Skillet Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
Who says you can’t make a delicious dinner using simple ingredients? This easy skillet chicken and sweet potatoes recipe only takes 30 minutes start to finish & uses just a handful of ingredients, making it one of my favorite fallback meals (maybe ever). And don’t even get me started on the pan sauce – it’s rich, sweet, and just the right amount of spicy. You’ve gotta try this easy chicken and sweet potato recipe soon!
5 star review
“Made this last night and it was delicious! The sauce was very flavorful. I added some spinach (tossed in when I added the chicken back in, before stirring and placing in the oven) which was a yummy green addition. Will def be making this again especially because I can easily modify it to one portion on the nights my husband is out of town for work. Great, cozy, easy fall/winter meal. ”
– Jamie
about this chicken and sweet potato recipe
I don’t know about you, but we cook with chicken a lot in our house – so I’m always in need of new & interesting chicken recipes to add to my dinner rotation.
And right now, I’m loving this one pan chicken and sweet potatoes recipe!
The easy pan sauce for this chicken and sweet potato bake is rich, sweet, and just a little bit spicy.
It gets some subtle heat and smokiness from the chipotles in adobo sauce, which is balanced beautifully with the silkiness from the butter & oil and a hint of sweetness from the honey.
If you’ve never used canned chipotles in adobo sauce before, they’re optional in this recipe (so don’t worry, if you’re sensitive to spice then you can easily omit them).
Personally, I think they’re such a great shortcut for adding tons of flavor without having to smoke your own chilis.
Plus, I love that they’re shelf stable and already come pre-seasoned for you in a tasty mix of pureed tomatoes, vinegar, garlic and spices – they’re like that secret hero ingredient that doesn’t require a ton of effort on your part but delivers big time in the flavor department!
process & tips
While I love my slow cooker chicken dinners, on our extra hectic weeks I find myself turning to tasty last minute dinner ideas instead.
We’re talkin’ the kind that I can throw together in under 30 minutes, with minimal prep steps and short & easy-to-find ingredient lists (bonus points if there’s lots of pantry staples too).
And this is one of those tried & true fallback recipes that everyone in our house loves.
To make it, you first season and brown your chicken thighs on both sides in a hot pan and then give your sweet potatoes a quick saute (this all happens in the same pan for easy clean up).
Then quickly melt together your simple honey-butter chipotle sauce in the microwave, pour over your chicken & sweet potatoes, and finish by baking it in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
As it all cooks together, the chicken juices will combine with the chipotle, garlic and honey butter to form the most delicious savory pan sauce.
PS – This recipe can easily be made with chicken thighs or chicken breasts, whichever you prefer. If you want to make a healthy chicken breast and sweet potato dinner, be sure to cut them into large pieces so that they cook through during the short time in the oven.
more ways to use this chicken and sweet potatoes skillet
Add some crusty bread (or these one-bowl cornbread muffins) on the side for soaking up any leftover pan sauce.
Enjoy over top some leafy greens like spinach to add in some extra leafy greens.
Serve with a simple side salad of any greens you like with an easy dressing, this Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette or this Lemon Dijon Dressing would complement the flavors in this dish beautifully!
If you’ve got just a few leftovers and need to stretch them into a more substantial meal, you can serve them over warm rice, quinoa or orzo, and add any other cooked veggies you like.
Get creative using up your leftovers to make them feel fresh & interesting! The leftover sweet potatoes easily become a quick breakfast hash by adding a few fried eggs on top. And leftover chicken can be enjoyed cold on top of lunch salads or shredded up & used for a pasta dinner.
ingredients & modifications
Chicken thighs: This recipe calls for about 1 pound of chicken thighs, or about 4 chicken thighs total. You could also use a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into large pieces) in its place.
Sweet potatoes: The sweet potatoes, chicken and chipotle-honey pan sauce all go together so beautifully in this dish! But if you prefer, you can also use waxy or yellow potatoes instead.
Avocado oil: I like using avocado oil for it’s neutral flavor and its high smoke point (which lets me use it in a variety of types of cooking from sauteing to grilling and baking & more). But you can also use any other neutral flavored oil in its place like vegetable or canola.
Butter: You can use traditional butter or for dairy-free, use a plant-based butter. For paleo, use ghee or a paleo friendly plant-based butter in its place.
Honey: I like the bit of sweetness that the honey brings to this dish, it balances out the mild heat from the chipotle. Together with the natural juices from the chicken and the garlic, butter and salt, it helps to create a delicious & easy pan sauce. You could also use maple syrup in its place, but know that it will add a bit of that maple flavor to the final dish.
Canned chipotle in adobo: Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce is such a great pantry staple to keep on hand! Adds tons of flavor without having to smoke your own peppers. Look for canned chipotles near the salsa, hot sauce and tortillas at the grocery store. Bonus, since the canned chipotle is shelf stable this becomes a wildly easy pantry dinner.
Garlic clove: I like the flavor of fresh minced (or finely grated) garlic best in this recipe, since we’re using minimal ingredients to create the healthy, simple pan sauce. But you could also use granulated garlic powder in its place.
Kosher salt: Look for kosher salt with the regular iodized salt at the grocery store. It has a subtler flavor. Use less iodized salt if that’s what you have on hand.
While the chipotle adds a nice little kick to this recipe, if you don’t have it, don’t want to use it, or are sensitive to heat, feel free to omit it entirely. Alternatively, if you like things even spicier, you can double the chipotle.
how to store & freeze leftovers
This is one of those recipes that still tastes totally delicious the next day, and leftovers make a great lunch!
It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container.
It also freezes well, either in a gallon ziplock bag, or individually in mason jars.
You can store it in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.
this recipe is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleo
Skillet Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs, about 4 chicken thighs, or boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into large pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided (or other neutral flavored oil)
- 2 tablespoons butter, or plant-based butter for dairy-free
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon chipotle, from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with ½ teaspoon salt.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large, 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and allow it to brown 3-4 minutes one one side. Flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil along with the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter, honey, chipotle, and garlic together, either in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- When the potatoes are slightly browned, add back the chicken along with any accumulated juices. Pour over the honey and butter mixture, stirring to combine.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
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So simple and satisfying. We make this almost weekly in our home, and look forward to it every time. Basic ingredients and straightforward steps. A huge win.
So happy to hear this one is an easy win for you, Jennifer. Thanks for the review!
Thank you so much for sharing this inspo! I used it to whip together a dish that substituted for sauces and starches that I had on hand. My family loved it. I’ll post it on IG!
Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one and modified it to fit the ingredients you had on hand, Steph. Thanks so much for leaving a reivew!
This was outstanding. I did not have the chipotle, but I did have some smoked paprika I subbed in. My husband sopped up the sauce left in my cast iron pan with some French bread! It made a good amount and the chicken and potatoes were done perfectly. This is another winner from you, Robin. Thank you.
Julie, so happy to hear this one was a hit — and great idea to serve with french bread — yum! Thanks so much for leaving a reivew!
Made this last night and it was delicious! The sauce was very flavorful. I added some spinach (tossed in when I added the chicken back in, before stirring and placing in the oven) which was a yummy green addition. Will def be making this again especially because I can easily modify it to one portion on the nights my husband is out of town for work. Great, cozy, easy fall/winter meal.
Jamie, wonderful to hear you enjoyed this one. Great idea to add some spinach, such a great tip. Thanks so much for leaving a review!