Sheet Pan Chicken with Turnips, Carrots and Harissa
Here’s an easy sheet-pan dinner with spices that evoke Morocco; we wrote about it in January 2021. For the best flavor, use whole cumin and coriander seed for the spice mix. Toast them whole spices a minute or two in a dry skillet, until they’re fragrant, then grind them in a mortar or electric spice mill. For convenience sake, using pre-ground spices is fine, too.
Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
For the spice mix
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
For the Chicken Thighs
1 1/2 pounds turnips
1 medium onion
8 slim carrots (about 10 - 12 ounces), peeled and left whole
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
3/4 teaspoon spice mix
8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons harissa, divided
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained briefly
Roughly chopped Italian parsley or cilantro for garnish (or you can use some roughly chopped carrot tops, if you have nice ones)
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the turnips and, unless they're baby turnips, a.k.a. Tokyo turnips (which you'll want to leave whole), cut them into large chunks – about eight pieces each for large ones, six for mediums, and halved for small (but not baby) ones. Cut the onion in half through the stem, peel it, then cut off the root end and cut each half into quarters, so you have 8 pieces; some of the petals will separate, but that’s fine. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil with 3/4 teaspoon of the spice mix and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the turnips, onions and carrots and toss to coat the vegetables. Remove the carrots and onions to a plate, place the turnips on a sheet pan and roast for 15 minutes; you’ll use the same bowl to coat the chicken, so no need to wash it yet.
3. While the turnips are roasting, place the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in the bowl with the remaining spice mix, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, the allspice, 1/2 teaspoon harissa and 3/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine well. Pat the chicken thighs dry, add them to the bowl, and toss them with the oil-and-spice mixture to coat evenly. In a separate small bowl, stir together the diced tomatoes with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, the remaining teaspoon of harissa and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
4. After the turnips have roasted 15 minutes, pull the sheet pan from the oven, use tongs to turn the turnips to another side and push them to the periphery of the pan. Lay the chicken thighs skin-side down on the hot sheet pan and strew the carrots and onions around them. Roast 15 minutes.
4. Pull the sheet pan from the oven, use tongs to turn the thighs skin-side up, and divide the tomato mixture over the top of the thighs. Roast another 35 minutes, or until the chicken measures 165 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the thickest part. Transfer the chicken thighs and vegetables to a serving platter, drizzle with the pan sauces, scatter the parsley, cilantro or carrot tops over all and serve.
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Turnips, Carrots and Harissa
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
- 1 1/2 pounds turnips
- 1 medium onion
- 8 slim carrots (about 10 - 12 ounces), peeled and left whole
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- 3/4 teaspoon spice mix
- 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons harissa, divided
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained briefly
- Roughly chopped Italian parsley or cilantro for garnish (or you can use some roughly chopped carrot tops, if you have nice ones)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the turnips and, unless they're baby turnips, a.k.a. Tokyo turnips (which you'll want to leave whole), cut them into large chunks – about eight pieces each for large ones, six for mediums, and halved for small (but not baby) ones. Cut the onion in half through the stem, peel it, then cut off the root end and cut each half into quarters, so you have 8 pieces; some of the petals will separate, but that’s fine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil with 3/4 teaspoon of the spice mix and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the turnips, onions and carrots and toss to coat the vegetables. Remove the carrots and onions to a plate, place the turnips on a sheet pan and roast for 15 minutes; you’ll use the same bowl to coat the chicken, so no need to wash it yet.
- While the turnips are roasting, place the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in the bowl with the remaining spice mix, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, the allspice, 1/2 teaspoon harissa and 3/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine well. Pat the chicken thighs dry, add them to the bowl, and toss them with the oil-and-spice mixture to coat evenly. In a separate small bowl, stir together the diced tomatoes with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, the remaining teaspoon of harissa and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
- After the turnips have roasted 15 minutes, pull the sheet pan from the oven, use tongs to turn the turnips to another side and push them to the periphery of the pan. Lay the chicken thighs skin-side down on the hot sheet pan and strew the carrots and onions around them. Roast 15 minutes.
- Pull the sheet pan from the oven, use tongs to turn the thighs skin-side up, and divide the tomato mixture over the top of the thighs. Roast another 35 minutes, or until the chicken measures 165 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the thickest part. Transfer the chicken thighs and vegetables to a serving platter, drizzle with the pan sauces, scatter the parsley, cilantro or carrot tops over all and serve.