Sheet Pan Smoked Paprika Chicken & Roasted Broccoli

In this easy sheet pan dinner, the chicken thighs are seasoned with smoked paprika and turn out delicious tender and juicy with crispy skin!

To give the chicken a smoky and slightly spicy flavor, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin and oregano. When done, the chicken is deliciously tender and juicy with crisp, well-seasoned skin while the broccoli is crispy-tender and flavored by the juices and spices from the chicken. Just before serving, we give the chicken and broccoli a squeeze of fresh lemon to brighten them up. It's so delicious!

This sheet pan smoked paprika chicken and roasted broccoli was inspired from Melissa Clark's Sheet-Pan Chicken with Jammy Tomatoes and Pancetta. Although this low-carb and keto sheet pan recipe differs from Melissa's sheet pan recipe, the marinade and seasoning for the chicken are very similar.

When experimenting with this sheet pan recipe, we had the best results with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. But, you could also use bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks or bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. For those, you'll need to slightly adjust the cooking time. Therefore, if you're using larger, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, you may need to bake for an additional 10 minutes or so, depending on the size of the chicken breast. And if the chicken drumsticks are smaller in size, then you'll reduce the bake time. Either way, we recommend that you use a meat thermometer to check the chicken for doneness.

We like to marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes before baking, but that is entirely optional. We're convinced it improves the flavor of the chicken, but that could be debatable. Regardless, it's simple to get the chicken marinating the night before or even the morning of your meal if you got the time. When preparing the sheet pan, you'll first bake the chicken and then throw on the broccoli a little later since the broccoli takes less time to cook.

The total cook time for this sheet pan meal is roughly 30 minutes. And, the clean-up time is minimal. Each serving is just 5.5 net carbs.

About Smoked Paprika

Smoked paprika, also known as Spanish paprika or pimenton, is made from sweet pepper pods, which are smoked and dried over fire. The process gives the seasoning a beautiful smoky flavor while still retaining its sweet undertones. At the grocer, you may be able to buy different varieties -- such as mild or spicy hot.

Ingredients

There are just 8 ingredients in this simple sheet pan meal, and you can customize the ingredients to your preferences.

• 1 ½ pounds, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: We love bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs since the chicken turns out tender and juicy with crispy skin. You can use other bone-in, skin-on chicken cuts, like drumsticks or breasts -- just be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed (due to varying size) and use a cooking thermometer to check for doneness.
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil: You'll use 2 tablespoons of olive oil for the chicken marinade and another tablespoon for roasting the broccoli.
• Salt and pepper to season: We season the chicken with salt and pepper before marinating. We also season the broccoli with salt and pepper before roasting.
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice: We use 1 ½ tablespoons of squeezed lemon juice for the chicken marinade and about a half tablespoon for squeezing over the chicken and broccoli when done.
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika: We use a tablespoon of smoked paprika for the marinade. You could use regular paprika if that is all you have, but just be aware that it will taste different (sweeter and not smoky).
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano: Just one teaspoon is needed for the chicken marinade.
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin: Just one teaspoon of cumin is added to the marinade for a little spice.
• 2 cups chopped broccoli (roughly 9 ounces): For the broccoli, you'll rinse and chop into similar-size florets and drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. You'll add the broccoli to the pan after the chicken has been in the oven for 10 minutes — that way it has about 20 minutes to roast to perfection.

There are many ways to customize this sheet pan. If you like, you can add minced garlic to the chicken marinade, you can garnish the dish with fresh herbs, or you can replace the broccoli with a different veggie — such as cauliflower (will need about 25 minutes to roast) or even grape tomatoes.

How to Make

We love sheet pan meals since they're so easy to make and they're hard to mess up. Here are the steps in making this sheet pan meal:

• First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. While that's preheating, you'll make the chicken marinade.
• For the marinade, you'll stir together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, smoked paprika, cumin and oregano. You'll then pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour the marinade over the chicken. Toss to coat and let marinate. We recommend marinating for 20 minutes but that is optional. You can even marinate the night before or morning of your meal (just be sure to refrigerate).
• After, you'll rinse the broccoli and chop into similar-size florets. Place the broccoli in a large bowl and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Then, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
• Next, you'll line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place the chicken thighs on one side of the pan, leaving a little space between each. Pop the pan in the oven (after oven is done preheating), and bake for roughly 30 minutes. After 10 minutes in the oven, pull the pan out and spread the broccoli on the other side of the pan, leaving a little space between each floret.
• After 30 minutes, check the chicken for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees in its thickest part. If you prefer even crispier skin, turn the broiler on high and heat for a few additional minutes. When done, remove the pan from the oven. There may be a good amount of juice from the chicken on the pan, which is tasty stuff with all the spices. You can spread this juice over the chicken or broccoli for added flavor.
• Plate the chicken and broccoli and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the top of each. Then, dig in and enjoy!

Storing leftovers

Place any leftover chicken in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. You can reheat the chicken in the microwave or oven.

Other Low Carb and Keto Sheet Pan Recipes:

Here are other low-carb and keto sheet pan recipes you may enjoy:

• Easiest chicken enchilada boats: With just a few store-bought ingredients — like store-bought rotisserie chicken, salsa and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce — these keto chicken enchilada zucchini boats are such an easy dinner to prepare for busy weeknights.
  
• Creole shrimp and sausage sheet pan: Spice up your weeknight dinners with this easy, low-carb creole shrimp and sausage sheet pan! This recipe is similar to Jambalaya since it contains shrimp, andouille sausage, bell pepper, tomatoes, and creole seasoning. This easy weeknight meal takes less than 25 minutes to make.
  
• Sheet pan salmon and broccolini with lemon dill butter: This sheet pan salmon and broccolini with lemon dill butter is perfect for spring or summer due to it’s bright lemony and fresh grassy dill flavor. In this dish, lemon juice, lemon zest and freshly chopped dill are combined with softened butter, and added to the broccolini and salmon after roasting so the flavors remain fresh and bright.