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Taking sheet pan dinners to a whole new level with this Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa.

Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com #sheetpan #cuban #chicken #recipes #easy

I didn’t mean for this to happen, but apparently this week’s recipes are all about winter citrus. From Monday’s salmon, to yesterday’s smoothie, and on to today’s Cuban chicken. Citrus obsessed? Maybe just a little, but I’m fully embracing all the produce winter has to offer and loving it!

Do you know what I’m also loving? Sheet pan dinners, which you will soon realize, as I have a few more sheet pan recipes coming your way this month. Like most everyone else in the world, I’m all about a dinner that can be made entirely on one pan. Using just one pan means less to clean, minimal hands-on time, and typically a pretty quick-cooking meal. Uh? A big fat yes to that!

All of the above means more time to spend cozied up by the fire on these super cold January nights. And when I say super cold, I mean super freaking cold. I’m talking a brisk five degrees…although I shouldn’t be complaining, because this is the mellowest winter ever here in Colorado. I think you guys on the east coast might be having colder temps, in which case, you should definitely be cozied up by the fire while this Cuban chicken cooks in the oven.

Just saying.

Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com #sheetpan #cuban #chicken #recipes #easy

Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com #sheetpan #cuban #chicken #recipes #easy

Anyway, when I was brainstorming recipes for the month, I knew that I really wanted to incorporate all the beautiful winter citrus. For whatever reason, whenever it comes oranges, grapefruits, and other winter citrus, my first thought is to just simply eat them, as opposed to using them in recipes. Growing up, my dad didn’t cook with much citrus (not even lemons or limes), but we ate plenty of oranges and grapefruits as snacks. It wasn’t until I started cooking that I learned how delicious citrus can be in savory recipes.

I feel like I don’t use citrus enough. It’s truly one of the best additions to so many recipes, and when I actually put a little thought into it, I find there are a million and one ways to use these vibrant fruits in savory ways.

Enter this Cuban Chicken.

Cuban cuisine is known for being extra citrusy, so it’s the perfect kind of food to make during these winter months when the grocery store is filled to the brim with blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, grapefruits, and those cute little clementines.

Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com #sheetpan #cuban #chicken #recipes #easy

Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com #sheetpan #cuban #chicken #recipes #easy

Like most sheet pan recipes, this one is pretty simple. Season your chicken, add your veggies…roast, roast, roast…and while that’s happening make the salsa. Serve it all up and done!

It’s literally a two-step process. In turn, you’ll have the most perfect citrusy chicken dinner complete with roasted potatoes, veggies, and even salsa. I mean, I’m not sure it gets better.

The chicken is pretty classically seasoned with a good amount of fresh orange and lime juice, plenty of garlic, oregano, and cumin. If you have extra time, I highly recommend marinating the chicken for a couple of hours before roasting to really intensify the flavor and to make for an extra tender and moist chicken.

The salsa…

To go along with the chicken, potatoes, and peppers, I made a quick salsa. I used the cutest little blood oranges that friends brought for me all the way from their California backyard! They’re under-ripe right now, so they don’t have their bright red hue just yet, but I kind of love their extra tart flavor. They make for a perfect salsa to spoon over top this chicken. The salsa adds a pop of fresh greens and zingy citrus flavor.

You CANNOT skip it.

It’s my favorite part, but then I say that about every fruit salsa recipe (I’m obsessed).

And lastly, if all my rambling on about how good this recipe is has yet to convince you to make it, just look at all the pretty colors happening here. The colors alone tell you this is a must-make recipe.

Pretty food = GOOD food.

OKAY, that might not always be true, but in today’s case, it’s true, you need to make this chicken!

Looking for more sheet pan recipes…click here!

if you make this Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com #sheetpan #cuban #chicken #recipes #easy

Watch the How-To Video:

Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 451 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Watch the How-To Reel

Ingredients

Citrus Avocado Salsa

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
    2. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the chicken, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, oregano, cumin, cayenne, orange juice + zest, lime juice + zest, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss well to evenly coat the chicken. Add the onions, potatoes, and bell peppers, and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Arrange everything in an even layer. Add the orange slices and then transfer to the oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes golden.
    3. Meanwhile, make the salsa. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.
    4. To serve, top the chicken with the salsa. Eat!
View Recipe Comments
Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com #sheetpan #cuban #chicken #recipes #easy

You do.

This post was originally published on January 17, 2018
3.86 from 786 votes (728 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 4 stars
    This was easy to make, different, and well liked by my family. Who cold ask for anything more? Thanks for a good recipe!

  2. Delicious but not as pretty. I think I needed to roast a bit more to get the caramalization you achieved here. Falvors explosive, though!

  3. Made this tonight it was a FABULOUS dinner. Glad I checked it after 30 minutes it was done. ( convection oven on roast)

  4. 5 stars
    Recipes easy to read and make
    Ingredients also can find any market or research can used with steak chicken or turkey or seafoods

  5. cubans don’t eat salsa. cubans don’t eat avocados like this. this is offensive. as are all of your white washed latino dishes.

    1. Well, this Cuban eats avocados and salsa! If her recipes are so “white washed” maybe you should spend your time browsing elsewhere. No one’s forcing you to make her recipes.

    2. Thank you for the feedback, but I have done a lot research on cuban flavors and the ingredients used within this recipe are cuban. Thank you again for the feedback.

  6. So happy to see another sheet pan recipe! I made your Greek chicken one last week and my husband was all about it. And you truly cannot beat being able to walk away and chill while dinner is in the oven! Excited for more too!

  7. Sounds like such a flavorful dish Tieghan! Nothing beats a sheet pan dinner for those busy nights!

    1. Thank you for the feedback, but I have done a lot research on cuban flavors and the ingredients used within this recipe are cuban. Thank you again for the feedback.

  8. Sounds great and look forward to trying this out! For the “2 tablespoons orange zest + orange juice”, do you mean that I should use all the zest from one orange then use 2 tbsp of its juice? Or are you saying 2 tbsp of zest + 2 tbsp of oj? Thanks!

    1. I use 2 tablespoon of zest and then I use the juice from that orange. does that make sense? Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂

  9. I made the greek sheet pan chicken on monday and it was so good! I’m looking forward to trying this one and future sheet pan recipes! Thanks!