Sheet Pan Chicken and Asparagus with Capers and Lemon

It has been nearly 6 months since my last blog post. Time flies when you’re having fun, as they say. In October and early November we spent 10 days in Mexico. In November and December we thrived through the holidays. Plus Dave and I worked hard as that’s always a busy time in restaurants. In January we got to relax a bit. We went to Florida and on a short cruise. I started a new (second) job, which I’m really excited about, shortly after we came back. We have been busy!

Suddenly it’s spring. This idea popped into my head when I recently found asparagus on sale. I’ve always loved chicken piccata, and the flavors are inspired by that. This, however, is a much easier spin. Plus it’s a sheet pan meal, which means less to clean. It takes about 40-45 minutes for everything to roast so it’s quick enough for a weeknight meal. You can season ahead of time if you’re able, but it’s not essential.

The chicken will get good color but stays nice and juicy. Some of the capers will also crisp up. There will be plenty of roasting juices in the pan. It’s fantastic with Crispy Chili Garlic Oil.

Sheet Pan Chicken and Asparagus with Capers and Asparagus

Serves 4

• 6 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
• 2 lemons
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
• kosher salt (approximately one T)
• 4 T extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or finely grated
• 1 lb asparagus
• 1/3 cup capers, drained

1. If have time, season the chicken an hour or even the night before. You don’t have to do it early, but it helps. Put the chicken in a large bowl. Zest the lemons. Set aside the fruit for serving with the chicken. Add the zest to the chicken.
2. Add the Aleppo pepper, 1 T of the olive oil, salt, and the garlic. If prepping ahead, cover and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to preheat your oven.
3. Preheat oven to 325F. When the oven is preheated, spread the chicken out on a sheet pan and cook for 20 minutes.
4. While the chicken is cooking, snap or chop off the fiberous ends of the asparagus. Toss with the remaining 3T of olive oil and the capers. Season with a little salt and pepper. (You won’t need much salt because of the capers so skip it if your palate is sensitive to salt. )
5. After the chicken has been cooking for 20 minutes, bump the heat of the oven up to 450F. Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. Scatter the asparagus around the pan, in between the chicken, and then top with the capers.
6. Return to the oven to roast for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and the skin is crispy.
7. Serve the chicken and asparagus with the roasting juices and lemon wedges.