Mediterranean
Sheet-Pan Citrus Chicken and Fennel
Chicken thighs roast with fennel and orange so the fennel softens and the chicken skin browns. A handful of arugula goes on at the table.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 28 min
- Total
- 43 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Photo: jules:stonesoup (CC BY). Source
Why you’ll love it
- Fennel sweetens as it roasts.
- Orange slices baste the pan.
- Thighs stay juicy at a high heat.
- Arugula makes it a full plate, not only a roast.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 425°F.
- 2
Toss the chicken, fennel, and orange with oil, salt, pepper, and fennel seed on a sheet pan.
- 3
Roast 26 to 28 minutes, until the chicken reaches 175°F and the fennel is tender.
- 4
Rest 5 minutes.
- 5
Toss the arugula with a spoon of pan juices and serve beside the chicken.
Pro tips
- Trim the fennel stalks but keep the tender core.
- Pat the chicken dry so the skin browns.
- If the orange edges blacken, tuck them under the fennel.
Easy substitutions
- Chicken thighs
- Chicken breasts, check at 22 minutes
- Fennel
- Sliced onion
- Arugula
- Spinach
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat at 350°F for 12 minutes. Add the greens fresh.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 380
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Moderate · Oven · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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