1h 15mMaple-Thyme Roast Chicken
Golden, skin-on chicken thighs roast alongside sweet potatoes and parsnips, finished with a maple-thyme glaze. Dijon mustard and cider vinegar balance the sweetness for a savory fall dinner.
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- Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs-2 pound
- Sweet potatoes-1 pound
- Parsnips-12 ounces
- Pure maple syrup-3 tablespoons
- Olive oil-3 tablespoons
- Fresh thyme leaves-1 tablespoon
- Dijon mustard-1 tablespoon
- Apple cider vinegar-1 tablespoon
- Fine salt-1.5 teaspoons
- Garlic powder-1 teaspoon
- Ground black pepper-0.5 teaspoons
Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle. Wash your hands with soap and water before beginning. Scrub the sweet potatoes and parsnips under running water, rinse the thyme, and dry them. Trim away damaged areas, peel the root vegetables, and cut them into similarly sized 3/4-inch pieces. Remove any tough, woody parsnip cores. Strip and measure the thyme leaves.
Keep the cutting board stable and curl your fingertips away from the knife while cutting.
Place the sweet potatoes and parsnips on the baking sheet. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread into a single layer, leaving four spaces for the chicken.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; do not rinse it. Rub with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then season all over with the garlic powder, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set the thighs skin-side up directly on the sheet in the open spaces. Keep the vegetables beside rather than underneath the chicken, and leave space between the thighs for browning. Wash your hands and clean any surfaces that touched raw chicken.
Keep raw chicken and its juices away from the prepared vegetables and clean tools; wash hands and contacted surfaces after handling, and discard the used paper towels.
Roast for 35 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, and remaining 2 teaspoons thyme in the small bowl.
Remove the sheet from the oven. Turn the vegetables with the spatula, then spoon half the glaze over them and toss gently. Brush the remaining half over all four chicken thighs, dividing it evenly. Return the sheet to the oven and roast for another 10–15 minutes, until the glaze is glossy, the vegetables are tender, and the chicken is cooked through.
Use oven mitts when removing the hot baking sheet.
Do not taste the glaze after the brush touches partially cooked chicken; wash the brush and glaze bowl after use.
Check each thigh with a clean instant-read thermometer inserted into its thickest part without touching bone. Every thigh must reach at least 165°F; thighs are often more tender at 175–185°F. If needed, continue roasting in 5-minute increments and check again.
Check the thickest part of every thigh without touching bone and verify it reaches at least 165°F.
Let the chicken rest on the sheet for 5 minutes. Serve each thigh with one-quarter of the vegetables and spoon the pan juices over the vegetables.
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