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Taking sheet pan dinners to a whole new level with this Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa.
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.
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.
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!
Watch the How-To Video:
Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa
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.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons orange zest + orange juice
- zest + juice of 1 lime
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 sweet onion, sliced
- 2 russet potatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 bell pepper sliced
- 1 small orange, sliced
Citrus Avocado Salsa
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 orange, diced
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- juice from 1 lime
- pinch of flaky sea salt
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!
You do.
Wonderful!
Thank you!
I am always on the lookout for 1 pan or sheet pan dinners as I love short prep times and less dishes to clean on weeknights. That being said…….YUMMY!!! Absolutely loved it. I was a little befuddled at the thought of the salsa on it…..but SO happy I made it as it really finished it off wonderfully!!!! I have already shared the recipe with friends and I will come back to your site again now that I know you are here. 5 star for sure in my book! Prep time takes a bit but oh so worth it!
Thank you so much Nancy! I am so happy that you enjoyed this dinner and hope your friends do as well!
5 Stars!!!! Followed the recipe EXACTLY, without any changes and it was absolutely delicious ! This is certainly a “keeper” and we will make it again in the near future. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
M & L
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed this!
This recipe for the Cuban Chicken popped up in one of my games.I read the recipe and showed it to my son and daughter in law.We decided to make it today.It was absolutely incredible.All the different flavors blended in perfectly.Cant wait to try another !!
Thank you so much Sue!
Just made this tonight – delicious!! I used a large turkey roasting pan and it wasn’t big enough to have a single layer, so some of the veggies didn’t get crispy. I’ll have to try with a larger flat pan because the crispy ones were better. I followed the recipe exactly except for substituting red pepper flakes for Cayenne, it was great!! You MUST MAKE THE SALSA!! SO GOOD!! Thanks for this recipe, I’ll definitely be making again!
Also, i used navel oranges so it wasn’t as pretty as yours- I should’ve read the full post and would’ve tried with other ones but it was still great with the navels!
Ah thank you so much Amy! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and hope you love others on my blog as well!
The recipe is good but you really should not call it Cuban. Have you actually been to Cuba? Cuban food is not spicy at all. If you like spicy/hot food, you would have to ask for a hot sauce to add to you plate at a Cuban restaurant. In Havana, they now carry hot sauce for tourists but outside Havana it is impossible to get any hot sauce at the restaurant. When tourists express their surprise to Cubans as to how non-spicy their food is, Cuban proudly state that their food is more like Spanish food and not at all like Mexican. They take offense when their food is being compared to Mexican.
Hey Kara, thank you so much for the feedback. I have not been to Cuba, but I like spicy food, which is why I included it in the recipe. Very happy you enjoyed this! Thanks again!
This was fragrant, flavorful, beautiful to look at, and very easy to make. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you so much Autumn!
People were licking the plates, and by people I mean me. SO delcious!
Haha that is amazing! So happy you liked this Paris, thank you!
I made this for dinner a few nights ago and my family loved it so much we had it again last night! I served it with some coconut rice and it was perfect! We had to use sweet potato last night because we were out of regular and it still was really good!
Thank you so much Michelle!
I have a package of quartered, bone-in chicken pieces defrosting. Will this recipe work with that? I’d imagine it would affect the time it’s in the oven…Looks delicious!
Sure that will be great! You might need to cook the chicken a little longer to ensure it is cooked, maybe 10-15 minutes or so. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Loved this dish! Easy to prepare and so very flavorful!
Thank you Mae!
I made this with chicken breasts and it was delicious! I ended up taking the chicken out when it was done and roasting the vegetables for an extra 10 min. They didn’t quite get roasted like yours looks but I would try this again – maybe with two sheet pans. Mine was kind of crowded and I think that could be why the vegetables weren’t as browned. Also, I did spend more than 15 min prep
I am so glad you enjoyed this!
You saying this is to the next level, is an understatement LOL! This has got to be one of my favorite new dishes. Serious flavor explosion. I can’t believe what a wow factor the citrus gives. The citrus slices are amazing roasted. Super easy to make, Super flavor & huge WOW factor.
Me & the kids loved this dish!
Thank you!
Thank you!! I am so glad you and your kids loved this recipe Karen!
This was a really good recipe! First, I would eat almost anything topped with that salsa. As for the bake, I marinaded the chicken in advance and it was delicious! Next time I might reduce the potatoes to only one. I found the quantity to be unnecessary.
Thank you Kristy!
This dish looks delish! My grandmother was cuban so I can really appreciate this yummy flavor profile. And who doesn’t love one pan cooking?
Right? It is so easy! I hope you love this Carla! Thank you!