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4.0 from 3 votes

One Pan Baked Chicken And Sweet Potatoes With Maple Orange Sauce

I can't get enough of easy one pot chicken meals. They're great for crowd pleasing midweek meals, but also for easy entertaining. Sweet potatoes, green beans, garlic, spinach, and chicken all get bathed in a delicious sweet maple orange sauce. Oh, and don't forget those lovely crunchy pecans.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4
Calories: 427 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

  • ½ sweet potato (medium) peeled and chopped into small chunks (1 to 2cm)
  • 8 cloves garlic unpeeled
  • 3½ ounces green beans (about 1 large handful, topped and tailed and sliced in half)
  • 1 pound chicken thighs skinless boneless, 4 to 5 large thighs
  • 1 orange zest and juice (try zesting the orange with the thick grater for larger pieces of zest)
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (or a large pinch) optional
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup spinach (I used baby spinach - a big handful)
  • 1 ounce pecan nuts (about a handful)
to serve
  • toasted bread with olive oil and salt, or rice

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 390F / 200C.
  2. Add the sweet potato, garlic and green beans to a medium baking dish. Tuck the chicken between the vegetables.
  3. Whisk the zest and orange juice with the maple syrup. Add a large pinch of ground cinnamon, if using.
  4. Drizzle the whole dish with the oil, then pour the juice / syrup over the chicken.
  5. Grind over plenty of salt and pepper, then bake for 50 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potatoes are tender.
  6. 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the spinach, tucking it down into the sauce as much as possible, and sprinkle over the pecans.
  7. Serve with the bread or rice.

Notes

  • Using bone in skin on chicken thighs: This is fine, but you might need to add around 10 minutes to the cooking time. Also add the green beans around half way through to stop them overcooking.
  • Garlic: No need to peel before adding to the dish. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and into the juices as you eat. Delicious!
  • No maple syrup? You can use honey instead!
  • Orange zest: I like to zest the orange with the large side of the grater so that there are bigger pieces of zest in the marinade. 
  • No pecans, or got a nut allergy to consider? No worries. Either skip the nuts altogether (the dish will still be delicious) or replace with hazelnuts, macadamias or walnuts. 
  • Making ahead: This is a perfect dish to make ahead, especially if you're entertaining. Just throw everything into the dish apart from the spinach and pecans. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. 
  • A note on portion size: This dish serves 4, but the portions are on the modest side! If you or your guests have appetites on the larger side, I'd suggest using a bigger baking dish and adding a little more of everything ;-)
  • Try it with salmon: Give the sweet potatoes and garlic a 15-minute head start in the oven (drizzle with a bit of olive oil first). Then add everything else including the salmon and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until the salmon is cooked. I'd also skip the pecans! 

Nutrition Information

Calories 427kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 25g (8%) Protein 21g (42%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 6g Monounsaturated Fat 13g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 111mg (37%) Sodium 113mg (5%) Potassium 569mg (16%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 14g (28%) Vitamin A 5049IU (101%) Vitamin C 25mg (28%) Calcium 81mg (8%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 427

% Daily Value*

Calories 427kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 25g 8%
Protein 21g 42%
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 13g 65%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 111mg 37%
Sodium 113mg 5%
Potassium 569mg 12%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 14g 28%
Vitamin A 5049IU 101%
Vitamin C 25mg 28%
Calcium 81mg 8%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.