Looking for an easy weeknight dinner that delivers on both flavor and nutrition? This sheet pan honey garlic sausage and sweet potatoes recipe is your answer! With minimal prep, one pan to clean, and a delicious sweet and savory honey garlic sauce that brings everything together, this meal will quickly become a family favorite.
Table of contents
- Why You’ll Love This Easy Sheet Pan Meal
- Ingredients You’ll Need for Honey Garlic Sausage and Sweet Potatoes
- Crafting the Delicious Honey Garlic Sauce
- Step-by-Step: How to Make Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Sausage and Sweet Potatoes
- Tips for Perfect Roasted Honey Garlic Sausage and Sweet Potatoes
- Creative Variations and Substitutions
- Make Ahead & Storage Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why You’ll Love This Easy Sheet Pan Meal
This honey garlic sausage and sweet potatoes dish checks all the boxes for busy families. With just one dish to wash and minimal cleanup required, you’ll have dinner on the table in less than an hour. The combination of tender roasted sweet potatoes, savory pre-cooked sausage, and crisp broccoli creates a healthy and tasty meal that’s perfect for weeknight suppers.
The star of this recipe is the homemade honey garlic sauce that coats every ingredient with sweet and savory flavors. This customizable meal is also meal prep friendly, making it ideal for busy weeks when you need delicious leftovers ready to go. If you love honey garlic flavors, you’ll also enjoy our honey garlic chicken and honey garlic shrimp bowls.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Honey Garlic Sausage and Sweet Potatoes
For the Main Dish:
- 2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 lb pre-cooked sausage (chicken, turkey, or pork), sliced into 1/2-inch thick circles
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into uniform pieces
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
For the Honey Garlic Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Choosing Your Sausage
The key to this recipe’s success is using pre-cooked sausage, which ensures even cooking and prevents the vegetables from becoming overcooked while waiting for raw meat to finish. Chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or pork sausage all work beautifully in this dish. Kielbasa and andouille sausage are particularly flavorful options that pair wonderfully with the honey garlic sauce.
If you only have raw sausage links available, simply microwave them for a few minutes to partially cook before slicing. Cut your sausage into 1/2-inch thick circles for optimal cooking and presentation.
Preparing Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli
For perfectly roasted vegetables, cut everything into uniform pieces – ideally 1/2-inch cubes for the sweet potatoes and similar-sized florets for the broccoli. While you can leave the skins on your sweet potatoes for extra nutrition, peeling them creates a more tender result.
Fresh broccoli is strongly preferred over frozen for this recipe, as it maintains better texture during the roasting process and won’t release excess moisture that could make other ingredients soggy.
Crafting the Delicious Honey Garlic Sauce
The homemade honey garlic sauce is what elevates this simple sheet pan meal into something truly special. Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced fresh garlic (never use jarred garlic here – fresh makes all the difference!) and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the liquid honey, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon when ready. This sweet and savory combination creates the perfect glaze for your sausage and vegetables.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Sausage and Sweet Potatoes
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). If your oven runs hot, consider using this lower temperature rather than 450°F to prevent burning.
Step 2: Grease a large sheet pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
Step 3: Prepare your honey garlic sauce according to the instructions above and set aside.
Step 4: Cut your sweet potatoes into uniform 1/2-inch cubes and slice your sausage into 1/2-inch thick circles. Cut broccoli into evenly-sized florets.
Step 5: Add the sweet potatoes, sliced sausage, and broccoli florets to your prepared sheet pan. Pour the honey garlic sauce over everything and toss thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are well coated.
Step 6: Arrange everything in a single layer on the pan, making sure not to overcrowd. If necessary, use two pans to ensure proper roasting.
Step 7: Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown and broccoli is crisp-tender.
Step 8: Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley for color and freshness.
Tips for Perfect Roasted Honey Garlic Sausage and Sweet Potatoes
Mind Your Oven Temperature: If you notice ingredients burning quickly, your oven may run hot or need calibration. Lower the temperature to 400°F and extend cooking time by 5-10 minutes for more gentle, even cooking.
Cut Uniformly: Consistent sizing is crucial for evenly cooked vegetables. Take the extra time to cut sweet potatoes and broccoli into similar-sized pieces to ensure everything finishes cooking at the same time.
Don’t Overcrowd: Arrange ingredients in a single layer with space between pieces. Overcrowding leads to steaming rather than roasting, preventing that desirable caramelization and crispiness.
Be Generous with Sauce: Don’t skimp on the honey garlic sauce – it prevents dry spots and ensures every bite is flavorful. The sauce also helps create beautiful caramelization during roasting.
Handle Garlic Carefully: When making the sauce, don’t let the fresh garlic burn or it will turn bitter. Keep the heat at medium and stir frequently during the initial sauté.
Creative Variations and Substitutions
Different Vegetables: This recipe is incredibly adaptable to your family’s preferences and seasonal availability. Try substituting or adding brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cauliflower, sweet bell peppers, green beans, zucchini, russet potatoes, or even grape tomatoes. Keep in mind that some vegetables like zucchini cook faster, so you may need to add them later in the cooking process.
Alternative Proteins: Replace the sausage with cubed chicken breasts or thighs for a leaner option. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and increase cooking time by 5-10 minutes to ensure it reaches 165°F internal temperature. For more chicken inspiration, try our cilantro lime chicken bowl or greek chicken bowls.
Added Flavors and Ingredients: Enhance this dish with crumbled feta cheese sprinkled on during the last 5 minutes of cooking, crispy bacon pieces, diced honeycrisp apples for extra sweetness, or a sprinkle of Italian seasoning for herbaceous notes.
Dietary Adaptations: Make this meal low-carb by reducing sweet potatoes and adding more broccoli or other low-carb vegetables. It’s naturally suitable for low-glycemic diet plans and South Beach Diet followers. For a vegetarian version, simply omit the sausage and add more vegetables, or substitute with your favorite plant-based sausage alternative. You might also enjoy our salmon sweet potato recipe for another healthy sweet potato option, or our chicken sweet potato rice bowl for similar flavors.
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
Prep Ahead: This recipe is meal prep friendly! Cut your vegetables and sausage up to 3 days in advance. Store sweet potatoes in cold water in the refrigerator to maintain freshness and prevent browning. The honey garlic sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
Storing Leftovers: Cooked honey garlic sausage and sweet potatoes store well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. The flavors often improve after a day, making leftovers particularly delicious.
Reheating: For best results, reheat individual servings in the microwave covered with a microwave-safe cover to retain moisture. Alternatively, reheat in a 350°F oven in a covered casserole dish for 10-15 minutes until heated through.
Freezing: This dish wouldn’t freeze especially well due to the texture changes that occur with sweet potatoes and broccoli after freezing and thawing. Stick to refrigerated storage for optimal quality.
Serving Suggestions
This honey garlic sausage and sweet potatoes sheet pan meal is hearty enough to serve as a complete meal on its own, providing protein, vegetables, and satisfying carbohydrates in one dish. However, it pairs beautifully with a fresh green salad, steamed quinoa, rice, warm garlic bread, or cornbread for those with heartier appetites.
For more one-pan meal inspiration, check out our sticky chicken rice bowls or street corn chicken rice bowl. If you’re looking for other easy weeknight dinners, our one-pan creamy tomato pasta is another family favorite.
Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Sausage and Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- Large sheet pan
- Small saucepan
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing spoon
- Non-stick cooking spray or parchment paper
Ingredients
For the Main Dish:
- 2-3 medium sweet potatoes about 2 lbs, peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 lb pre-cooked sausage chicken, turkey, or pork, sliced into 1/2-inch thick circles
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets cut into uniform pieces
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
For the Honey Garlic Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Grease a large sheet pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
- Make the honey garlic sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in honey, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
- Prepare vegetables: Cut sweet potatoes into uniform 1/2-inch cubes. Slice sausage into 1/2-inch thick circles. Cut broccoli into evenly-sized florets.
- Combine ingredients: Add sweet potatoes, sausage, and broccoli to the prepared sheet pan. Pour the honey garlic sauce over everything and toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly.
- Arrange for roasting: Spread everything in a single layer on the pan, ensuring pieces don’t overlap. Use two pans if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
- Roast: Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown and broccoli is crisp-tender.
- Season and serve: Remove from oven, season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- Sausage Selection: Pre-cooked sausage works best for even cooking. Kielbasa, andouille, or flavored chicken/turkey sausages are excellent choices.
- Oven Temperature: If your oven runs hot, reduce temperature to 375°F and extend cooking time by 5-10 minutes to prevent burning.
- Make-Ahead: Vegetables can be prepped up to 3 days ahead. Store sweet potatoes in cold water in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Reheat in microwave or oven until heated through.
- Variations: Substitute broccoli with brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or bell peppers. Replace sausage with cubed chicken for a leaner option.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
While fresh ingredients are generally recommended for optimal texture, you can adapt the recipe using frozen vegetables. Be aware that this may alter cooking times and result in a slightly softer texture for the vegetables. Thaw and pat dry frozen vegetables before using.
Pre-cooked chicken, turkey, or pork sausage links are ideal for this recipe. Examples include kielbasa, andouille, or various flavored chicken and turkey sausages. If using raw sausage, it’s best to par-cook it first by microwaving for a few minutes.
Oven temperatures can vary significantly. If your oven runs hot or you notice quick browning, lower the temperature to 400°F and extend the cooking time. Ensure all ingredients are cut to uniform sizes and spread in a single layer to promote even roasting.
Cooked leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. For best results, reheat individual servings in the microwave covered with a glass cover or in the oven in a covered casserole dish.
Yes! To make it vegetarian, omit the sausage and add extra vegetables, or use a vegetarian or vegan pre-cooked sausage substitute. You may also want to substitute the butter in the sauce with olive oil for a fully vegan version.
This sheet pan meal is often hearty enough on its own. However, it pairs well with a fresh green salad, steamed quinoa, rice, garlic bread, or cornbread for a more substantial meal.
This honey garlic sausage and sweet potatoes recipe proves that healthy, delicious meals don’t have to be complicated. With its perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors, minimal cleanup, and endless customization possibilities, it’s destined to become a regular in your meal rotation. The combination of tender roasted vegetables, savory sausage, and that irresistible honey garlic sauce creates a restaurant-quality meal right from your own kitchen.
