Dinner on One Pan
Been wanting to try a sheet-pan dinner? Since I have this pretty intense obsession with all the flavor that is harissa, I set out to make one of my favorite chicken recipes, in a sheet pan! Harissa reigns from North Africa and is a spice mixture made from a combination of smoked chili peppers, red pepper, cumin, caraway, coriander, garlic and mint. It’s flavor profile is complex and fiery and adds depth to traditional roast chicken. When paired alongside the flavors of garlic, lemon and cilantro in this Roast Harissa Chicken Sheetpan with Creamy Garlic Sauce, the result is a mouthwatering, full-flavored dish cooked all on one pan!
Sheet pan chicken makes for a super easy clean-up, and a delicious meal! Win-win, right?! The flavor is out of this world, bright and spicy at the same time, and is sure to impress your family and friends. Now, one could make harissa from scratch, or you could keep things easy and simply purchase a spice blend that you mix on a 1:1 ratio with water and rub into your chicken. I go the latter route, and find it helps me get a big meal on the table faster, for my hungry family of 6! *When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*
How to Make Roast Harissa Chicken
Once you rub the harissa seasoning onto all of the chicken, you want it to marinate for at least 30 minutes. On weeknights, that’s about all I have time for to be honest! However, when I am entertaining family and friends, I like to marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours, or even overnight in the fridge, to get the most intense flavor.
While I let the chicken marinate, I start working on the garlic sauce. Simply place all of the ingredient in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth, adding more water as needed. Fresh cilantro paired with lemon and raw garlic, creates the perfect tart and spicy flavor combination for this dish. Hate cilantro? Flat leaf parsley will work well also, giving the dish only a slightly different taste.
Combine the marinated chicken, chickpeas, potatoes and carrots in a bowl and toss to spread some of the marinade before spreading on the sheet pan. Place into the preheated oven for 20 minutes, pulling it back out halfway through, to add the leek (or red onion) and lemon mixture evenly across the top. Once the sheet pan is completely finished roasting, it is ready to be served. Since potatoes, chickpeas and carrots are roasted right alongside chicken on the sheet pan, this meal is all-inclusive, minimizing the need for side dishes, work and cleanup in the kitchen.
Plate the servings with a drizzle of garlic sauce, or a dollop on the side for dipping.
This feeds 5-6 people.
Roast Harissa Chicken Sheet pan with Creamy Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp harissa spice mixture, dry paprika, caraway, crushed red chili pepper, cayenne, coriander, cumin, garlic, peppermint
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2.5 lbs chicken thighs and breasts
- 1 c sprouted chickpeas, raw or you may use cooked unsprouted chickpeas
- 4 carrots, sliced horizontally and halved
- 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
- 1/2 red onion, or 1 leek, cut into 1/2" thick slices
- zest of one lemon
- 3 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
Creamy Garlic Sauce
- 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 c mayonaise or veganaise
- 1/4 c cilantro leaves
- juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp water as needed, to thin out
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, mix the spices with the minced garlic, water and oil; set aside.
- Trim fat from the chicken pieces, and place them in a large bowl. Pour the spice blend over the chicken, and rub it into all of the pieces really well. Add the potatoes and carrots to the bowl and set the mixture aside for at least 30 minutes, while you start the creamy garlic sauce (directions below).
- Put the sliced leeks into a small bowl with the lemon zest and a shake of salt and toss.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chicken, carrot and potato mixture evenly across the pan. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Leaving the oven on, pull out the rack with the sheetpan, flip the chicken pieces and top everything with the leek and lemon zest mixture. Roast for another 30 minutes.
- Serve with the creamy garlic sauce.
Creamy Garlic Sauce
- Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.
- If the mixture is too thick, add 2 tbsp of water a little bit at a time until the desired consistency is reached.