Why This Method Works
As much as I love roasting a whole chicken, I’ve found that it’s not always the best if you’re cooking for more than a few people or if you want leftovers for other meals. In so many ways, roasting a bunch of chicken pieces is so much more practical — it’s faster (only taking about 30 minutes), everyone gets what they want (no fighting over drumsticks), there’s no carving required, and there are plenty of leftovers. You can also buy a bunch of chicken pieces when they’re on sale, stash them in the freezer, and then quickly thaw and roast for an easy weeknight dinner.
You can use a mix of chicken breasts, thighs, and drumsticks, or just cover a whole sheet pan filled with your favorite. With thighs and drumsticks, you can buy bone-in, skin-on pieces or boneless, skinless pieces; the meat is rich and fatty enough to cook fine either way.
If you’re cooking chicken breasts, however, definitely buy bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts just become dry and stringy with this cooking method. For juicy results, you’re much
Ways to Switch It Up
The recipe below is very basic — just olive oil, salt, and pepper. It’s fantastic, but if you make chicken on any regular basis, you’ll want to switch things up. You can marinate the chicken in a bit of olive oil and vinegar, or throw in any blend of spices that strikes your fancy. A few of our favorite combinations are in the box below.
You can also roast some vegetables along with the chicken for a very easy sheet-pan dinner. The vegetables roast in the chicken fat and juices, becoming tender and oh-so-succulent. Use less chicken (around 3 pounds) to be sure there’s enough room on the tray for the veggies. I love doing this with butternut squash, potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower.
