Sheet Pan Sesame Chicken Thighs
These sheet pan sesame chicken thighs are the perfect weeknight dinner the whole family will love. Packed with flavor, loaded with veggies and perfect just as is or served over fresh jasmine rice!
I LOVE a sheet pan dinner. Quick, easy, minimal prep and dishes but still so flavorful, loaded with color, veggies and loved by the whole family. The veggies we use are super versatile, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand. You can also use frozen veggies for convenience!
This sesame sauce is similar to my gluten free teriyaki sauce but with a bit less sweetness than a traditional teriyaki and more sesame oil to enhance that flavor. If you love this recipe, try my sheet pan sausage gnocchi next.
Quick tips before we cook!
- If you prefer, you can use chicken breasts but the bake time will be a bit shorter. If you use skin ON chicken thighs, the bake time will be a bit longer. I love chicken thighs because they’re less easy to over cook and stay juicy and tender even when reheated!
- For most accurate results, use a meat thermometer to check when the chicken is done. It should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Chicken thighs don’t dry out or over cook as easily as chicken breasts, so if it’s more than 165, don’t worry!
- Chicken cooks at different temperatures depending on the recipe and type of chicken used, sometimes 350, sometimes 400 or higher. For these sheet pan chicken thighs, we’ll cook at 425 to get that crispy exterior and ensure the veggies cook properly.
How to make sheet pan sesame chicken thighs
Trim off any excess fat off the chicken thighs and either add to a shallow baking dish or a large ziplock bag.
Whisk up all ingredients for the sauce. Add HALF the sauce to the chicken and toss until well coated. Set aside to marinate for at lest 30 minutes, longer if you’re able!
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit and prep all your veggies and set aside. Once the chicken is done, use tongs to remove and add to a grease sheet pan. Add on the chopped carrots.
Place in the oven to bake for 10 minutes, remove and add on the remaining veggies. Drizzle with another half of the sauce (I like to save a bit for the very end when we serve) and give the veggies a light toss to combine.
Add back to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit and the veggies are cooked to your liking. Serve everything over rice with the rest of the sauce, the cilantro, green onion and extra sesame seeds. Enjoy and try my orange chicken next!
Serving suggestions & variations
Depending on how hungry I am, I love serving these sesame chicken thighs just as is, over jasmine rice or fresh quinoa. It’s also great with my air fryer sweet potatoes on the side if you want some extra carbs!
Make it spicy. As written, this recipe is not super spicy. You can increase the spice level by adding in some sriracha to the sauce or more red pepper flakes.
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Use different veggies. I just used what I had on hand! You can use a variety of bell peppers with the onion and keep it simple, add in diced potatoes, use purple cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower etc. Feel free to get creative!
Use salmon. Taking a totally different approach here, you can swap the chicken for salmon! If you do this, just cook the salmon and veggies all at the same time and don’t cook the carrots any earlier.
How to store
Once cooked, these sheet pan sesame chicken thighs will last in the fridge for about 3 days. The veggies and chicken can both be stored together. You can serve it cold over a salad (SO good with my edamame salad), or reheat and serve warm!
If reheating, I usually use my air fryer since it’s quick, but you can also pop everything back in the oven at 300 until warm through the center.
Quick dinner recipes to try next!
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Cacio e Pepe Orzo w/ Chicken Meatballs
- Broccoli Cheddar Pasta
- Harissa Sheet Pan Chicken
Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, tag me on instagram if you make this recipe so I can see your creation! Be sure to comment and leave a review if you like this recipe!
Sheet Pan Sesame Chicken Thighs
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Sauce
- ¼ cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sambal olek
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Everything else
- 1 ½ pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 2 cups green beans chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 red onion chopped
For serving
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 2 green onions diced
Instructions
- Trim off any excess fat off the chicken thighs and either add to a shallow baking dish or a large ziplock bag.
- Whisk up all ingredients for the sauce. Add HALF the sauce to the chicken and toss until well coated. Set aside to marinate for at lest 30 minutes, longer if you’re able!
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit and prep all your veggies and set aside.
- Once the chicken is done, use tongs to remove and add to a grease sheet pan. Add on the chopped carrots.
- Place in the oven to bake for 10 minutes, remove and add on the remaining veggies. Drizzle with another half of the sauce (I like to save a bit for the very end when we serve) and give the veggies a light toss to combine.
- Add back to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit and the veggies are cooked to your liking.
- Serve everything over rice with the rest of the sauce, the cilantro, green onion and extra sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
Comments
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