Sheet-Pan Chicken with Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes

This is the kind of dinner that comes together almost entirely on one sheet pan — chicken thighs go in first to get a head start, then green beans and cherry tomatoes join for the last stretch of roasting, soaking up all the rendered chicken fat along the way. Scatter fresh basil over the top right before serving and dinner’s done.

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lbs)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• ¼ cup fresh basil, torn
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat and season the chicken. Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken thighs dry and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and the minced garlic. Arrange skin-side up on a large sheet pan.

2. Start roasting. Roast the chicken alone for 20 minutes, until the skin is starting to turn golden.

3. Add the vegetables. Toss the green beans and cherry tomatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Scatter around the chicken on the sheet pan.

4. Finish roasting. Return to the oven and roast 20–25 minutes more, until the chicken skin is deeply golden and crisp, the chicken reaches 165°F internally, and the tomatoes have started to burst and blister.

5. Serve. Scatter torn basil over everything and serve straight from the pan with lemon wedges.

Tips

• Give the chicken a head start. Roasting it alone first means the vegetables don’t overcook while the chicken catches up — this is the key to everything finishing at the same time.
• Pat the chicken very dry. It’s the single biggest factor in getting genuinely crisp skin.
• Swap the vegetable. Zucchini or summer squash, cut into thick rounds, can stand in for the green beans.
• No basil? Fresh parsley or a scattering of chopped chives works well too.

Where to Find the Ingredients

Green beans and cherry tomatoes are both in full swing at Washtenaw County farms and markets by mid-July, and basil is abundant all summer.

Farmers markets:

• Ann Arbor Farmers Market — Saturdays 7am–3pm, Wednesdays 7am–3pm
• Ypsilanti Farmers Market — Saturdays 9am–1pm
• Saline Farmers Market — Saturdays 8am–noon

Farms & farm stands:

• Tantre Farm — certified organic CSA and farm stand in Chelsea, growing a huge range of beans, tomatoes, and herbs.
• Community Farm of Ann Arbor — biodynamic CSA in Chelsea, one of the oldest in the country.
• Jacob’s Fresh Farm — 475 N Fletcher Rd, Dexter, farm stand open daily 8am–6pm.
• Kapnick Orchards — Britton, farm market carrying produce alongside their orchard fruit.
• Blue Spring Farm — CSA and farm stand with a wide range of summer vegetables.
• Green Things Farm — 3825 Nixon Rd, Ann Arbor, farm stand open 7 days a week March through early December.
• Whitney Farmstead — diversified vegetable farm with CSA and market sales.
• Old City Acres — 741 Emerick St, Ypsilanti (B Cubed Bakery lot), Thu–Sun.
• Slow Farm Organic — certified organic CSA with a weekly grocery-bag pickup of seasonal produce.
• Fusilier Family Farms — 20-week CSA growing produce and flowers.
• Wasem Fruit Farm — Milan, market carrying vegetables alongside their fruit.
• Seva Farm — biodynamic, no-till CSA farm.
• Argus Farm Stop — two Ann Arbor locations, open daily 8am–8pm year-round, with a weekly produce box from 50+ local farms.
• Rain Dance Organics — organic vegetable and flower farm with a strong CSA program.