We are eager to share our healthy take on a childhood favorite of many Americans—chicken and sausage.
A blend of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, and dried oregano is hand-massaged onto the chicken thighs to build up the dish’s flavor profile. We bake the chicken with baby potatoes, radishes, and carrots to introduce more flavor, texture, and nutrients to your meal.
Requiring minimal knife skills and cooking experience, our chicken and sausage is truly an anyone-can-follow recipe.
It’s time to try out this recipe and treat your family to a wholesome chicken specialty.
Is This Chicken and Sausage Recipe Healthy?
Our chicken and sausage recipe is a nutrient-dense dinner that will boost your energy level instantly after a full day’s hard work.
We picked chicken drumsticks for this recipe, as this cut is high in lean protein and low in calories.
Each serving of chicken and sausage yields 452 calories with 7.2 g saturated fat and around 605 mg sodium and provides up to 23.8 g high-quality lean protein.
This recipe features smoked sausage, which can be quite high in sodium content. However, our chefs have reduced the amount of added salt (using only 1/8 teaspoon per serving) to ensure the dish adheres to our nutrition guidelines.
To introduce a diversity of nutrients to your diet, we pair a veggie mix of skin-on baby potatoes, radishes, and carrots with the protein. These vegetable options are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Main Ingredients
The recipe title reveals the simplicity of the ingredients list, with chicken drumsticks and sausage being two crucial sources of protein, along with a combination of fibrous vegetables, spices, and herbs to spruce up the dish.
Our chicken and sausage also give you the chance to clear out your freezer and use up the stocked frozen chicken and sausages.
- Chicken: Our chefs aim for skin-on, bone-in chicken drumsticks, as they have the perfect balance of lean muscles and fat content and are less likely to dry out when baked at high temperatures. However, you can opt for other chicken cuts, too, such as thighs or chicken wings.
- Sausage: Smoked sausage makes an excellent pairing with baked chicken and veggies. The baking process gives the sausage its deep red hue, slightly burnt edges, and a noticeable savory taste.
- Potatoes: We cut the baby potatoes in half to ensure all the vegetables are uniform in shape and size, and get evenly cooked. Moreover, the rainbow of veggies helps enhance the visual presentation of the chicken and sausage dish.
- Radish: Tossed raw in salads, radishes possess a spicy and assertive flavor; our chefs usually cut them into paper-thin slices. However, when roasted in an oven, their pungency starts to mellow, turning into a palatable sweetness.
- Carrots: Regular carrots are good to use in this recipe. However, if you want to add more color to the dish, replace them with rainbow carrots.
- Seasonings: The subtle flavor of chicken allows it to pair excellently with tons of spices and herbs. Our chefs combine Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper with earthy oregano to spice up the chicken drumsticks.
How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers
1. How to Store
This chicken and sausage dish requires little effort to store.
If you plan to save the leftovers for a few days, portion them into separate airtight containers or Ziploc bags, label the storing date, and place them in the fridge. They will last for 2-3 days if stored properly.
If you want to use them at a later date, freezing is an excellent option. Place your chicken and sausage dish into a freezer bag, and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Before refrigerating or freezing your food, ensure it has cooled down completely to prevent bacterial growth.
2. How to Reheat
To retain the moisture better, add a tablespoon of olive oil to your leftovers, place them on a baking tray, and reheat in the oven at 400℉ for 10-12 minutes.
Reheating your leftover chicken and sausage in a microwave is a quicker option for those who don’t have much time to spare. Transfer your food onto a microwave-safe dish covered with plastic wrap and microwave it at ‘high’ for 2 minutes or until hot.
What to Serve With
A bowl of summer salad with a bulk of crunchy greens, juicy fruit, and flavorsome dressing will help cleanse your palate after enjoying today’s hearty main dish.
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Chicken and Sausage Recipe
Our chicken and sausage recipe delivers a healthy interpretation of your favorite oven-baked chicken goodness. Get ready to indulge in the deliciousness of succulent chicken drumsticks, paired with fork-tender vegetables.
- cook TIME 45 mins
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 55 mins
- COURSE Main
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 452 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 20 oz skin-on bone-in chicken drumsticks
- 6 oz smoked sausage (cut into chunks)
- 20 oz baby potatoes (halved, skin-on)
- 6 oz radish (halved)
- 4 oz carrots (peeled, cut into 2-inch segments)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp parsley (chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep:
Make a few cuts into the flesh of the chicken drumsticks, so the seasonings can get better absorbed.
Use a large, sharpened knife to cut the sausage into 1-inch chunks.
Remove the carrot tops and roots, then peel away the skin with a peeler. Cut the peeled carrot in half crosswise. Split in half lengthwise.
Halve the radish lengthwise.
Finely chop the parsley.
Cook:
Microwave the vegetables: In a large microwave-safe bowl, add 20 oz skin-on halved baby potatoes, 6 oz halved radish, and 4 oz carrots. Microwave at ‘high’ for 7 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the microwave.
Marinate the chicken drumsticks: Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place 20 oz skin-on, bone-in chicken drumsticks on the tray. Season the drumsticks with 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 tsp oregano. Gently massage the seasonings on all sides of the drumsticks.
Add the vegetables: On the same baking tray, add the microwaved baby potatoes, radish, carrots, and 6 oz smoked sausages. With a cooking brush, evenly distribute 2 tbsp olive oil on all the ingredients.
Bake all the ingredients: Place the baking tray in a preheated oven. Bake the chicken and sausage dish at 475° F for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Garnish and serve: Transfer each chicken drumstick on a serving plate. Arrange the sausage and vegetables on the side of the chicken. Garnish the dish with 2 tbsp chopped parsley. Enjoy!
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
- RaenaenaeSavory and filling chicken and sausage recipe that's perfect for a hearty dinner.