Sheet-Pan Roasted Chicken With Pears and Arugula
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 6skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (2½ to 3 pounds)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1teaspoon cumin
- 1teaspoon coriander
- 1tablespoon grated fresh ginger from a 2-inch piece
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 2firm, semi-ripe Bartlett or Bosc pears, cored and quartered lengthwise
- 2tablespoons raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
- 2packed cups baby arugula
- 1lemon, halved
- ¼cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
659 calories; 48 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 23 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 1040 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 450 degrees with a rack in the center.
- Step 2
Pat the chicken dry and trim excess fat and skin. Sprinkle all over with 2 teaspoons salt, and season with pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the red-pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, ginger and oil. On a sheet pan, rub the chicken and pears all over with the mixture. Arrange chicken skin-side up and pears skin-side down. Cook until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees at the thickest part) and the pears are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add the sunflower seeds to the pan. If there’s a lot of fat when finished cooking, tilt the pan and spoon it off until there’s a light coating on the surface of the pan.
- Step 3
Scatter the arugula on top, and squeeze the juice of ½ lemon over the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with herbs, if using. Cut the remaining lemon half in quarters and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Lari
I'm always up for a sheetpan bake, and you read my mind - spinach instead of arugula. I will also sub unsalted chopped pistachios or slivered almonds for the sunflower seeds.
Lea
This was delicious. Having no sunflower seeds on hand, I used pine nuts. I also tossed the chicken and pears together with the oil/spices in a ziplock bag. The lemon was a beautiful brightener.
Laura Macagno Shang
Made pretty much as written, no nuts. Spectacular! Made farro and stir fried brussels sprouts as sides. Maybe next time we add some green olives, or not. Had a 2015 pinot noir from Walnut Ridge in the Willamette Valley. Cannot say enough about how great this meal was. Thank you!
John S.
Sur La Table brand with raised grooves. Easy to clean and works well.
Catherine
After having this at a friend’s house prepared exactly as written, I made the following modifications: - doubled amount of marinade - added butternut squash to the pan - used boneless skinless thighs - used pepitas instead of sunflower seeds - served on top of the arugula that was tossed with a lemon-olive oil vinaigrette - served with a sprinkle of feta and the cilantro, which is key Cooked in stages at 425 - first squash for 10, added pears for 10, then added chicken for 20. Much better IMO.
pomputius
Made this exactly as written, except swapped sunflower seeds for the pumpkin seeds I actually had, and it’s delicious. Could not be easier. Nice to have a no-onion, no-garlic option for guests with those issues.
barbara
The last 10 min. of roasting I topped the chicken with crumbled goat cheese. Also, added halved small yukons to the sheet pan along with the chicken and pears.
Doug W.
Great meal! I used a whole chicken that I cut into 10 pieces and marinated in the olive oil, spices and ginger overnight in the fridge. So much flavor!
Tim
This is terrific. I'd change one thing: serve it on a bed of arugula where the chicken and pears soften it instead of putting the arugula on top where it flies around the countertop when you try to mix it in.
Margaret Crites
I poured the pan juices off and made a vinaigrette with shallots, cider vinegar, dijon, and a touch of honey. I dressed spinach (I couldn't get arugula) with the dressing and served it on the side. Don't waste those pan drippings.
Beth from Portland
In 2019, Wirecutter said: "The Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet is the best all-purpose baking sheet we’ve found for everything from baking cookies to roasting vegetables." At the time, it was $10-$12 at WalMart and Target (If you can afford to patronize a local small business, you may pay a little more but your money will stay local.) I would buy two sheet pans, in case you want to cook for a crowd, or want to bake cookies and roast vegetables.
MysteryDancer
Delicious, fast, easy. Really well-balanced spices. Used baby spinach and slivered almonds in place of the arugula and sunflower seeds because that was what I had. Very important to trim excess skin and fat, as the recipe says. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch!
Carol
This turned out great using chicken leg quarters and without using sunflower seeds or nuts. Next time, I'll add more pears!
Pears
Used one Bosc pear and one Asian pear. The bosc pear was mushy. The Asian pear retained some crunch. Both were delicious. Just a choice.
Laura
Quick and easy. Served it with cous cous cooked in chicken broth.
Rosie
This is so delicious. The best thing is that leftovers - even the arugula - heated up perfectly the next evening. I made a Lemon Dill Orzo Salad to go with it.
Deb Nelson
More arugula, double seasoning add butternut squash
Rob
Delicious! I was able to increase the quantities by 50% and still just fit it in a large sheet pan.
Lu F.
I use 1 pear for each chicken thigh.
Renee
Put the arugula on the serving platter then add the chicken and pears and that wonderful marinade.
Renee
Sunflower seeds are too salty. Pepitas or pistachios. I put the arugula in the serving platter first and then add the chicken and pears. All of the yummy juicy marinade dresses the arugula.
Susannah
Cook for 45 to 50 minutes.
Susannah
I used skin on bone in breasts, drizzling extra olive oil on them and they were wonderfully moist. I also served them on top of arugula tossed with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice. Poured some pan juices on top. A very delicious and elegant company dinner. Thank you!
Linda Christian-Herot
Definitely up the spices. Really delicious and don’t worry if the pears are a bit under ripe. Cooked on convection with lower temp and less time. Use thermometer
homecook
Simple and delicious. Used skinless, boneless thighs so reduced time a bit. Added walnuts because I had them. As others suggested put spinach on plate and then topped it with chicken and pears. Drizzled pan juices over dish and squeezed lemon on plates to create a sauce to wilt the spinach. Added a bit of Gorgonzola on chicken and pears because pears go perfectly with it. Company worthy for virtually no work and easy clean up. A winner.
Alex
Amazing. I was somewhat skeptical based on both the simplicity and ingredients, but the combination is so much more than the sum of its parts. I would easily serve this at dinner parties. One note on cook time: cooking chicken and pears for the same amount if time seem wildly off, as in my experience, pears get very mushy very fast. I'd base the cook time around the type of chicken you're baking/roasting, and then add the pears with 15 mins left (or 20 max).
Joe
Easy recipe. Cooked with 4 breast. Done in 25 minutes. I subbed pine nuts for sunflower seeds.
If you somehow have leftovers....
This is so good on the night you make it but if you somehow happen to have leftovers, make a sandwich with all of it - the chicken, sprinkle the sunflower seeds in, pack it with arugula, smash some pears in there, and drizzle the chicken fat dressing over top. Goat cheese if you want it. So ridiculously good.
Lisa
I made this for a friend who is a wonderful cook so it felt a little scary and it came out delicious! Will make again. I added green beans because I had quite a few from my garden and that was tasty too.
robertOh
Wanted to cook at a lower temperature to minimize oven spatter. 1+ hour at 350 did the trick. Also, happy w. pistachios. Great recipe.
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