Name: Chicken Drumsticks and Roasted Vegetables
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 3 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and large cubed); 1 lb. brussel sprouts (trimmed and halved); 1-1/2 tsp. sea salt; 1 Tbsp. olive oil (more as needed); 1 tsp. garlic powder; 1 tsp. dried ground sage; 1/2 tsp. onion powder; fresh ground pepper (to taste); 10 chicken drumsticks, skin on; 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil; sea salt (to taste); ground pepper (to taste (omit for AIP))

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Welcome! Thanks for dropping in today to see what’s happening at Flawed yet Functional. I am a Type 1 Diabetic managing my blood sugar levels through diet, exercise, and healthy habits without additional insulin. Through an elimination diet called the Autoimmune Protocol, I’ve been able to identify the trigger of my autoimmune disease (gluten) as well as other gut irritants (dairy and eggs, so far!). I love to cook so it has become natural for me to create recipes that fit in my diet, are delicious to eat, and don’t require all day in the kitchen! Today I’d like to show you an easy one-pan dinner, Chicken Drumsticks and Roasted Vegetables.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links which just means if you purchase from the links provided, I may get a small commission at no additional cost to you! At Flawed yet Functional, I only reference products that have real value that I actually use.

Who Buys Drumsticks Anymore?

A couple of shopping trips ago, Costco was out of chicken thighs. Are you shocked? I was. This never happens. I needed chicken for meals I had planned that week, so I bought drumsticks instead. They were so delicious! What a happy accident! With the extra drumsticks, I whipped up this easy, one-pan dinner one weeknight.

Note: Yes, I shop at Costco for meat. Organic, free-range would be my first choice, but I have a budget to keep too. I buy the cleanest ingredients that I can afford, and I would encourage you to do the same. Don’t get down on yourself if you can’t do all the things, all the time. Just do what you are able. If the budget relaxes someday, I’ll buy higher quality meat! Cooking from-scratch meals with whole foods without preservatives will go a long way to improve your health.

Cooking Tips for Sheet Pan Dinners

Even though this recipe takes an hour to get to the table, that is not all active cooking time. Once the prep is done and the dish is in the oven, set a timer and walk away. Very little babysitting is required! Bonus: it’s harder to burn things in the oven than it is on the stove-top!

There is one trick to cooking this meal the best: don’t put everything on the sheet pan at once. The vegetables usually take longer to bake than the meat, so I toss the pan with just veggies on it into the oven first for 10-15 minutes. Then I take the pan out, arrange the meat on top and stick it back in the oven until the meat and vegetables are fully cooked. So I guess that is a little babysitting, but only a little.

Sheet Pan Dinner Versatility

Once you’ve mastered this recipe, use this simple method of roasted vegetables + baked meat to create tasty combinations of your own. If you don’t feel confident choosing spices, just use salt and pepper. Really, you can’t go wrong with only those two spices!

Want more sheet pan dinner ideas? Check out these other awesome dinners!

Chicken drumsticks and roasted vegetables are a testament to AIP/Paleo meals don’t have to be complicated or take hours in the kitchen. Can you make phenomenal meals that are both of those? Yes! I choose to do complicated meals sometimes, but as a mom of young kids juggling multiple things at once, I need easy dinners too. For me, the best recipe for a healthy dinner is 1 protein + 1 starchy vegetable + 1 low-carb vegetable. Chicken Drumsticks and Roasted Vegetables follows this formula. Experiment with it and you will find easy, healthy dinners for your family too!