Sheet Pan Chipotle Chicken Thighs with Broccoli (Easy and Healthy)

Here’s a healthy sheet pan chicken thighs recipe that comes together fast and proves that cooking at home couldn’t be easier. Season tender chicken thighs with a flavorful chipotle seasoning rub, then cook it to juicy perfection on a sheet pan along with broccoli florets and red onion. Add the finishing touch by drizzling servings with the most delicious homemade honey-mustard sauce. We love rounding out this recipe by serving it with mashed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, or mashed cauliflower for a scrumptious and nutritious meal.

We Wrote a Cookbook!

The Real Food Table will be on sale March 8, 2022

Includes more than 100 easy & delicious mostly gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free recipes for every day. 

Click Here to Pre-Order Now

Sheet pan Chicken Thighs with Broccoli is a weeknight dinner winner!

When you’re feeling short on time but you want to put a home-cooked meal on the table, turn to this recipe. Sheet Pan Chipotle Chicken Thighs with Broccoli is quick to prep and it cooks fast. Plus, it’s healthy, satisfying, and delicious! While the chicken and vegetables are in the oven, use that time for a quick kitchen clean-up, to set the table, and to whip up the Honey-Mustard Sauce. This sauce is where it’s at, adding flavor to the dish, and any leftovers make an awesome salad dressing.

Ingredients for Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs

We kept this sheet pan recipe simple by using a few real-food ingredients and added flavor with a homemade chipotle seasoning mix and a creamy honey-mustard sauce that we know you’ll love. Here’s what you need:

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – for sheet pan recipes like this one, we prefer chicken thighs because they cook tender and stay juicy. You can also use chicken breast, though the cooking time may vary depending on thickness of the breasts.
• Broccoli florets – for a shortcut, use a 12-ounce bag of pre-chopped raw broccoli
• Red onion
• Avocado oil or olive oil
• Brown sugar
• Chipotle seasoning mix – you’ll need ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chipotle powder, fine salt, and black pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray

Ingredients For the Honey Mustard Sauce:

• Mayonnaise – we prefer avocado oil-based mayo, such as this one from Primal Kitchen
• Dijon mustard
• Honey 
• Coconut aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
• Dried thyme  
• Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

How to make Sheet Pan Chipotle Chicken Thighs with Broccoli and Honey-Mustard Sauce

Sheet pan recipes couldn’t be easier, which is why they’re always a hit in our homes. Here are the quick steps to follow to get this dinner on the table tonight.

1. Prepare the sheet pan ingredients: Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat the oven to 450℉  with the pan in the oven. This helps to achieve even cooking and crispiness. While the oven preheats, place the broccoli florets and onion in a medium bowl; toss with oil. Prepare the seasoning rub by combining the spices. Rub oil over the chicken thighs then sprinkle generously with the seasoning rub.
2. Cook the chicken and vegetables: When the oven is preheated, carefully remove the hot sheet pan from the oven. Spray with cooking spray and then spread the vegetables in an even layer on the baking sheet, leaving spaces for the chicken thighs. Add the chicken thighs to the pan between the vegetables. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir and bake for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165℉ on an instant read thermometer. 
3. Make the Honey-Mustard Sauce: While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 
4. Serve and enjoy! Divide the chicken and vegetables among plates. Drizzle servings with Honey-Mustard Sauce.

How to store Leftover Sheet Pan Chipotle Chicken Thighs and Broccoli

To store the leftovers of this sheet pan chicken thighs recipe, we recommend separating the vegetables, sauce, and the cooked chicken into separate airtight containers; refrigerate for up to 3 days. For an easy reheat-and-eat meal, store the chicken and vegetables in a 2-compartment, microwave-safe, meal prep container. This makes for an easy meal to enjoy for the next day’s lunch or dinner. Simply reheat in the microwave then drizzle with the sauce.

How to meal prep this Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs recipe

There are two ways we like to prep this recipe ahead:

Prep ingredients up to the point of cooking: This method is a great option if you plan to serve this meal as a weeknight dinner. Chop the vegetables, mix the seasoning rub, make the sauce, and thaw the chicken thighs (if frozen), so that all the ingredients are ready to go when you plan to make the meal. Store everything in separate containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Taking care of these simple tasks will make a for an incredibly easy throw-together weeknight dinner.

Cook, store, reheat, and serve: This prepare-ahead-of-time method is for those who want to have an easy, reheat-and-eat option for the week. Prepare the recipe all the way through step 7, allow the food to cool, and then individually portion out the chicken and vegetables into microwave-safe containers (use 2-compartment, microwave-safe containers if you’d like). Store the Honey-Mustard Sauce in a separate container or small mason jar. When ready to eat, place one of the prepared containers of food in the microwave and cook for 30-60 second intervals until heated through. Drizzle with the Honey-Mustard Sauce just before serving. Enjoy the prepared meals within 3 days.

What makes Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Broccoli Healthy?

When creating new recipes for you, we always keep simplicity and health in mind. This recipe is well-balanced and contains an adequate amount of protein, healthy fats, and fiber from real food, nutrient-dense ingredients including:

• Chicken thighs – a healthy source of quality protein that you can count on providing you with lean, lasting energy and essential nutrients like amino acids, niacin, selenium, and vitamin B6. Curious how to select the best chicken for you. Read this post for detailed info on what to look for on poultry labels.
• Broccoli – loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber plus a boat load of antioxidants, just one cup of this cruciferous vegetable contains as much vitamin C as an orange. Vitamin C helps protect your body from free radical damage, regulates immune health, is necessary for collagen production, and promotes healing.
• Red onion – another great source of vitamin C, onions are also known to help with reducing inflammation in the body thanks to a mighty antioxidant called quercetin

Pin Now to Make Later!

Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel of Half Acre House.

For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!