Roasted Smokey Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

This is not another sweet dish with sweet potatoes.  Nope!  We are spicing up this Chicken and Sweet Potato dish with just a touch of smoked paprika and cumin.  This powerful flavor combination gives just the right touch of smokiness to the dish.

But let’s talk about the sweet potatoes for a second.  I love the way the sweet, creaminess of the sweet potatoes complements the juicy, velvety feel of the chicken thighs.  Do not attempt this dish with chicken breasts.  They’ll get dry and overcooked.  Chicken thighs are the way to go to roast up just right.

I haven’t even mentioned the red onion.  Why red?  Well, the reasons to use red onions in this dish instead of white or yellow are several:

• Red onions can keep their firmness and shape a little better than their white and yellow counterparts.
• The color is a striking contrast in this dish.  Yeah, I said it.  They’re prettier!
• Red onions are slightly sweeter and milder than yellow or white onions.  They’re just subtle enough to flavor the dish without taking over.

The secret ingredient in this dish is the apple cider vinegar.  Even with only 1 tablespoon in the entire recipe, the flavor of the apple cider vinegar explodes with yumminess.  You can substitute white vinegar if you don’t have ACV.  Try it yourself and let me know which you prefer.  I go with the distinct character of apple cider vinegar for this dish.

This dish can be prepared ahead of time.  Just combine all ingredients into a gallon size freezer bag.  Store in your freezer until the night before you’d like to serve the dish.  Then let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Roast as directed. This is one chicken and sweet potato dish that you will want to make again!

Roasted Smoky Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Juicy Southwest chicken with perfectly seasoned sweet potatoes! Hearty and yum!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Lauren Cobello

Ingredients

• 1 - 1.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3/4 pound sweet potato 1 large potato is what I used, cut into 3 inch wedges
• 1/3 red onion sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil I used avocado for its high smoke point
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Remove any excess fat or skin from the chicken.
• Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Toss to coat everything evenly.
• Place mixture into a roasting pan or cast iron skillet suitable for the oven.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
• Leave the pan in the oven and increase the temperature to 425 degrees. You don't have to wait for the oven to preheat again. Leave the chicken in there at 425 degrees for 10 minutes after setting the temperature.

Have you grabbed my freezer meal plans, yet? I might be biased but I think they are pretty amazing! They have saved our dinner hour for years now. Check them out!