Sheet-Pan Chicken With Jammy Tomatoes and Pancetta

Melissa Clark is unrivaled in creating interesting, easy, delicious sheet pan dinners. What a woman! After we cleaned our plates, I spotted my son-in-law over by the sink prying off the few remaining tomatoes stuck to the edges of the pan to pop in his mouth. The garlic, spices, and pancetta make a wonderful sauce with the tomatoes. Lining the pan with foil makes for simple cleanup. Grandson Hunter’s favorite food these days is mashed potatoes, which just happened to be great with this meal. Or just a salad and bread.

It’s not in the recipe, but if you have time why not marinate the chicken in the garlic, oil and spices. I did several hours ahead just to be organized and I think it added flavor. Melissa says if you have ripe summer cherry tomatoes you can skip the brown sugar, which I did. If you use boneless breasts, reduce the cooking time by 5 to 7 minutes.

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (skin on works too)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed

9 whole unpeeled garlic cloves

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving

1 Tbs. sweet or smoked paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. brown sugar (optional)

3/4 tsp. ground cumin

1 pint cherry tomatoes (preferably different colors), halved, or more

2 ounces diced pancetta or bacon

1/4 cup torn fresh dill, parsley, or other herbs, for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken all over with salt, and place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Smash all the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and peel them. Finely grate one garlic clove and put it in a small bowl. Stir in the 2 Tbs. olive oil, 1 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice, paprika, oregano, brown sugar (if using) and cumin. Pour over chicken, tossing to coat.

Add tomatoes and remaining smashed, peeled garlic cloves to baking sheet, spreading them out around the chicken. Season tomatoes lightly with salt and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Scatter pancetta on top.

Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir the tomatoes and pancetta, but don’t disturb the chicken.

Transfer the chicken to plates. Stir the tomatoes and pancetta around in the pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom and sides, and stir in the herbs and black pepper to taste. Taste and add salt, if needed, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if you like. Spoon tomatoes, garlic and pancetta over the chicken to serve. Serves 4.

Note: The white chunks mixed in with the tomatoes are cubes of sweet potato. I tossed them around in the bowl that had the marinade and added them to the roast. Why not??