In this chicken and cabbage sheet pan supper, chicken thighs and drumsticks are tossed in a sesame-soy dressing. First, they roast alone, which allows the hot air, unimpeded by vegetables, to circulate freely and encourages the browning process to being. After 10 minutes, on goes the cabbage, tossed in the same dressing. It’s nestled around and underneath the chicken to fit. About 20 minutes later, when the chicken finishes cooking, off it goes to rest, while the cabbage continues on alone. With its surfaces fully exposed to the heat, the cabbage’s edges crisp and caramelize while any juices pooling nearby reduce and concentrate.
In about 40 minutes, dinner is ready. The result: juicy, crispy-skinned chicken and sweet, tender cabbage, flavored by not only the spicy dressing, but also the flavorful drippings of the chicken. It’s an unexpected and unsung boon of this one-pan wonder of a supper.
Sheet Pan Roast Chicken & Cabbage
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 to 6
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Pin RecipeDescription
Inspired by the flavors in this baked tofu and coconut kale, this sheet pan supper comes together quickly. Staggering the entry and exit of the chicken and cabbage allows each to cook fully and brown nicely.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil, for greasing
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or olive oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or other)
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha, optional
- 8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
- 1 pinch kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1 head cabbage, 2 to 3 lbs.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Pour a teaspoon of neutral oil over a rimmed sheet pan. Rub to coat.
- In a small bowl, stir together the sesame oil, coconut oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha, if using. Place chicken in a large bowl. Season all over with salt and pepper. Pour 1/4 cup of the prepared mixture over the chicken and let marinate while the oven preheats. (Chicken can marinate longer, too, but try, if time permits, to bring it to room temperature before cooking—the coconut oil will solidify in the fridge and look clumpy, which is fine.)
- Cut the cabbage in half through the core. Cut again through each core and repeat this process until you are left with many wedges, no greater than 1-inch wide. Place the wedges in a large bowl, season all over with salt and pepper, and toss with the remaining dressing.
- Place chicken on prepared sheet pan spreading it out evenly. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and nestle cabbage wedges all around the pieces, tucking it under if necessary—it will feel like a lot of cabbage. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes more or until chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove pan from oven, transfer chicken to a platter to rest. Return cabbage to the oven to roast for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until juices have reduced and edges of cabbage wedges are caramelized.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sheet Pan, Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sheet pan, chicken, cabbage, simple, dinner
Hina says
This was a hit for a quick weeknight dinner! I had 10 pieces of chicken, not 8, and it took about 30 minutes additional in our oven after the first 10 minutes, to ensure full roasting. The flavor combination of the oils, vinegar, soy sauce and sriracha is terrific and perfectly balanced. Thanks so much another wonderful and manageable recipe!
★★★★★
alexandra says
So happy to hear this, Hina!
Kat Merritt says
My husband and I are totally obsessed with this recipe! Just wondering if you think there’s a way to do it in a dutch oven (potentially stove-top only or maybe we’d need to transfer to oven?).
Kat Merritt says
My husband and I are totally obsessed with this recipe! Just wondering if you think there’s a way to do it in a dutch oven (potentially stove-top only or maybe we’d need to transfer to oven?).
★★★★★
alexandra says
Hi Kat! I worry you won’t get the crispiness and caramelization if you use a Dutch oven stove top — I think this one needs the hot circulating air of the oven as well as the wide, shallow surface area of the sheet pan.
mary says
great combination for the cabbage. took longer to bake for my liking, maybe slice thinner next time
★★★★★
Carole Moy says
Dear, dear Ali —
I’ve come to depend on many of your recipes, which have often been eye-opening examples of thinking outside the box.
Decided to try your spatchcocked sumac and za’atar chicken and that was already a winner. Then I decided to try this recipe.
The first time, I did as you said and used chicken legs, but didn’t have cabbage. I did, though, have aubergines that needed to be eaten, so sliced those up “no greater than one inch” thick. Added some previously steamed potatoes that were hanging around. I must say, that worked a treat! The marinade on the eggplant was too yum.
The second time around, I’d come home from the market with a whole chicken — and a half-head of Savoy cabbage. I’m still working up the courage to actually break down a bird as you so skillfully show in your video, but I’m an absolute fan of spatchcocking. I love that it gives a nice, uniform thickness of bird to cook. And carving is so much easier! There was absolutely heaps of cabbage, as well as some par-steamed spuds. Once again, absolutely tasty and easy!
Tonight was the third shot at this, with — chicken wings! Since even the half-cabbage was too much for the two of us, and because both of us came home with endives, guess what went into the pan? With small, unpeeled potatoes that I didn’t even bother to pre-steam. Just brushed them with some marinade and popped them into the oven as it was preheating. I gotta tell ya — you’ve come up with some kinda genius recipe here!
The wings did render quite a bit of fat, so when I saw that happening, I shredded some lovely lettuce onto the serving dish and drizzled a little lime juice over it. Then the veg came out of the oven and got plopped down onto the lettuce, then the wings over that. A drizzle of the rendered fat, snipped scallions and parsley. I can’t wait to come up with another spin on this.
Perhaps a weird question: what do you suppose would happen if a teaspoon (or less) of flour was added to the quarter-cup of marinade that goes on the chicken? Would it help the skin crisp up by forming a crust, or is that just a bad idea?
In any case, just wanted to let you know that you’ve created a monster!
Thanks so much for all your hard — and beautifully delicious — work.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Hi Carole! So sorry I’m just seeing this! What fun to read. I’m so happy you’ve had success with so many variations of this recipe, and thank you for sharing all of them. It’s so helpful for people to read what else works and how they can improvise with what they have on hand. Thank you for the kind words, too … means the world 🙂
Regarding flour: give it a shot! A teaspoon certainly wouldn’t ruin it, and perhaps you’ll like the texture of the sauce better as well as the texture of the skin. Report back if you give it a go. Thank you, Carole!
beth says
This was delicious! The chicken had a deeply bronzed skin and was so flavorful as was the cabbage. Thank you!!
★★★★★
alexandra says
So happy to hear this, Beth!