This Sheet Pan Chicken with Japanese Sweet Potatoes Is Everything I Want In a Weeknight Dinner

There’s a certain kind of dinner I find myself craving this time of year—something warm and nourishing, healthy but not ascetic, and most importantly, one that doesn’t require me to hover over the stove for an hour. Especially during a busy work-and-school week, I love to end the day by prepping ingredients I can slide into the oven, then forget about them while I curl up on the couch with a good book or sit down to talk with Adam over a glass of wine. Enter: the sheet pan chicken dinner.

Here’s the thing about sheet pan meals: they get a lot of hype, but not all of them deliver. Sometimes you end up with bland vegetables and chicken that’s cooked through but kinda dry (honestly, this is not the time to go for the white meat). One of my most popular recipes is my Lemony Sheet Pan Chicken With Artichokes, and I’ve been wanting to make an equally drool-worthy version that spotlights winter ingredients.

Why Sheet Pan Chicken Is My Go-To Weeknight Dinner

Here, yogurt-marinated chicken thighs get deeply golden and crispy at the edges, the Japanese sweet potatoes caramelize until they’re almost like candy, and then you drizzle everything with this nutty, garlicky tahini sauce that makes the whole thing feel like something you’d order at a restaurant. Except you made it on a Tuesday with barely any effort and even less cleanup.

Japanese Sweet Potatoes Are the Real Star Here

SO—let’s talk about those sweet potatoes because, quite honestly, they’re in my top three favorite foods. Japanese sweet potatoes (the ones with the purple skin and pale yellow flesh) are different from your standard orange sweet potato. They’re denser and starchier, and when they roast, they develop an incredible sweetness. When those edges get caramelized and slightly crispy? I have to stop myself from eating them straight off the pan.

The Tahini Drizzle That Makes It Restaurant-Worthy

The tahini drizzle is what takes this from “good weeknight dinner” to “I would pay $28 for this at Gjusta.” It’s just tahini, lemon, a little honey, garlic, and enough warm water to make it pourable—but it brings this creamy, nutty richness that ties everything together. I make extra on purpose because you’ll want to drizzle it over roasted vegetables, crisp little gem lettuce, grain bowls… basically everything for the rest of the week.

A Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner That’s Perfect for Hosting (or Meal Prep)

One more thing I love: this recipe is incredibly make-ahead-friendly and perfect for hosting. You can slice the sweet potatoes and marinate the chicken in the morning, keep everything in the fridge, and then just pop it all in the oven when you’re ready. Dinner practically makes itself while you do literally anything else. That’s the kind of energy I’m bringing into this year.

Serve it straight from the sheet pan (as we usually do), or transfer everything to a family-style serving platter if you’re feeling elevated. Scatter fresh herbs over the top—I used cilantro, parsley, and some dill because that’s what I had—plus toasted sesame seeds and a good pinch of flaky salt. Don’t skip squeezing those roasted lemon wedges over everything. It brightens the whole dish.

The Kind of Dinner That Fits Real Life

This is one of those rare meals that works for a simple family meal on a busy weeknight or having friends over for a casual dinner. Cozy enough for January, but sooo delicious any time of year.

I’d love to hear if you try it—tag me on Instagram so I can see, and read on for the recipe for this sheet pan chicken with sweet potatoes.

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