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One of my absolute favorite places to get inspiration and learn about food from is NYT Cooking. (If you aren’t subscribed to NYT Cooking, you are seriously missing out.) I look forward to the daily curated email featuring delicious food recipes by so many of my favorite recipe developers, like Alison Roman’s Vinegar Chicken with Crushed Olive Dressing. It’s a straightforward yet incredibly flavorful recipe that I’m just obsessed with and it actually inspired me to make this Whole30-friendly Sheet Pan Chicken Piccata.
I love making this if I’m hosting guests because it’s easy enough to throw in the oven and enjoy your company, but impressive enough that it feels worthy of a special occasion! I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken parts including thighs, drumsticks, and wings. That’s because the skin gets incredibly crispy in the oven while the meat stays juicy and tender. It’s a win-win! But perhaps the best part of this dish is that you’ll build a tangy, rich pan sauce all on the sheet pan. It’s incredibly hands-off and yet the flavor is just as good as you get from more traditional cooking methods.
ingredients:
- Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Parts
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Lemons
- White Wine Vinegar
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- Garlic Cloves
- Capers
- Fresh Parsley
step-by-step:
step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 450℉.
step two: prep the chicken
Arrange the chicken on a large sheet pan and use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry. Drizzle the oil over the chicken, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Toss and rub until the chicken is evenly coated. Spread the chicken in a single layer on pan, then nestle in the sliced lemons. Pour the vinegar and chicken broth over and around the chicken pieces.
step three: bake the chicken
Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and roast until the chicken is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
step four: add the aromatics
Remove from the oven and add the garlic, capers, and parsley. Using tongs, carefully toss to combine, then continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant and the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes.
step five: plate and serve
Remove from oven and transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Pour the pan juices over the chicken. Serve and enjoy!
recipe faqs:
This would be delicious with a simple salad like my Little Gem Salad with Creamy Cacio e Pepe Dressing, a side of pasta, or rice.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this is the best dish for chicken breasts. Using bone-in, skin chicken really helps keep this sheet pan meal more flavorful and moist since it spends a lot of time in the oven roasting.
If you love classic Italian-American comfort food dishes, you have to make this Sheet Pan Chicken Piccata. Give the recipe a try and leave a comment below to let me know what you think!
looking for more sheet pan dinner recipes? try these!
Sheet Pan Ginger-Orange Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
Sheet Pan Spring Chicken with Artichokes and Asparagus
Sheet Pan Moroccan-Inspired Chicken
Sheet Pan Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 3½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (I used an assortment of chicken legs, drumsticks, and chicken thighs)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 small lemons, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450℉.
- Arrange the chicken on a large sheet pan and use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry. Drizzle the oil over the chicken, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Toss and rub until the chicken is evenly coated. Spread the chicken in a single layer on pan, then nestle in the sliced lemons. Pour the vinegar and chicken broth over and around the chicken pieces.
- Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and roast until the chicken is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add the garlic, capers, and parsley. Using tongs, carefully toss to combine, then continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant and the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Pour the pan juices over the chicken. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was so easy and so delicious! Even my picky eaters said it’s the best chicken I’ve ever made! Definitely adding this to the rotation!
Delicious and easy! I made with chicken breasts that I needed to cook, but would be even better with thighs and drumsticks! Made this with brown rice and roasted broccoli.
I make this dish on repeat and have not experienced the issues that others have mentioned in their reviews. My whole family loves this recipe, including my 9yo foodie! I also like that Alex provides subs for paleo diets. I’ve tried several recipes from Defined Dish and they’ve all been a success!
I have made this recipe multiple times and each time it works out perfectly. Everyone loves this recipe and there’s never any leftovers.
I wanted an easy sheet pan dinner and I like chicken piccata but probably won’t be making this again. The sauce was very thin and without depth. I could have squeezed a lemon over chicken and pasta and had the same result.
Mine did not work out that well. The liquids baked off at the high temperature and started to over brown in the pan. I had to add a lot more liquid, including some real wine to de-glaze the pan. The ending “sauce” was darker than desired. Though I enjoy bone-in chicken, I’ll return to making chicken picatta in my skillet.
what could this be served with?
A simple salad, pasta, or rice would all be great!
Can you make with chicken breasts?
The bone-in, skin on really helps keep the sheet pan meal more flavorful and moist. I fine cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts on a sheetpan doesn’t lend to best results and the chicken can be a little lacking in flavor and texture.
Great recipe! Lovely moist chicken. I had no lemon so used grapefruit juice, zest and slices for baking. It was very subtle but bright and nice.
Hi! I’m making this recipe for the first time! Looks so good! Quick question: on the video, one of the ingredients says “vinegar” but in the recipe list it says white wine vinegar. Which should I use? Thanks so much!
Use white wine vinegar! Happy cooking!