Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables

December 02, 2018

I’m all about the simple meat and vegetable dinners. By changing up the seasonings, the mix of vegetables, and cut of meat, you can have an endless number of simple go-to meals. This week I combined my favorite lemon-garlic-oregano marinade with chicken breasts and a mix of peppers and onions to make this simple yet satisfying Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables. It makes a great weeknight dinner and holds up to refrigeration well, so of course, I meal prepped it!

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables being served with a spatula.

I used one of the whole lemons that I had stashed in the freezer for this recipe. Fresh lemons can be expensive when purchased individually, so buy a bag and freeze the remainder for later. Check out my post about how to freeze whole citrus (and how they can be used after freezing).

It’s like riding a bike…

Sheet pan meals are a bit like riding a bike. You have to go with the flow and sometimes pivot a bit to keep everything in balance. Ingredients cook at different rates depending on their size, shape, and other factors. So keep an eye on everything and keep in mind that the cooking times listed below may not be exact. This is where you get to flex those cooking intuition muscles!

P.S. I hit up Aldi for a lot of these ingredients, so you might notice some super low prices for things like the olives, feta, grape tomatoes, and bell peppers! ;)

Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables

An easy homemade lemon garlic marinade transforms simple ingredients into a flavorful Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetable dinner. Perfect for weeknights! 

Lemon Garlic Marinade

  • 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.64)
  • 1 fresh lemon ($0.43)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.32)
  • 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano ($0.15)
  • 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
  • Freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)

Chicken and Vegetables

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes ($1.69)
  • 2 bell peppers ($2.00)
  • 1 small red onion ($0.28)
  • 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast ($5.24)

Toppings

  • 15 kalamata olives (about 1/2 cup) ($0.45)
  • 2 oz. crumbled feta ($1.10)
  • handful fresh parsley ($0.25)

For Serving (optional)

  • 4 cups cooked rice ($0.70)
  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Zest the lemon, then squeeze the juice. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice (about 1/4 cup), garlic, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl. Save the lemon zest for later.

  2. Chop the bell peppers and onions into 1 to 1.5-inch pieces. Place the tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions on a large baking sheet. Pour about half of the lemon garlic marinade over the vegetables and toss until they are well coated. Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes as you prepare the chicken.

  3. While the vegetables begin roasting, prepare the chicken breasts. If your chicken breasts are thicker than 3/4-inch, pound them out to an even thickness of 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick. This will help them cook quickly and evenly. To pound the chicken, place them on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap to prevent splatter, then gently pound the thicker ends with a rolling pin or mallet until even with the thinner end.

  4. Cut each chicken breast into two pieces. Place the chicken in a shallow dish and pour the remaining marinade over top. Toss the chicken in the marinade to coat.

  5. After roasting for ten minutes, remove the baking sheet with the vegetables from the oven. Stir the vegetables well, then push them off to each side making room for the chicken in the center. Place the chicken pieces on the baking sheet.

  6. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake the chicken and vegetables for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF. For additional browning, switch the oven to broil and finish by broiling the chicken and vegetables for about 5 minutes. 

  7. Slice the olives in half. Sprinkle the olives, feta, lemon zest, and parsley over the chicken and vegetables after roasting, then serve (with rice, if desired).

Meal prepped Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables

Step by Step Photos

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Zest the lemon, then squeeze the juice (you’ll want about 1/4 cup juice). In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon juice, four cloves of garlic (minced), 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Save the lemon zest for later.

Chopped Vegetables in Marinade

Chop two bell peppers and one small red onion into 1 to 1.5-inch pieces. Add 1 pint cherry tomatoes and the chopped bell peppers and onion to a large baking sheet. Add about half of the lemon garlic marinade to the vegetables, then toss to coat. Begin roasting the vegetables for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven as you prepare the chicken.

Pound Chicken

If your chicken breast are thicker than about 3/4-inch on the thickest end, you’ll want to pound them out to make sure they cook quickly and evenly. To pound the chicken place them on a cutting board, cover them with plastic wrap to prevent splatter, then gently pound with a rolling pin or mallet until both ends are an even thickness (aim for 1/2 to 3/4-inch). I used two boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1.5 pounds total.

Marinate Chicken

Cut each chicken breast in half to make four pieces. Place them in a shallow dish and pour the remaining marinade over top. Toss the chicken in the marinade until fully coated.

Add Chicken to Baking Sheet

After the vegetables have roasted for ten minutes, give them a good stir, then push them to either side of the baking sheet to make room for the chicken. Place the chicken pieces on the baking sheet, then return it to the oven.

Check Temperature of Chicken

Bake the chicken and vegetables for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF. Mine went a little over, but the chicken remained nice and juicy. 

Baked Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables

For a little extra browning action, switch your oven setting to broil and broil everything for five minutes more. 

Add olives, parsley, and lemon zest to Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables

Once everything is finished roasting, top with 2 oz. crumbled feta, about 1/2 cup kalamata olives (sliced in half) and the lemon zest.

Front view of Sheet pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables

Now it’s ready to eat! Or pack up in meal prep boxes. :) You can serve your Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables with rice or keep it low-carb and just eat it as-is.

The post Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables appeared first on Budget Bytes.

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