Maple roasted chicken and sweet potatoes begins with seared chicken thighs, apples, onions, and tender sweet potatoes tossed in maple syrup and olive oil, and it’s all baked together until tender. It’s a healthy, cozy, fall dinner the entire family will love.
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This is the best time of the year. The end of summer is fast approaching, but the garden is still in full production mode while the fall produce is starting to ripen.
The sweet potatoes are dug up, the apples picked one by one from the trees. New recipes are always in the works. The sweet fruits of summer are swapped with tastes of fall, like squash, apples, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.
I love to come up with new ways to use these delicious fall delicacies, and this maple roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and apples was absolutely delightful.
Seared chicken is roasted with maple-coated apples and sweet potatoes, then baked in the oven until tender. This makes such a pleasing meal. It’s perfect for Sunday lunch or dinner. It’s filling, with a lovely balance of sweetness.
Adding apples to savory dishes (like in this new recipe for sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash) may be my new favorite thing. It adds a wonderful, natural sweetness without being too overpowering.
Plus, it is a great way to add apples that are in currently season, so we will be adding them to just about everything. Apple butter, apple pie, sourdough apple pie, French toast casserole, and of course, apple sauce.
Why you will love this recipe:
Delicious: A recipe the whole family will enjoy. Savory chicken with the sweetness from the sweet potatoes, apples, and a hint of maple syrup. This dish packs tons of flavor.
Easy dinner: Perfect for a busy weeknight. This one-pan meal is great for when you want a filling and healthy meal, but not make an awful lot of dishes.
Healthy recipe: This healthy dinner is packed with nutrient dense ingredients, it is filling and oh so good for you.
Ingredients:
Chicken thighs: I love using chicken thighs since they tend to have more flavor and a moister than chicken breasts. Could also use skinless chicken breasts if desired.
Apple: Adds more fall flavors and a light sweetness. Whatever apple variety you have available will work.
Maple syrup: This adds such a yummy flavor and helps brown the chicken nicely.
Fresh thyme and sage: Rosemary is another good option.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Tools:
Cast iron skillet or a oven safe large skillet
Cutting board
Knife
Large bowl
How To Make Maple Roasted Chicken With Sweet Potatoes
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large, cast iron skillet over medium/high heat on the stovetop for a few minutes. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the hot skillet and place chicken thighs, skin side down, for a few minutes to make the skin crispy. Usually, the skin will stick to the pan until it’s browned enough and then it “releases” itself. So if it is still sticking, it may not be ready to flip yet.
Step 2: While the chicken is browning, chop sweet potatoes, quarter onions, and dice the apples.
Step 3: Combine remaining one tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Toss the sweet potatoes, apples, and onions in the oil and maple syrup mixture.
Step 4: Flip chicken thighs skin side up and arrange sweet potatoes, apples, and onions around the chicken in the cast iron skillet.
Step 6: Sprinkle the thyme and sage over top. Bake for one hour, or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Potatoes and apples should be fork tender.
Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with some sourdough rolls or a French bread.
Tips For Making Maple Roasted Chicken
- Bone-in chicken thighs have so much more flavor than chicken breast. You can substitute chicken breasts, though, if you prefer them or simply can’t find thighs.
- Add fresh herbs for a burst of flavor. Thyme and sage are my favorite, and rosemary would also be delicious.
- Don’t skip the browning of the chicken skin. It adds so much flavor, and makes the skin super crispy.
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you could use an oven-safe skillet or brown the chicken in a skillet and transfer it to an oven-safe baking dish.
- Lock the chicken juices in by allowing the chicken to cool a few minutes before slicing.
FAQ:
Absolutely. Chicken and sweet potatoes are so delicious paired together.
Really any meat pairs well with sweet potatoes. I find that chicken pairs really nicely with the flavors and natural sweetness of sweet potatoes. Sausage is another favorite pairing.
Yes, that will work. You will have to be more careful of overcooking the chicken as baked chicken breasts can be more dry than chicken thighs.
Find More Delicious Chicken Dinner Ideas:
- Easy Orange Chicken – From Scratch
- Homemade Creamy Chicken And Gnocchi Soup
- Creamy Chicken And Mushroom Pasta
- Chicken Marsala Soup
- One Skillet Creamy Peach Chicken
- Sourdough Oven-Fried Chicken
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!
Maple Roasted Chicken With Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 small onion
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 medium apple
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large, cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop for a few minutes.
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the hot skillet and place chicken thighs, skin side down, for a few minutes to make the skin crispy. Usually, the skin will stick to the pan until it’s browned enough and then it “releases” itself. So if it is still sticking, it may not be ready to flip yet.
- While the chicken is browning, peel and chop sweet potatoes, quarter onions, and dice the apples.
- Combine remaining one tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Toss the sweet potatoes, apples, and onions in the oil and maple syrup mixture.
- Flip chicken thighs skin side up and arrange sweet potatoes, apples, and onions around the chicken in the cast iron skillet.
- Sprinkle the thyme and sage over top. Bake for one hour, or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Potatoes and apples should be fork tender.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Bone-in chicken thighs have so much more flavor than chicken breast. You can substitute chicken breasts, though, if you prefer them or simply can’t find thighs.
- Add fresh herbs for a burst of flavor. Thyme and sage are my favorite, and rosemary would also be delicious.
- Don’t skip the browning of the chicken skin. It adds so much flavor, and the skin is super crispy.
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you could use an oven-safe skillet or brown the chicken in a skillet and transfer it to an oven-safe baking dish or baking sheet.
- Cooking time will be determined by the size of the chicken breasts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe! One of our go to fall dishes!! Great combo of sweet and savory! We sometimes increase the maple glaze by 1.5X, so good!!
Definitely stick to the skin on bone in thighs. My husband brought the boneless skinless home the other night so I gave it a try anyway…it did not work the same haha.
So glad you enjoy this recipe. Thanks for sharing those tips!
In the recipe it says 1/4 tsp [blank], which I understand is black pepper but just wanted to let you know.
Oh thank you for catching that! Just updated it!
Can you use boneless thighs, and how long would you cook those ones for?
Yes for sure, it will probably take less time. Cook them until the eternal temp is 170.
Hello! I have loved all your “stuff” and enjoyed listening and especially learning your cooking style. Thank you! I have seven children as well and so I am guessing for your own family you double or triple some of these recipes right? If there is some secret you have as to not having to cook so much or are these recipes for just a few? Thank you!!
Could you sub butternut squash for sweet potatoes?
I’m not Lisa, 😄
but I would think butternut squash would be great in place of sweet potatoes.
My husband made this last night, and it was delicious! I loved that after a bit of cooking and chopping he was able to just put it in the oven and come hang out with us.
I love that is so simple! I mixed it up a little bit and changed half of sweet potato to red potatoes. It was delicious!
Just made this the other night, and it was absolutely delicious! Perfect balance of flavors for fall!
So sweet. I love your blog and videos. I am a 4-H lifer too. My 8 month old granddaughter watches you with me.
Made this last night Lisa. Added a little rosemary with the thyme. So yummy! Thanks for sharing..