One-Pot Wonders

Sheet Pan Curried Chicken with Cauliflower and Grapes

by:
January 12, 2019
4.6
24 Ratings
Sheet Pan Curried Chicken with Cauliflower and Grapes
Photo by Julia Gartland
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 35 minutes
  • Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes

I’m always looking for new ingredients or combinations of flavors to reimagine weeknight dinners. In the case of this sheet pan chicken dinner, it's red seedless grapes—the prosaic table variety that may be kicking around in your fridge right now! The combination of curried-rubbed chicken, roasted cauliflower, and jammy, caramelized grapes is compelling, especially with fresh herbs and salted yogurt on the side. Better yet, it's a cinch to prepare and hearty enough to stand alone (no sides needed!). —EmilyC

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For chicken and curry rub:
  • 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on (about 2.5 pounds total)
  • 2 tablespoons full-fat yogurt (either regular or Greek)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons curry powder (salt-free), such as madras or maharajah
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • For rest of sheet pan and yogurt sauce:
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder (salt-free), such as madras or maharajah
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for yogurt sauce
  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 1 cup red or black seedless grapes, left whole if small, or halved if large
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup full-fat yogurt (regular or Greek)
  • 1 large lemon
  • A few big handfuls of roughly chopped cilantro, parsley, or dill
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 425° F.
  2. Dry chicken well with paper towels. Make curry rub by whisking together yogurt, olive oil, curry powder, and salt until well integrated (it may not fully emulsify, which is fine). Notes: you may need to add a bit more olive oil if using Greek yogurt. If using a curry powder that includes salt, slightly decrease the amount of kosher salt in the rub.
  3. Season chicken evenly with the curry rub (on both sides and under the skin). Arrange in a single, even layer on a sheet pan.
  4. Roast chicken for 15 minutes. (Set a timer.)
  5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon curry powder with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add cauliflower, grapes, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to taste. Toss well to evenly coat in the curry oil.
  6. When the timer goes off, remove the sheet pan from the oven, and add the cauliflower and grape mixture, nestling it around the chicken as evenly as possible. Roast about 20 minutes longer, or until the chicken is cooked through (target temperature is 165° F in the thickest parts) and cauliflower is tender. (Note: If the chicken is done before the cauliflower, remove it from sheet pan and continue roasting the cauliflower. Optional: slide the pan under the broiler for a few minutes to deepen the browning of the chicken and cauliflower.) Squeeze the juice from half a lemon over the chicken and cauliflower. Adjust acidity and seasoning to taste. Toss in herbs.
  7. While the chicken cooks, combine yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and a big pinch or two of salt. Stir to combine, and adjust acidity and seasoning, to taste. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
  8. Serve warm with yogurt on the side, so everyone can spoon some onto their plates.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Kitty Alexander Shirley
    Kitty Alexander Shirley
  • Karen Spardello Sagaspe
    Karen Spardello Sagaspe
  • FrugalCat
    FrugalCat
  • EmilyC
    EmilyC
EmilyC

Recipe by: EmilyC

I'm a home cook. I love salads. Two things you'll always find in my refrigerator are lemons and butter, and in my pantry good quality chocolate and the makings for chocolate chip cookies.

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24 Reviews

Theresa C.
Theresa C. January 18, 2023
This recipe was so, so good! I used boneless/skinless chicken thighs and they worked out really well. The head of cauliflower was quite large so I decided to bake it, along with the grapes, on their own sheet pan. Because it was so large, I doubled the olive oil/spice mix and I am glad that I did. I forgot to buy a lemon so we made it without, but the flavor was still amazing! When I make it the next time, I will double the grapes because we really loved them. My husband said that this is a "definite keeper". Thank you for sharing this recipe!
 
Kasia K.
Kasia K. January 8, 2022
I made this last night for the first time. It was a big hit with everyone including a 10 and 14 years old. I used chicken legs bc I didn’t have thighs and added 5 min to the first part of baking chicken. I also used half the curry in the marinade bc I thought it would be overpowering but it wasn’t. It was delicious. The kids didn’t like the dipping yogurt. I would make it again. I wish we could post pictures as it looked as good as it smelled.
 
Margo_b
Margo_b October 23, 2021
Delicious! Easy to prep, easy to cook. Taste of chicken combined with carry, yogurt, cauliflower and grapes is beyond my expectations.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC October 26, 2021
Wonderful -- so glad you tried and liked it! : )
 
Amy L.
Amy L. April 28, 2019
This was delicious! Easy to prepare and I love how the sweetness of the grapes compliments the curry...I’ll be making this again!
 
EmilyC
EmilyC April 29, 2019
So glad you liked this, Amy! Thanks so much for your note!
 
peggyg
peggyg March 12, 2019
All I can say is "Wow"!
I almost didn't make this because I only had chicken breasts (bone in, skin on for 88 cents/lb!) and broccoli. But i had the grapes and the yogurt and curry powder from Trader Joe's (not sure exactly what type, but tasty) so I took a chance.
Wow - again! I was amazed by the flavor from a rather simple preparation. I had it along with wild rice and we all just loved it - I will definitely make this again and again! Actually I'd be happy to have it again tomorrow...
 
EmilyC
EmilyC March 19, 2019
I'm so happy that you liked this so much, peggy! Thanks so much for trying it and your nice note! : )
 
Montanafoodie
Montanafoodie February 23, 2019
Wonderful balance of heat, sweet, salt & acid (yogurt). Ten stars from my pickiest 7 yo eater!
 
EmilyC
EmilyC February 24, 2019
Yay!! I have 6 and 9 yo eaters, so I always love reading comments like this! : ) Thanks for your note!
 
Betsy
Betsy February 11, 2019
I’d love to try this recipe, but we’re not fans of thighs. Any advice on trying this with chicken breasts. Bone in vs boneless skinless, change in cooking time? Thanks for your suggestions.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC February 11, 2019
Hi Betsy! I'm sharing the same response I just left on the Hotline! Hope this helps!

This recipe should work just fine with chicken breasts! The main difference will be the cooking time, depending on their size and if they're boneless skinless or bone-in/skin-on. I'd recommend using the latter since the fat that renders from the skin will nicely flavor the cauliflower and grapes. If you're using boneless skinless, I'd recommend tossing the cauliflower and grapes in a little extra olive oil. Either way, check the temperature of the breasts when you add the cauliflower so you'll have a sense of how fast they're cooking. Hope you enjoy!! : )
 
Kitty A.
Kitty A. February 11, 2019
LOVED THIS! Made it as written, with dill as the herb of choice sprinkled on at the end. My cauliflower florets were a little too large this time so I’ll make them smaller the next. Delicious. A definite keeper.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC February 11, 2019
So happy that it’s a keeper! Thanks Kitty! : )
 
Anna G.
Anna G. February 10, 2019
This was a great cool weather dinner. I used Romanesco in place of the cauliflower. It worked well and my kiddos ate all of their veggies (and fruit!).
 
EmilyC
EmilyC February 10, 2019
Hi Anna: so glad that you and your family enjoyed this!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a note!
 
Jennifer K.
Jennifer K. February 9, 2019
This is a *really* great recipe. Minor changes made little difference: I had fat-free greek yogurt, so the sauce was a little harder to slather, but otherwise tasted great; I used dried thyme, and it's also fine as a replacement. Definitely going into the rotation.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC February 10, 2019
Wonderful, so glad that was a hit, Jennifer! Thanks for your feedback!
 
Pananaka
Pananaka February 9, 2019
Incredible! I didn't change a thing. It was like what you'd get at a restaurant. Very impressive and delicious!
 
EmilyC
EmilyC February 9, 2019
Yay, so glad you liked this, Pananaka! Thanks for trying it and circling back!
 
Karen S.
Karen S. February 9, 2019
Made this last night with a couple of variations. I used garam masala instead of curry and broccoli instead of cauliflower. It was amazing and looked beautiful on the plate. Definitely would recommend this yummy dinner.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC February 9, 2019
Hi Karen! What a lovely variation! Thanks so much for your note.
 
FrugalCat
FrugalCat February 7, 2019
We are not a curry family so I just used Tajin instead of salt. Those without a Latin grocery store can sub Trader Joe's Chili and Lime seasoning.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC February 7, 2019
Oh that sounds like a delicious variation! Thanks for sharing FrugalCat.