Cajun Chicken Sheet Pan (With Honey Butter)

When it comes to weeknight dinners, I ask three main things from my meal. I want it to be delicious. I want it to be healthy. And I want it to be easy.  Enter this Cajun Chicken Sheet Pan with Sweet Potatoes and Kale!

If you can cut a sweet potato, rip kale and turn on an oven, you can have this tasty Healthy Chicken Traybake on your plate in under an hour!

And much like this Bruschetta Chicken Sheet Pan or this Lemon Herb Shrimp Rice Skillet, everything cooks in the same dish so there is minimal clean up.

The Ingredients

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs also work and are less likely to dry out. If you would like to increase the chicken you can double the amount and use one full chicken breast per serving.
• Sweet Potatoes- Peeled or unpeeled works depending on your preference.
• Kale
• Cajun Honey Butter- If you already have some on hand, feel free to use that! You need a generous ¼ cup. I would recommend heating it in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it.
• Olive Oil- Another neutral cooking oil can be used instead.
• Cajun Seasoning

The Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

2. Prep sweet potatoes and place on a sheet pan with the chicken. Note: Depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts, they may not need as long to cook and could dry out. Particularly, if you are using chicken breasts that are less than 1 inch (2cm) thick. To prevent this, you can bake the sweet potatoes for 10 minutes first. Then remove from the oven, add the chicken and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Resume with the remaining steps. Alternatively, you can check the temperature of the chicken early and remove it to a plate while the sweet potatoes and kale finish cooking. You can just brush the Cajun honey butter on and put it back in the oven for the last 3 minutes of cooking. If you use chicken thighs, they are less likely to dry out.

3. Meanwhile, prep kale and Cajun honey butter. A salad spinner works best for getting the kale really dry after washing. However, you can let it dry on a clean kitchen towel if needed instead.

4. Remove sheet pan and baste chicken. Spoon out the honey butter with a spoon that does not touch the chicken. The chicken may not be fully cooked when first basting so it is important that you use a separate utensil to spread the sauce around to ensure you don’t contaminate it all (and you have some leftover to serve at the end!).

5. Bake for 5 additional minutes and then baste the other side and add kale on top.

6. Bake for 5 more minutes. The edges of the kale will be starting to look a bit crispy. Ensure chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165 F.

7. Serve. Drizzle the remaining Cajun honey butter over the tray or serve it with a spoon alongside.

Leftovers

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze leftovers if needed but it may change the texture of the sweet potatoes and kale.

To Reheat: Reheat leftovers in the microwave until warmed through. You can also reheat in the oven at 350 F for 10 minutes until heated through. Don't add the kale until the last 3 minutes.

Cajun Chicken Sheet Pan Serving Ideas

This recipe is an easy, healthy all in one meal at its best! But if you want to add a little something more, some fresh baked Honey Oat Bread would be a tasty side! Especially if you toasted it and spread on a bit of extra Cajun Honey Butter.

Dietary Notes

If you have dietary restrictions, check the packaging of specific ingredients that you use to ensure they are compliant. This recipe is:

• Gluten Free

And if you liked this...

...you might also like:

• Cumin Chicken and Carrots Sheet Pan
• Cajun Shrimp and Rice Skillet
• Stuffed Barbecue Chicken Sweet Potatoes
• Baked Cajun Honey Butter Salmon

More Quick and Easy Meal Ideas!