Sheet-Pan Paprika Chicken and Veggies

A Mayonnaise Chicken Marinade

My grandmother has been roasting whole chicken marinated in mayonnaise and paprika for over 60 years. Her famous paprika chicken recipe has remained steadfast in the face of economic hardship, immigration, depression, births, deaths, recession and times of plenty.

I love this method of baking chicken because:

• It's affordable when butter is expensive
• it's forgiving when other recipes are demanding
• it's endlessly customizable with your favorite vegetables and seasoning
• it gives you a whole meal in one sheet pan chicken and veggies recipe
• mayonnaise creates the most UNBELIEVABLE golden brown crust on top of your baked chicken

Ingredients for making paprika chicken in a mayonnaise chicken marinade

• whole chicken, defrosted - If your chicken is frozen, make sure it defrosts over night before proceeding with the marinade - though you can even take the whole chicken straight from the freezer and marinate it.
• mayonnaise - I love Russian-style mayonnaise for my mayonnaise marinated chicken, but any good quality mayonnaise will do (you can even use homemade mayo).
• mustard - you can use grainy or dijon mustard, or even French's. The mustard gives this some zing, but if you absolutely can't tolerate spice, skip it.
• paprika - as per my grandmother, this recipe uses sweet paprika for this paprika baked chicken. Sometimes, I go wild and use smoked paprika for a Spanish baked chicken. For another seasoned chicken recipe, try my chicken kofta kebabs!. Anything goes!
• garlic cloves - a necessary ingredient in this easy recipe, garlic is as crucial as paprika and mayonnaise to making the perfect roast chicken. You can also use garlic powder in a pinch.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon spice mixture - we normally use a San Moreno salt blend but my grandmother leaves it pretty open. An Herbes de Provence mixture works well, or any poultry seasoning blend. I also love the Original jalapeno spice blend from Smoke Show (no affiliate, just pure love!).
• lemons - the acidity of the lemon gives the stuffed whole chicken a burst of flavor from within. In truth, by placing the cut lemons inside the cavity of the chicken we are almost continuing to massage it from within with acid - it's honestly great for keeping your paprika roast chicken moist and juicy! You can also use orange, grapefruit or blood orange.
• rosemary sprigs - this also goes into the cavity of the chicken. You can use any whole fresh herbs you like, like parsley, though rosemary and thyme work best.
• Potatoes - these are placed around the chicken for our chicken and vegetables tray bake. Feel free to use sweet potatoes or your other favorite root vegetables.
• Carrots - same as with the potatoes; you can also use bell peppers or brussels sprouts here.
• Onion - also a part of the vegetables in this sheet pan chicken and veggies tray bake.

See recipe card for exact quantities.

Equipment

There's a few basic things you'll need to make this baked chicken recipe.

• Mixing bowls
• Roasting Pan
• Kitchen thermometer

Storage & Make Ahead

This mayonnaise marinade chicken recipe is great to make ahead! The chicken can be marinated for a few hours, or better yet, overnight.

The baked chicken can be frozen in an airtight container for 6 months. My recommendation is to carve the chicken, save the bones for making chicken stock, and freeze the meat. The vegetables don't freeze as well.

When to serve this whole baked chicken?

I usually serve this chicken as a main course for Thanksgiving. It's perfect for a small to mid-sized family! You can even pair it with a porchetta to give something for everyone.

It's simple enough, however, to serve as a an easy weeknight meal variation. I often prep it ahead of time and cook with a filling side dish like this tater tot casserole or air fryer asparagus. It's also gluten-free, makes enough for several meals with leftovers and can easily be made ahead of time, which are all wins for this busy mama.

Variations

This recipe will leave you with a gluten free, dairy-free paprika chicken recipe.

Here are some variations of my grandmother's easy paprika chicken recipe that I've tried over the years:

• Use smoked paprika and valencia oranges in place of lemons for a Spanish baked paprika chicken.
• Make oven baked chicken thighs (preferably bone-in, though skinless chicken thighs will also do) or baked chicken legs using the same marinade. Bake them for 25-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 F. (If you're looking for a drumsticks recipe, this Colombian chicken legs recipe is another favorite of mine).
• Mayonnaise chicken breasts will also bake very well.
• Use sweet potatoes, broccoli and bell peppers in the chicken tray bake.
• In place of a spice blend, use dried oregano and red pepper flakes for a more Italian twist on the baked chicken. Surround the chicken with cherry tomatoes.
• Use cornish hens instead of full chicken and bake it as cornish hens in a crock pot for a unique twist.
• If you have leftover chicken, you can use it in Chicken Club Flatbread.

Paprika gives the chicken a deep earthy flavor, but paprika also helps brown chicken! It provides color and crispness to the skin. And as everyone knows, one of the best parts of roasted chicken is the crispy chicken skin!

The flavors that go well with paprika are lemons, oranges, bell peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes and garlic. Rosemary and thyme are the herbs that go best with paprika.

For an easy dinner option, try these delicious air fryer chicken recipes: Make crispy chicken wings with Italian seasoning or BBQ chicken drumsticks.

If you want a chicken dish that you can make in one pot, try my chicken hashbrown chicken casserole, chicken with date casserole, or slow cooker chicken marinara. They won't disappoint.