Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs With Charred Cabbage and Punchy Green Sauce

Crisp-skinned chicken, caramelized cabbage, and a punchy green sauce—no extra pans required.

Cabbage doesn’t ask for much—just a little heat and a bit of faith. Often overlooked and endlessly patient in the crisper drawer, this sturdy brassica comes alive in a hot oven, its tight leaves relaxing into something silky and sweet at the core while the edges blister and crackle into salty, caramelized chips. Here, it pulls double duty as both vegetable and built-in side dish, sharing the pan with chicken thighs whose skin turns gloriously crisp. A punchy green sauce—herbaceous, briny, and bright with green olives—cuts through the richness and ties everything together. Serve it straight from the pan, or spoon it over a bowl of basmati rice to catch every emerald drip.

Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 to 40 minutes

Ingredients

The Base

• ½ medium cabbage (1 to 1¼ lbs)
• 1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch rounds
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
• Neutral oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin & coriander charm spice blend
  

The Dressing

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp cumin & coriander charm spice blend
• ¼ cup olive oil or neutral oil
  

The Punchy Herb Sauce

• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped (or a mix of cilantro and parsley)
• ½ cup green onions, white and green parts, roughly chopped
• ½ cup pitted green olives (such as Castelvetrano or Manzanilla), roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of kosher salt
  

Preparation

1. Prepare the oven and dressing
   Heat the oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients of thedressing (Dijon, garlic, red wine vinegar, cumin & coriander charm blend, and oil) until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Roast the cabbage and chicken
   Cut the cabbage through the core into 1-inch wedges, keeping the core intact so the leaves stay bundled. Arrange on a large rimmed sheet pan—space is essential here, as crowding will steam the cabbage rather than char it. Brush both sides of the wedges with most of the dressing, reserving about 1 tablespoon.
   Pat the chicken thighs very dry (crisp skin depends on it). Drizzle with neutral oil and season generously with salt, pepper, and a healthy pinch of the cumin & coriander charm blend, rubbing the seasoning into the skin. Nestle the thighs, skin-side up, among the cabbage wedges. Roast for 20 minutes.
3. Make the punchy herb sauce
   While the chicken roasts, combine all of the ingredients of the punchy herb sauce (cilantro, green onions, olives, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt) in a medium bowl. Using an immersion blender, pulse until mostly smooth but still pleasantly textured. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
4. Add the onions and finish roasting
   Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. Tuck the red onion rounds into any open spaces and brush them with the reserved tablespoon of dressing. Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, the skin is deeply crisp, and the cabbage is tender with charred edges.
5. Serve
   Garnish with torn herbs or sliced green onions. Serve hot, passing the green sauce at the table. For extra bite, add grainy mustard or a few olives and gherkins on the side.