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Burnished Chicken Thighs with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Parsnips

by Lori Longbotham

read reviews (10)

Add a pinch of caraway seeds to the vegetables before roasting to add an interesting twist to this perfect-for-Sunday-dinner dish. Serves 4

To learn more, read the article:
Chicken & Potatoes Roasted Side-by-Side

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parsnips sweet potatoes chicken thighs more more

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. whole-grain Dijon mustard
1-1/2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 chicken thighs (about 6 oz. each), trimmed of excess fat and skin
1 medium-large (12 oz.) sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium parsnips (6 oz. total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 small shallots, lobes separated, peeled and halved through the root end
3 strips bacon
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Stir together the oil, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 tsp. of the salt, and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Arrange the chicken skin side up on one end of a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with any remaining marinade. At the other end of the baking sheet, toss together the sweet potato, parsnips, shallots, and the remaining 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Spread into a single layer. Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables lightly with a little more salt and roast for 20 min. Baste the chicken with the pan juices using a brush and stir the vegetables. Continue to roast, basting and stirring every 10 min., until the chicken is burnished—deeply browned—and the vegetables are tender, about 30 min. more.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon over medium heat in a large skillet until crisp, 5 to 8 min. Drain the bacon on paper towels. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, crumble it and toss with the parsley.

When the chicken is done, stir the vegetables and transfer them to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon. Toss with half of the bacon mixture. Baste the chicken and transfer with tongs to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon mixture, and serve hot.

Make Ahead Tips

For this recipe, you can marinate the chicken as soon as you get home from work and cook it in an hour or two. Or you can toss all the ingredients together quickly in the morning and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator all day. The recipes say to turn the chicken occasionally, but if you're not home during the day, don't worry about that.

Drink Suggestions

A fruity Grenache blend would pair well with the sweet element from the sweet potatoes. Try the 2003 Mas Grand Plagniol Rouge Tradition, Costières de Nîmes ($10) or the 2003 Domaine de l’Ameillaud Côtes du Rhône ($10).

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on four servings; Calories (kcal): 430; Fat (g): 25; Fat Calories (kcal): 220; Saturated Fat (g): 5; Protein (g): 31; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 13; Carbohydrates (g): 21; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 4; Sodium (mg): 650; Cholesterol (mg): 105; Fiber (g): 4;

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 77 , pp. 38

February 1, 2006

user reviews

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by ToyLady, 1/19/2012I used a whole, butterflied chicken and it was great. I added about 10 minutes to the total cooking time, and it was perfect. I did add a splash of oil to the veggies before cooking (just in case), but I won't bother next time - there was enough oil from the bird to go around! This recipe is a definite keeper.

by myanjls, 12/7/2011Amazingly simply, yet delicious. Even my PICKY sister ate it, which says a lot! I made 1 1/2 times the marinade because I used 10 thighs, and was great but could have even had more to drizzle on top. I used sweet potato, carrots, and a white onion cut into 8 wedges - delicious! It only took the 20 initial minutes, and then two 10-minute sessions to be moist and cooked through, so check it before going the full extra 30 minutes! I marinated all day, definitely recommend that step!

by booch221, 12/7/2011When I first read this recipe I wondered why the veggies didn't have any oil on them to keep them from sticking to the pan while roasting. Nevertheless, I decided to follow the recipe as written in spite of my doubts. Sure enough the sweet potatoes and parsnips stuck to the bottom to of the pan. By the time they were done and I scarped them up, they had the consistency of mashed potatoes. I could never baste the chicken with the marinade, because at 425 degrees F it turned black and stuck to the pan. It tasted OK, but I've had better.

by chefjeff, 12/6/2011Hey, I thought this gal was the queen of baking! Happy to be wrong, as this Lori Longbotham recipe was fun, easy, and wow.....SO delicious. Whoever invented Dijon mustard did good! I did the day long marination, and I also had the veggies prepped and dwelling in the fridge during the day (minus the seasoning, as I didn't want salt to leech out any liquid from the cut up veggies). At the last minute, I put all into my baking pan, and we had a marvelous weeknight meal. The Shallots which became meltingly soft and candy sweet, were particularly enjoyable. This recipe??? A major keeper.

by Beebs, 1/5/2009Great, easy recipe. Hubby, who never cooks, made it for my birthday dinner and was quite proud of himself. A perfect one dish meal, and I agree with previous reviewer that any vegetables could be used. The bacon really makes it.

by TrendyDolFan, 3/15/2008Loved this. We used boneless, skinless thighs and adjusted the cooking time slightly. Love those boneless, skinless thighs! You could use any veggies you like - I added carrots for flavor and brussels for something green. I always use release foil in the pan and then - no cleanup! The perfect meal always has no cleanup.

by Virgie, 2/26/2008This was very easy, looked nice and tasted great. I only marinaded the chicken for 1 hour, I think it would have been better with more time. I didn't use the parsnips, don't like, but the sweet potatoes came out tender and tasty.

by sewapel, 2/12/2008

by tasteful, 12/2/2007Wonderful taste and pure simplicity. Very rich burnished color and sweetness of the roasted vegetables compliment the dish beautifully as well as the cook. This is a dish that is perfect for entertaining or after a hard day in the garden. Marinate in the A.M and bake dinner in less than an hour, what more could our hectic lives ask for. LOVE ONE PAN DISHES.

by BeckyCT, 10/9/2007I made this for a dinner party and it was a huge hit! I marinated the chicken thighs for 8 hours and they were so tender! I plan on making this recipe again and again.

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