Sheet Pan Roast Chicken and Cabbage

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken and Cabbage is an easy, flavor-packed dinner that combines crispy-skinned chicken with caramelized cabbage in a savory sesame-soy glaze. With just one pan and simple ingredients, you’ll have a complete meal that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen!

Love More Sheet Pan Recipes? Try My Sheet Pan Garlic Butter Chicken and Veggies or this Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Juicy roast chicken and tender caramelized cabbage come together on one sheet pan for an easy, flavorful meal. Roasted with simple seasonings and a hint of garlic, it’s a wholesome, no-fuss dinner that’s both comforting and deliciously satisfying.

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Ingredient List

For Greasing:

• 1 teaspoon neutral oil (for the sheet pan)

For the Sesame-Soy Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or olive oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or any vinegar you have)
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha (optional, but I love the kick!)

Main Ingredients:

• 8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 head cabbage (2 to 3 lbs)

Why These Ingredients Work

Bone-in, skin-on chicken is the MVP here. The bones keep the meat incredibly juicy during the longer roasting time, while that skin gets gorgeously crispy and golden. Don’t even think about using boneless, skinless—you need that protection!

Sesame oil brings that nutty, toasted flavor that makes everything taste authentically Asian-inspired. A little goes a long way, which is why we’re only using a tablespoon.

Coconut oil is my secret weapon here. It stays liquid when warm but solidifies when cold, which actually helps the marinade cling to the chicken better. Plus, it has a higher smoke point than olive oil, so everything roasts beautifully without burning. (Though olive oil works great too if that’s what you have!)

Soy sauce provides that salty, umami depth that makes your taste buds do a happy dance. It also helps the chicken skin get extra crispy.

Rice vinegar cuts through all that richness with a gentle acidity. It brightens everything up without being too sharp.

Cabbage is honestly the unsung hero of this dish. It’s sturdy enough to handle the high heat, affordable, and when it roasts with all those chicken drippings? INCREDIBLE. It gets sweet, caramelized, and tender—nothing like raw cabbage at all.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large rimmed sheet pan (also called a half-sheet pan)
• Small bowl for mixing the dressing
• Large bowl for marinating the chicken
• Another large bowl for tossing the cabbage
• Sharp knife for cutting the cabbage
• Tongs or a spatula for handling hot chicken and cabbage
• Serving platter

How To Make Sheet Pan Roast Chicken and Cabbage

Step 1 – Preheat and Prep Pan

Preheat your oven to 425°F. While it’s heating, pour a teaspoon of neutral oil over your rimmed sheet pan and rub it all over the surface with your hands or a paper towel. This prevents sticking and helps with cleanup!

Step 2 – Make the Dressing

In a small bowl, stir together the sesame oil, melted coconut oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and Sriracha if you’re using it. Give it a good whisk until everything’s combined. It’ll look a bit separated—that’s totally normal!

Step 3 – Marinate the Chicken

Place your chicken pieces in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper—both sides! Pour 1/4 cup of that beautiful dressing over the chicken and use your hands to massage it in (this is my favorite part). Let it marinate while the oven finishes preheating. If you have extra time, you can let it sit for up to an hour at room temperature, or even marinate it covered in the fridge for a few hours. Just remember to bring it back to room temperature before cooking for the best results.

Note: If you refrigerate the chicken, the coconut oil will solidify and look clumpy—don’t panic! This is completely normal and it’ll melt again when it hits the hot oven.

Step 4 – Prepare the Cabbage

Cut your cabbage in half right through the core (keep that core intact—it holds everything together!). Cut each half in half again through the core, and keep going until you have lots of wedges that are no wider than 1 inch. Place all those wedges in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss with the remaining dressing. Get your hands in there and make sure every piece gets coated!

Step 5 – Roast the Chicken

Arrange your marinated chicken pieces on the prepared sheet pan, spreading them out so they’re not touching. Give them room to breathe! Slide the pan into your preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes. This gives the chicken a head start and helps the skin begin to crisp up.

Step 6 – Add the Cabbage

Remove the pan from the oven (careful, it’s hot!) and start nestling those cabbage wedges all around the chicken pieces. Tuck them under and between the chicken—it’s going to feel like WAY too much cabbage, but trust the process! It’ll cook down beautifully. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should hit 165°F).

Step 7 – Rest the Chicken

Pull that gorgeous pan from the oven and transfer just the chicken to a platter to rest. This is important—it lets the juices redistribute so every bite is juicy!

Step 8 – Finish the Cabbage

Send that cabbage back into the oven solo for another 10 to 15 minutes. This is when the magic happens—the juices on the pan reduce and get syrupy, and the edges of the cabbage wedges turn golden and caramelized. Keep an eye on it during these last few minutes!

Step 9 – Serve

Transfer your gorgeous caramelized cabbage to the platter with the chicken, drizzle any pan juices over everything, and serve immediately.

You Must Know

The staggered cooking times are CRUCIAL. Don’t skip the step where the chicken roasts alone first, or where the cabbage finishes solo at the end. This ensures both components are perfectly cooked—crispy chicken and caramelized cabbage, not undercooked chicken and mushy cabbage!

Don’t crowd the pan. If your sheet pan is on the smaller side or you’re making more than 8 pieces of chicken, use two pans. Crowding creates steam instead of those beautiful crispy edges we’re after.

Personal Secret: After the cabbage is done, I sometimes add the chicken back to the pan and crank the oven to 450°F for a final 10 minutes. This makes the skin EXTRA crispy and warms the chicken back up. It’s optional, but it’s my favorite finishing move!

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Use a meat thermometer! The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F in the thickest part. This takes the guesswork out completely.
• Cut the cabbage wedges evenly. Uneven pieces mean uneven cooking. Keep them all around 1 inch wide for the best results.
• Don’t throw away those pan drippings! They’re liquid gold. Drizzle them over rice or quinoa served alongside this dish.
• Making more chicken? If you’re using 10 pieces instead of 8, add about 30 minutes to the total cooking time after that initial 10 minutes.
• Common mistake to avoid: Don’t use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They’ll dry out with this cooking method. The bone-in, skin-on pieces are essential here!

Flavor Variations / Suggestions

Spicy Version: Double the Sriracha or add red pepper flakes to the dressing for extra heat.

Honey-Garlic Twist: Add 1 tablespoon honey and 3 minced garlic cloves to the dressing for a sweeter, more aromatic version.

Citrus Kick: Add the zest and juice of one lime to the dressing for bright, zesty flavors.

Different Veggies: Try this with Brussels sprouts (halved), thick carrot coins, or chunks of sweet potato alongside or instead of the cabbage.

Ginger Boost: Add 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger to the dressing for an extra layer of flavor.

Use Different Cabbage: Purple cabbage works beautifully and looks stunning, or try Napa cabbage for a more delicate texture.

Make-Ahead Options

Marinate in Advance: You can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours ahead. Just keep it covered in the fridge and bring to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.

Prep the Dressing: Make the sesame-soy dressing up to 3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Just give it a good stir before using since the oils may separate.

Cut the Cabbage Early: Prep your cabbage wedges up to 4 hours ahead. Store them in a zip-top bag in the fridge to keep them fresh.

Freezing Note: This dish is best enjoyed fresh. The chicken and cabbage don’t freeze and reheat well together, as the cabbage can become watery.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

The coconut oil solidifying in the fridge is completely normal—it’s actually a good thing! It means the marinade clings better to the chicken. Once it hits the hot oven, everything melts and gets delicious.

If you can only find a smaller cabbage (under 2 lbs), that’s fine! You’ll just have less vegetable. Conversely, a bigger cabbage (over 3 lbs) might not all fit on one pan with the chicken, so save the extra for coleslaw or sautéing.

The chicken will release quite a bit of liquid initially. Don’t worry—it’ll evaporate as everything roasts, leaving behind concentrated, flavorful juices.

Serving Suggestions

This dish is honestly a complete meal on its own, but I love serving it over:

• Steamed jasmine rice or brown rice to soak up all those incredible pan juices
• Cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option
• Rice noodles for a more substantial Asian-inspired meal
• Quinoa for extra protein and nutrition

Garnish ideas: Sprinkle with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, or fresh cilantro right before serving. A wedge of lime on the side is also fantastic!

Wine pairing: This pairs beautifully with a crisp Riesling or a light Pinot Noir.

How to Store Your Sheet Pan Roast Chicken and Cabbage

Refrigerator: Store leftover chicken and cabbage in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Reheating: The best way to reheat this is in a 375°F oven for about 15 minutes until warmed through. This helps the chicken skin crisp back up! You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, though the skin won’t be as crispy.

Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this dish. The cabbage becomes watery when thawed, and the chicken skin loses its crispiness. This one’s best enjoyed fresh or within a few days of cooking.

Meal Prep: This makes excellent meal prep! Divide into individual containers with rice or your favorite grain for easy grab-and-go lunches.

Allergy Information

Soy: Contains soy sauce. For soy-free, substitute with coconut aminos or tamari (though tamari also contains soy).

Sesame: Contains sesame oil. If you have a sesame allergy, substitute with additional olive oil or avocado oil, though you’ll lose some of that signature flavor.

Coconut: Contains coconut oil. Easily substitute with olive oil or avocado oil.

Gluten: Regular soy sauce contains gluten. Use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce for a gluten-free version.

Dairy-Free: This recipe is naturally dairy-free!

Nut-Free: This recipe is naturally nut-free.

Paleo/Whole30: Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce for a compliant version.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My cabbage isn’t getting caramelized. What am I doing wrong?

Make sure you’re cutting the wedges thin enough (no more than 1 inch wide) and that your oven is truly at 425°F. Also, don’t skip that final 10-15 minutes where the cabbage roasts alone—that’s when the caramelization really happens! If your oven runs cool, bump it up to 450°F.

Do I really need to use coconut oil, or can I just use olive oil?

You can definitely use olive oil! I love coconut oil because it has a higher smoke point and helps the marinade cling to the chicken when cold, but olive oil works beautifully too. Use what you have!

Can I add other vegetables to this sheet pan?

Yes! Brussels sprouts, carrots, and sweet potato chunks all work well. Just keep in mind they may need different cooking times. Add heartier vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes when you add the cabbage, and add quicker-cooking vegetables like Brussels sprouts about 10 minutes after the cabbage goes in.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I love hearing how it turned out for you, and your feedback helps other home cooks too!