Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken - Super Tasty Recipes

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Prep Time:10

Cook Time:25

Total Time:35

Ingredients

1 to 1 ½ lbs chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 lb potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red onion chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup Buffalo sauce
⅓ cup blue cheese dressing
2 green onions diced

Instructions

Step 1: Heat the Oven and Prepare Your Pan - Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. You want the oven fully hot before the sheet pan goes in because that stronger heat helps the potatoes brown instead of simply becoming soft. Grab a medium sheet pan and give yourself enough room to spread everything out. If the ingredients are piled tightly on top of one another, they will release steam and you will miss some of those browned edges that make the potatoes especially good.
Step 2: Chop the Chicken, Potatoes, and Onion - Cut the potatoes into roughly 1 inch pieces, chop the red onion, and cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Try to keep the chicken pieces fairly similar in size so one piece is not dry by the time a larger one cooks through. I do the same with the potatoes. Nobody needs to get out a ruler, but keeping everything reasonably uniform makes the whole pan cook more predictably.
Step 3: Arrange Everything on the Sheet Pan - Place the potatoes and chopped red onion on one side of the sheet pan and arrange the chicken on the other side. Keeping the two sections separate makes the final steps easier and allows you to toss each side without sending raw chicken juices through the vegetables. Drizzle the olive oil over everything, then sprinkle on the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Use tongs or a spatula to toss the chicken and vegetables separately until everything has a light, even coating.
Step 4: Roast the First Fifteen Minutes - Slide the pan into the hot oven and roast everything for 15 minutes. This first stretch gives the potatoes time to soften and lets the chicken begin cooking while the onion starts turning tender around the edges. You do not need to hover over it. This is usually when I wipe down the cutting board, put away the seasonings, or deal with whatever small household emergency has appeared since dinner went into the oven.
Step 5: Toss and Finish Roasting - After 15 minutes, carefully remove the pan and toss the potatoes, onions, and chicken, still keeping the chicken mostly on its own side. Return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes. The chicken should be fully cooked and the potatoes should be tender when pierced with a fork. If your potato pieces were slightly larger, they may need a few extra minutes, so judge by tenderness rather than rushing them out of the oven.
Step 6: Add the Buffalo Sauce and Blue Cheese - Once everything is cooked, drizzle the Buffalo sauce over the chicken and gently toss until the pieces are coated. Then drizzle the blue cheese dressing across the chicken, potatoes, and onion. I like keeping some streaks of dressing visible instead of mixing everything completely because you get bites that are spicy, bites that are creamy, and bites where the two meet right in the middle.
Step 7: Garnish and Bring It to the Table - Finish the pan with the diced green onions and serve while everything is still warm. I usually put extra Buffalo sauce and dressing on the table so everybody can adjust their own plate. That tiny bit of flexibility goes a long way with family meals, especially when one person loves heat and another thinks black pepper is an adventure.

Notes

Substitutions

Chicken thighs: Boneless skinless chicken thighs can replace the chicken breasts and will give you an especially juicy result.
Sweet potatoes: Swap the regular potatoes for sweet potatoes cut into small pieces if your family enjoys a little sweetness against the tangy sauce.
Yellow onion: A yellow or sweet onion works well when you do not have red onion in the kitchen.
Ranch dressing: If blue cheese is a tough sell at your table, ranch dressing gives you the same cooling, creamy contrast.
Avocado oil: Use avocado oil in place of olive oil if that is what you normally keep on hand.
Smoked paprika: Smoked paprika can replace regular paprika when you want a slightly deeper, smokier taste.

Variations

Extra vegetable version: Add chopped bell peppers or small broccoli florets to the vegetable side of the pan for more color and produce.
Milder family version: Use a mild Buffalo sauce and serve extra sauce separately so heat lovers can add more to their own plates.
Extra spicy version: Add a pinch of cayenne to the chicken seasoning and finish with a little additional Buffalo sauce.
Ranch Buffalo version: Replace the blue cheese dressing with ranch and scatter a little shredded cheddar over the warm chicken before serving.
Loaded potato version: Finish the potatoes with shredded cheese, green onions, and a little extra dressing for a fun loaded potato feel.

Tips and Tricks

Cut the potatoes small enough: One inch pieces are important because larger chunks can still be firm when the chicken is ready.
Give everything breathing room: Spreading the ingredients across the pan helps them roast and brown instead of steaming together.
Keep the chicken and vegetables separate at first: This makes tossing easier and gives you better control when the Buffalo sauce goes on at the end.
Add the Buffalo sauce after roasting: Finishing the chicken with sauce keeps the tangy Buffalo flavor bright and prevents it from drying onto the pan.
Check your largest chicken piece: The biggest piece will take the longest to cook, so use it as your guide before pulling the pan from the oven.
Keep extra dressing nearby: Blue cheese dressing cools the heat quickly, which is useful when you are feeding people with different spice preferences.
Serve it right away: The potatoes are at their best when the edges are still hot and lightly browned and the dressing has just started to warm against them.

Serving Ideas

Simple green salad: A crisp salad with lettuce, cucumber, and a mild dressing gives you something cool and fresh alongside the warm Buffalo chicken.
Celery and carrots: Serve raw celery sticks and carrot sticks for that familiar Buffalo wing pairing with almost no extra cooking.
Corn on the cob: Sweet corn gives the meal a mellow side that balances the tang and heat of the sauce.
Dinner rolls: Warm rolls are handy for soaking up the little streaks of Buffalo sauce and dressing left on the plate.
Extra roasted vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans can make the meal stretch further when you are feeding especially hungry people.
Fresh fruit: Watermelon, grapes, or sliced apples give kids a cool, sweet contrast to the savory chicken.

Storage and Make Ahead Tips

Refrigerate leftovers promptly: Transfer cooled chicken, potatoes, and onion to an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Store extra dressing separately: If you know you will have leftovers, adding dressing only to the portions you are serving helps the potatoes keep a better texture.
Reheat in the oven: Warm leftovers on a sheet pan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through for potatoes that regain more of their roasted texture.
Use the microwave when time is short: A microwave works well for a quick lunch, although the potatoes will be softer than they are straight from the oven.
Prep the vegetables early: Chop the potatoes and onion ahead of time and keep them covered in the refrigerator so dinner assembly moves even faster.
Cut the chicken ahead with care: You can cut the chicken earlier in the day and refrigerate it in a tightly covered container until you are ready to cook.
Save the sauces for serving time: Buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing taste freshest when they are added after the chicken and vegetables have finished roasting.

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Servings: servings