325℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
step two: clean the leeks
Place the sliced leeks in a bowl with cool water for 5 minutes. Leeks hold a lot of dirt in between the layers and this helps to get it out. Rinse well.
step three: dry the chicken
Use a paper towel to pat the chicken breasts and legs dry.
step four: prep the ingredients for roasting
Arrange the leeks and lemons in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Lay the chicken on top, skin side up. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub until coated well. Sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
step five: roast the chicken and leeks
Bake for 75 to 90 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165℉. When the cook time is done, turn the oven to broil and cook until the skin crisps, 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully and being careful not to burn.
step six: make the tarragon chimichurri
In a small bowl, combine the tarragon, parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and set aside.
step seven: plate and serve
Arrange the chicken, leeks, and lemons on a large platter. Serve the chimichurri in a small serving bowl on the side.
recipe faqs:
This would be great with a starchy side dish like my Whole30 Scalloped Potatoes, these lemony Greek-Style Potatoes, or even a nice crusty baguette.
I’d just use more fresh parsley in place of the tarragon. It will still be delicious!
If you’re looking for a less traditional dish to make for Easter that will still feel special for the holiday, this Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken with Leeks is a great crowd-pleaser. Let me know what you think of this dish in the comments below!
looking for more dinner ideas for spring entertaining? try these!
Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Gremolata
Easy Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb
Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken with Leeks and Tarragon Chimichurri
Ingredients
For the Roasted Chicken and Leeks:
- 6 leeks, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds, white and light green parts only
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
- 1 lemon, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
For the Tarragon Chimichurri:
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
For the Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken and Leeks:
- Preheat the oven to 325℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the sliced leeks in a bowl with cool water for 5 minutes. Leeks hold a lot of dirt in between the layers and this helps to get it out. Rinse well.
- Use a paper towel to pat the chicken breasts and legs dry.
- Arrange the leeks and lemons in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Lay the chicken on top, skin side up. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub until coated well. Sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Bake for 75 to 90 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165℉. When the cook time is done, turn the oven to broil and cook until the skin crisps, 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully and being careful not to burn.
For the Tarragon Chimichurri:
- In a small bowl, combine the tarragon, parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Arrange the chicken, leeks, and lemons on a large platter. Serve the chimichurri in a small serving bowl on the side.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What kind of carb would be good served with this? Looks so good but always struggle with pairing.
Potatoes would be great with this! Oven-roasted would be super easy to pair here.
Alex this was soo good! Everyone at Easter dinner age 6-92 loved it!!
I ended up serving with a orzo/pea situation and it was great! Potatoes would have been good too but I saw your comment too late! Thanks for making great food as always!
LOVED this recipe! It was incredibly easy and soooo delicious. It took me about 70 minutes to bake. I loved all of the herbs in the chimichurri. Will definitely be making this one again.
What would be a good substitute for the tarragon?
You can just omit and just use more parsley!