This sheet-pan chicken and Brussels sprouts recipe is infused with bold Szechuan flavor. It takes only 20 minutes of hands-on time before baking in the oven. Packed with flavor and nutrients, a weeknight dinner your whole family will love! Vegan and gluten-free adaptable.
There is nothing more satisfying than creating a flavorful meal that requires minimal prep time. Even though I am a chef and love to cook, there are some nights when time is short and I need a quick, healthy meal, fast! Sheet pan dinners to the rescue!
With just 20 minutes of prep, this baked chicken and Brussels recipe is bold and flavorful with the Szechuan sauce. Serve it with jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, or just on its own (like we do here). So yummy!
A full-flavored weeknight dinner your whole family will love. Go here for more easy Sheet Pan Meals!
INGredients
- Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. You can substitute skinless boneless thighs or skinless chicken breasts, but cooking times will shorten (see notes).
- Brussels sprouts: Depending on their size, the Brussels sprouts can be halved, quartered, or left whole.
- Red onion: Adds a nice aromatic, punchy component.
- Dried red chilies: Optional, but add a pop of color and look pretty for presentation!
- Szechuan marinade: Honey (or agave or maple syrup), soy sauce (or gluten-free liquid aminos), rice vinegar (or black vinegar), toasted sesame oil (or peanut oil), Chili Garlic Sauce (or sriracha), garlic cloves (use a press), fresh ginger (or ginger paste), salt, Szechuan peppercorns (or sub black pepper), five-spice, and cornstarch (optional, for thickening).
- Garnish: Scallions, chives, or cilantro for a fresh, herby finish!
Variations
- Make it gluten-free: Substitute the soy sauce for gluten-free liquid aminos.
- For a vegan version: Use tofu instead of chicken! Cut into “filets” (square or rectangular slabs) about 3/4-inch thick, or into strips or cubes. Marinate the tofu in a bowl for 20-30 minutes, or in a bag overnight. Season with extra salt.
- Swap in seasonal veggies: Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, fresh green beans, zucchini, or snap peas roast beautifully in the same marinade. Red potatoes would be a nice addition, too. Use your favorite veggies!
How to make chicken and Brussels Sprouts Sheet Pan Dinner
1. Prep the oven and Szechuan marinade. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a large bowl or zip-lock bag. Pour half of the marinade mixture over top (enough to coat). Let marinate while prepping the Brussels sprouts-or, for even better flavor, marinate overnight!
3. Slice and season the Brussels sprouts. Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts. If they are large, you may need to quarter them. Smaller Brussels sprouts can be left whole. Place in a bowl with the red onion and optional red chilies. Pour a little marinade into the bowl and toss to lightly coat.
4. Bake. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the vegetables out evenly. Nestle the chicken thighs in between. Sprinkle a little kosher salt on the chicken. Bake for 30 minutes. Check at 20 minutes, rotating the pan if needed. If the chicken looks dry, drizzle a little more marinade on top. After 30 minutes, use a thermometer to check for doneness. The temperature should be at least 170 degrees F.
5. Broil. Turn on the broiler for a few minutes to get the skin golden and crispy.
Sheet pan Chicken TiPs
- To achieve crispy skin, use your broiler for the final minutes, or use your convection setting for the first half of baking time. Or you can pan-sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat before baking.
- Dry the chicken before marinating. Pat the chicken thighs dry to help the marinade cling to the skin.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Give everything plenty of space. Crowding traps steam, which prevents even browning.
- For optimal flavor, give the chicken (or tofu) an extra sprinkling of salt before baking.
- A note on Szechuan peppercorns: They add a unique flavor, but using too much will overpower. Start with 1/2 teaspoon. If you’ve never tried one, taste a peppercorn. It has a fragrant flavor and numbing effect on the tongue, adding interesting complexity! This, for me, was an acquired taste. You can absolutely leave these out and substitute black peppercorns.
Serving Suggestions
Serve over Jasmine rice, black rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa, or on its own. Top the dish with chili crisp for a crunchy extra spice kick.
You may also enjoy these starters, sides, and salads with our sheet pan chicken!
- Crunchy Bok Choy Salad
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Wonton Salad
- Chili Crisp Cauliflower
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Sesame Soba Noodles
- Longevity Noodles
Storage
- Storage: Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator and can be reheated in a 350°F oven.
- Freeze in the marinade: Turn this into a freezer meal by freezing the chicken in the marinade for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then roast as directed.
- Freeze baked chicken: Fully cooked chicken can be frozen for up to 2 months. Let thaw before reheating at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
FAQs
Once the chicken has been marinated, place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 425°F. The chicken is ready when its internal temperature is 170°F.
It depends on what the contents of the sheet pan are. Chicken thighs and Brussels sprouts bake at 425°F for 30 minutes. Boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts may only take 15-20 minutes. And different veggies may roast more quickly.
Leave the chicken thighs uncovered (no need for aluminum foil) to achieve deeply golden, crispy skin. If covered, the chicken may be too moist. If the chicken looks dry, brush more marinade over the top.
There is no need to flip the chicken; however, you can to get both sides crispy and browned.
For the best texture, marinate the chicken overnight. Then, while baking, brush more marinade over the top of the chicken when it begins to crisp.
The chicken thighs can be removed from the fridge and sit out for 15-30 minutes before baking to reach room temperature. This can help it cook more evenly.
More Sheet Pan Chicken Recipes
After you try this sheet pan chicken dinner recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
Baked Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Recipe
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: main, vegan main, chicken , sheet pan dinner
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
This baked, Sheet-Pan Chicken and Brussels Sprouts is made with a Szechuan marinade and takes only 20 minutes of hands-on time before baking in the oven. A full-flavored weeknight dinner your whole family will love! Vegan adaptable with tofu- see notes.
Ingredients
- 2–3 lbs chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)
- 1 1/2 lbs medium brussels sprouts, halved (see notes)
- one red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
- optional, 10 dried red chilies (just for looks)
- Salt to taste, step 4
Szechuan Marinade:
- 3 tablespoons honey (or agave or maple syrup)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (or use GF Liquid Aminos )
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or use black vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (or peanut oil)
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Chili Paste (or sriracha)
- 4 fat garlic cloves, finely minced (use a garlic press)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced or ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon salt, more for sprinkling
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, toasted, crushed (or substitute black pepper, see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon five-spice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional, thickens the sauce)
Garnish with scallions, chives or cilantro. Serve on its own, over jasmine rice or cauliflower rice.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (If you don’t have a broiler, see notes about convection)
- Make the Szechuan marinade by stirring all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Marinate. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken (or enough to coat) either in a bowl or a zip-lock bag. Let chicken marinate while you prep the Brussels sprouts, or marinate overnight (for even more flavor!)
- Prep Brussels Sprouts. Trim and halve the Brussels Sprouts. The Brussels sprouts pictured here are ping-pong ball-sized, so depending on size, you may need to quarter or leave them whole. If using very, very small Brussels sprouts, leave them whole. If extra-large, like a golf ball, then quarter. Place the Brussels sprouts in a bowl with the red onion and optional dried red chilies, and pour just enough marinade over them to lightly coat. Save the rest.
- Assemble. Spread Brussels sprouts on a large, parchment-lined sheet pan. Nestle the chicken thighs in between. Season the chicken with more salt.
- Bake it in the hot oven for 30 minutes, checking at 20 minutes, rotating if need be, and spooning a little of the remaining marinade over the chicken. After 30 minutes, double-check for doneness (use a thermometer; cook until it reads at least 170°F)
- Broil for a few minutes until the chicken skin is deeply golden and crispy. (See notes)
Notes
If you don’t have a broiler, either pan-sear the skin side of the chicken over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes (or until golden) before nestling into the sheet pan, or use the convection setting for the first half of the baking time (or gauge the convection based on level of browning ).
If using tofu, either cut into “filets” ( a square or rectangular slab) about a ¾ inch thick, strips or cubes. Marinate the tofu in a bowl for 20-30 minutes, or in a bag overnight. Season with extra salt.
Chicken: You can use skinless boneless thighs, or even chicken breast but cooking times will shorten. Check after 15- 20 minutes, and if the chicken is done but the brussels sprouts need longer, just remove the chicken, letting the brussels sprouts cook until tender, probably the whole 30 mins.
You can cook both chicken and tofu for mixed households, keeping the chicken on one side and the tofu on the other.
To ensure good flavor, it is important to give the chicken and tofu an extra sprinkling of salt.
Szechuan Peppercorns add a unique flavor, but using to much will overpower. If unfamiliar, start with ½ teaspoon. If you’ve never tired one, just plop one in in your mouth and taste it. It has a very perfumy flavor and numbing effect on the tongue, adding interesting complexity! This may be very pleasant, or very unpleasant to you. This, for me was an acquired taste. You can absolutely leave these out and sub black peppercorns.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: – Using Chicken Thighs with Skin
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 24.5 g
- Sodium: 722.2 mg
- Fat: 36.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.1 g
- Fiber: 9.9 g
- Protein: 41.9 g
- Cholesterol: 189.1 mg
Made this recipe with chicken drumsticks and black peppercorns instead of the Szechuan peppers (we LOVE the tingle on your mouth but our kids wouldn’t). My husband who cooks like a Michelin-stared chef only stated that he would have increased the cook time on the drumsticks. in order to do that, I would have had to put in the drumsticks earlier (without the brussel sprouts) or the brussel sprouts would have deteriorated. He loved the flavors and the recipe in general though as did my kids! Thank you!
Awesome! Glad you liked this. 🙌
Made this a number of times now and have used bok choy when I didn’t have brussel sprouts. Very tasty!
I’ve never tried brussel sprouts before but I was getting sick of broccoli and asparagus sides. This was so good! Made it with chicken breast instead. My partner said its a “definite make again”
Very tasty
This recipe is absolutely delicious!! And healthy!! I made this for the first time tonight. I did marinate the chicken over night. I did the Brussel sprouts and added asparagus bc I had it in the fridge. I put the asparagus in at the halfway point. My kids are scarfing it down. Cannot wait to make again! Thanks so this amazing recipe!
Yay Sara! Thanks!
This looks great! I’m going to try this tonight. What would you recommend as a sub for honey if making it vegan?
agave or maple!
Hi, Sylvia,
Your fantastic receipes have inspired me for making this meal with Black Cod leftover in the freezer. Does it mean that after defrosting the fish can be marinating overnight or it is better to reduce the time?
I think it would be great marinated overnight! Thanks Irina!
This recipe was easy and good. The Brussels sprouts were very tasty, although not caramelized. I marinated the chicken a good hour before baking but wished they could have gone longer. I couldn’t find garlic chili paste so I subbed in garlic chili sauce, using a few teaspoons extra. I also added a teaspoon of brown sugar. I definitely plan to make this again but will probably plan for a longer cooking time to suit our tastes. The chicken was definitely done but overall I would have like more caramelization, and I’ll probably season the chicken with salt and pepper first if I can’t marinate overnight. But honestly a very good dish as-is!
Another winner of a dinner for a busy weeknight ! I didn’t have time to pre-marinate the chicken but it still turned out super delicious. Will definitely make this again.
This was amazing. All my kiddos loved it. My 10 year old said you can make this kind of chicken every night!!
I love this blog, and I have cooked many fantastic meals using your recipes. But this one did not turn out well for me – the only time I’ve had this happen. I’ve tried this recipe twice – once exactly as written, and a second time using only brussel sprouts and cauliflower (no chicken). The marinade is very flavorful, but the veggies seem to braise in all the liquid instead of carmelizing and roasting as I expected. Did I misuse the recipe, or is this the expected outcome? I was really hoping for carmelized veggies with a stickier glaze, and that’s not how it turned out.
Any guidance, or maybe this one recipe is just not for me. In any case, I love this blog and will continue expermenting with your other recipes.
I wonder if there was too much sauce? It should have mostly baked off.
We are visiting our daughter in Dallas where the AC and fans run nonstop and the temp can easily top 100°. I could not face turning on her oven even for 30 mins so turned to her Air Fryer instead. I marinated chicken thighs and scraped off the garlic, ginger, and pepper before Air Frying for 25 mins, re-basted the chicken at 22 mins, and roasted broccoli separately. It was my first outing with an AirPot, and I think I’m gonna like the thing…I got moist, tender chicken with crispy skin and dinner in a cool kitchen. Truly an adaptable meal!
I love that you made this in an air-fryer! Brilliant! thanks for sharing!
This is easy and excellent.
Awesome, thanks for sharing!
That was delicious! I just made it. My Kids and I both loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
The brussel sprouts were amazing but I thought the chicken was a bit tasteless. Maybe more spices and longer marinating next time round. Thanks for the recipe. Love your site.
Yes, perhaps important to season the chicken well with salt and pepper, if not not marinating over night.
I made this for dinner last night and the flavors were so goood. It has earned a place on my meals to make again pinterest board!
I really liked this recipe.
I generally have to double sauces/marinades because I add extra protein+rice+veggies but this one left me with extra which was nice.
I had to limit the garlic in this recipe due to a sensitivity, would using a pinch or two of hing work here as an alternative?
I really liked this recipe.
I have to double sauces/marinades because I add extra protein+rice+veggies but this one left me with extra after doubling which was nice.
I had to limit the garlic in this recipe due to a sensitivity, would using a pinch or two of hing work here as an alternative?
Michelle, that is actually a really a great idea! I’ve never thought of using Hing (or Asafoetida ) as a substitute for garlic, so if you do try it, let me know what you think! Very curious!
This was really good, I used Sambal Olek instead of the garlic chili paste since I have a sensitivity to garlic. I also doubled the marinade since the amount of veggies + rice + protein I cook generally requires it – this recipe probably only really needed about 1.25-1.5x the marinade for ‘appropriate sauce level.’ The extra sauce can just make the next time I make this faster.
I was disappointed that after only 20 minutes all of the sauce burned. And I did have the temp set correctly and always use an oven thermometer.
Wow, I’m so sorry and that seems so strange! Lets figure this out. Do you have an electric or gas oven…. and was it set to convection by chance? I use a gas oven and place sheet tray in the middle of the oven.
Hi Sylvia! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. I will definitely try it on weekend.
I made this the other night and it was delicious. I used a combo of brussels sprouts and cauliflower (because I needed to use up a head of cauliflower) with chicken and it was so so good. Thanks for the great recipes Sylvia.
sounds perfect! Glad you liked it!
Love this recipe! Another winner
Oh great! Im so so glad you liked it! Didi you make it with Chicken or Tofu? And if chicken what cut?
Great recipe !! Very easy to prepare using only the oven. Love the szechuan peppercornns.
Awesome Eric, glad you liked it! Did you use chicken thighs?
Hi Sylvia…this looks yummy!!! I am keto. Suggestions for subbing the honey? Ty!
Hi Susan, you could try cutting the honey by half, but this really does need a little sweetness to balance the flavors. Of course you could try it without…. but maybe do a “tester” without the honey- just cooking one piece first?? You can always add.