Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon (Gluten-Free, Low Carb)

By Olya Shepard · Creates gluten-free, high-fiber recipes that are simple, nutritious, and full of flavor.

Balsamic vinegar, garlic, and fresh thyme turn into a balsamic glaze on this sheet pan chicken while Brussels sprouts and bacon crisp up right next to it. I use air-chilled chicken breast here because it releases far less liquid onto the pan than standard broth-injected chicken. One tray, 375 F, 28 to 30 minutes, and a kitchen that smells like fall.

Love Brussels Sprouts Recipes? Try Creamy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Casserole next.

Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken Summary

• 🍗 Marinate chicken breast in balsamic, garlic, thyme, and lemon for 10 to 15 minutes
• 🥓 Toss Brussels sprouts and thick apple slices in olive oil, then scatter chicken and chopped bacon on the same tray
• 🔥 Roast, then broil briefly for caramelized edges
• 🍏 Use only ripe hard apples; softer varieties break down into mush
• 🌿 Naturally gluten-free and low carb, no substitutions needed

About This Sheet Pan Chicken Recipe

This sheet pan chicken recipe came together on a weeknight when I wanted a fall dinner without a sink full of pots. Brussels sprouts, bacon, and apple slices go onto the same tray as balsamic-marinated chicken breast, and the whole thing bakes into a caramelized, one-pan meal in under 40 minutes.

Fall is my favorite season to cook, and nothing signals it in the kitchen quite like the smell of balsamic vinegar and thyme turning sticky in a hot oven.

My favorite things to pair with this sheet pan chicken: a simple green salad, crusty bread to soak up the pan drippings, or a glass of dry white wine.

Why This Sheet Pan Chicken Works

The mechanism here comes down to timing three ingredients that cook at different speeds on the same tray. Chicken breast needs 28 to 30 minutes to hit 165 F, Brussels sprouts need that same window to caramelize without burning, and bacon renders its fat exactly fast enough to baste the vegetables sitting next to it. I arrange the bacon between the chicken and the sprouts on purpose, because the rendered fat drips down and crisps the sprout edges that would otherwise stay pale. The balsamic marinade does double duty too: it flavors the chicken while it sits, then reduces into a glaze under the broiler in the last two minutes, so there's no separate sauce step or extra pan to wash.

Ingredients

Best Chicken Cut for Sheet Pan Roasting

Air-chilled chicken breast, uncut, is the only version that works on this tray. Most grocery store chicken is injected with a broth solution to add weight, and that liquid releases onto the pan as it cooks, which steams the Brussels sprouts sitting next to it instead of letting them roast. Air-chilled chicken has no added liquid, so it releases far less moisture and the sprouts stay dry enough to brown. Keep the breasts whole rather than cutting them into pieces before cooking; cut chicken has more exposed surface area, and that extra surface dries out faster than a whole breast can rebalance moisture during the same 28-minute bake.

Choosing the Right Apple (Gala or Granny Smith Only)

Gala and Granny Smith apples both hold a firm cell structure at 375 F, which means they soften without collapsing into applesauce texture. Red Delicious and Fuji apples have a higher water content and break down under sustained heat, turning mushy and releasing sugar that can scorch on a metal tray before the chicken finishes cooking. Cut the apple into thick slices, at least a half-inch, because thin slices lose structural integrity faster than the 28 minutes this tray needs to finish the chicken.

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Prep

Cut the bacon into small pieces before it goes on the tray, not full strips; smaller pieces render fat across more surface area and crisp faster than a whole strip lying flat. Halve or quarter the Brussels sprouts based on size, since sprouts under an inch in diameter can stay whole while larger ones need to be split to cook through in the same window as the chicken. Toss the sprouts in olive oil before they touch the tray, not after; oil applied first coats every cut surface evenly, while oil poured over an already-arranged tray pools instead of spreading.

Essential Equipment

Large baking sheet, such as this one with rolled edges and stainless steel oven safe cooling rack. Although it's large, but at the same time it's not too heavy. The rack that it comes with is really useful - you can use it to roast a whole chicken or duck too!

How to Make Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken

Make the Balsamic Marinade

Whisk ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme stripped from the stem, and the juice of half a lemon in a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture looks uniform rather than separated; balsamic vinegar and olive oil don't stay emulsified long, so this marinade is meant to be used within the hour, not stored. The paprika does more than add color here - it browns faster than the balsamic sugars do, so it kicks off caramelization a few minutes ahead of the glaze itself once the tray hits the oven.

Marinate the Chicken

Place the whole chicken breasts in a bowl or container and pour the marinade over them, turning to coat every side. Ten minutes is enough time for the surface to absorb flavor without the acid in the balsamic vinegar starting to break down the muscle fibers, which is what happens if chicken sits in an acidic marinade for hours and turns mealy instead of tender. If you want to prep ahead, marinate overnight in the refrigerator, but keep in mind the texture shifts slightly the longer it sits - this is a flavor-forward marinade, not a tenderizing one, so extra time buys you more surface flavor, not a more tender bite.

Prep Brussels Sprouts and Apples

Preheat the oven to 375 F while you cut 1 pound of Brussels sprouts, quartering the larger ones and halving the smaller ones so every piece finishes cooking in the same window. Peel and core one Gala or Granny Smith apple and cut it into thick slices, at least a half-inch, since thinner slices lose their shape well before the chicken reaches 165 F. Toss the sprouts and apple slices in a large bowl with olive oil and 2 sprigs of stripped fresh thyme, making sure every cut surface gets coated before anything touches the tray - oil added after the vegetables are arranged pools instead of spreading evenly, and that uneven coating is what causes some pieces to roast while others steam.

Assemble and Bake

Spread the oiled Brussels sprouts and apple slices across the baking sheet first, then nestle the marinated chicken breasts and chopped bacon into the gaps between them. Brush any leftover marinade over the entire tray; the tray will look overcrowded at this stage, but the apples and sprouts shrink substantially as they release moisture, so the spacing that looks tight now opens up halfway through baking. Bake at 375 F for 25 to 30 minutes, checking the thicker end of the chicken breast for 165 F rather than relying on time alone, since breast thickness varies enough between packages to shift the finish point by several minutes.

Broil for Caramelized Edges

Once the chicken reads 165 F, switch the oven to broil for one to two minutes to finish the tray. This step exists purely for browning, not for doneness - the chicken is already safe to eat at this point, and the broiler's job is to caramelize the balsamic residue sitting on top of the chicken, sprouts, and bacon into a darker, stickier glaze. Watch the tray closely during this step rather than walking away; the sugar in the balsamic marinade can go from caramelized to burnt in under a minute under direct broiler heat.

Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

Chicken breast, Brussels sprouts, bacon, and apple all roast on one sheet pan in a balsamic, garlic, and fresh thyme marinade. Gluten-free and low carb, ready in under 40 minutes.

4.75 from 52 votes

Print Pin

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: balsamic chicken Brussels sprouts, gluten free sheet pan dinner, sheet pan chicken dinner

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

4

Author: Olya Shepard

Ingredients

Balsamic Marinade:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 large cloves garlic (crushed)
• ½ lemon (squeezed)
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (stripped from the stem)

For the pan:

• 1.5 lb thick chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
• 1 lb brussels sprouts (halved and quartered)
• 1 Granny Smith apple (peeled, cored and THICKLY sliced)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil for the veggies
• two sprigs of fresh thyme (stripped from the stem)
• 5 bacon strips (cooked and chopped)

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 375 F.
  
• BALSAMIC MARINADE: You will need a medium bowl or container to prepare the balsamic sauce. Blend balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, paprika, garlic, crushed, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, stripped from the stem and juice of ½ fresh lemon. Blend with a whisk until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Place into a bowl or container.
• CHICKEN: Quarter your THICK chicken breasts by cutting each breast into 4 pieces and place them into a bowl or container with marinade. Set aside and marinade for at least 5 minutes.
• Halve or quarter Brussels sprouts (I quartered bigger ones and halved smaller ones). Peel and core an apple and cut it up THICKLY. Apple slices will cook much faster than other elements of this dish and you want them to be sizable to get a good texture. 
• Add Brussels Sprouts and apples to the 11x17 baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme.
  
• Add chicken in between the veggies. Brush any remaining marinade over sprouts and apples. 
• Add chopped bacon to the baking sheet.
• Bake everything for 25-40 minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through. Start checking at 25 minutes please.
• Optional: Broil on high for 2 to 5 extra minutes to get everything extra crispy.

Calories: 439kcal

Notes

Pat the Brussels sprouts fully dry after washing; leftover surface water steams the sprouts instead of letting them roast, which is why some sheet pan versions come out soft instead of crisp.

Space the chicken breasts at least an inch from the tray's edge if your oven runs hot at the back, since edge pieces near the wall brown faster than pieces in the center.

If doubling this recipe, use two trays instead of one crowded tray; overcrowding traps steam and prevents the browning this method depends on.

Bacon rendered fully crisp before the chicken finishes is a sign your oven runs hot; pull the bacon pieces out with tongs and set aside, then return them for the last 5 minutes so they don't overcook.

A splash of the marinade held back before it touches raw chicken makes a good finishing drizzle over the plated dish, since the reserved portion never contacts raw meat.

Leftover chicken toughens if reheated at high heat; warm gently at 300 F covered with foil to keep it from drying out further.

Nutrition Facts

Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

Amount per Serving

Calories

439

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

28

g

43

%

Saturated Fat

 

6

g

38

%

Cholesterol

 

90

mg

30

%

Sodium

 

494

mg

21

%

Potassium

 

964

mg

28

%

Carbohydrates

 

14

g

5

%

Fiber

 

5

g

21

%

Sugar

 

5

g

6

%

Protein

 

31

g

62

%

Vitamin A

 

1255

IU

25

%

Vitamin C

 

107

mg

130

%

Calcium

 

68

mg

7

%

Iron

 

2.6

mg

14

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Troubleshooting

Why Is My Chicken Dry?

If you're using thin chicken breasts instead of thick ones, that's the most likely cause - thin cuts finish cooking well before the vegetables do, which means they sit in a hot oven for extra minutes losing moisture while everything else catches up. Check your oven's actual temperature with a separate thermometer too (I do it all the time), since an oven running even 15 to 20 degrees hotter than its display pushes the chicken past 165 F faster than the recipe timing accounts for. Pulling the chicken at exactly 165 F rather than waiting for a round number like 30 minutes flat is the difference between juicy and dry here, because the last five degrees of overcooking happen fast in a hot oven.

Why Are My Apples Mushy?

Beyond variety, the apple's ripeness at time of purchase matters more than most of us account for - an apple that's already soft on the counter will break down faster in the oven than one that's still firm, regardless of whether it's a Gala or Granny Smith. Cutting the slices unevenly is another overlooked cause: a thin edge on an otherwise thick slice cooks through and collapses well before the thicker center does, so aim for uniform thickness across every piece, not just a general "thick" cut. Placing apple slices directly under a section of tray that runs hotter, often near the back wall of the oven, will also break them down faster than slices positioned toward the front.

Why Isn't My Bacon Crispy?

Bacon cut into pieces that are too large won't render its fat fully in the same 28-minute window the chicken needs, since thick pieces need more time and more direct heat exposure than thin ones to crisp all the way through. Stacking bacon pieces on top of the vegetables instead of tucking them into open gaps on the tray traps steam underneath the bacon and prevents the fat from crisping properly, since bacon needs direct contact with the hot pan surface to render well.

Pro tip: If your bacon is still soft when the chicken hits 165 F, pull the chicken off the tray, tent it with foil, and give the bacon an extra 3 to 5 minutes alone in the oven rather than extending the whole tray's time and risking dry chicken.

More Brussels Sprouts and Chicken Recipes

• Low Sodium Asian Style Lettuce Chicken Wraps
• Easy Chicken Stir Fry
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Butternut Squash
• Warm Quinoa and Brussels sprouts Salad in Honey Mustard
• Brussels sprouts and Bacon Gratin

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