This Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken is loaded with veggies and packed with delicious flavor! This one pan dinner is prepped in less than 10 minutes and a complete meal! A time saver for any meal.
Back in the day, when making dinner was a “new” thing, I used to go ALL OUT. I’m talking main dish + multiple sides + probably a dessert. Because it was kind of fun! And I had the time. And, well, because I felt like that was the right way to do dinner.
Fast forward 4 kids and many years….and things have changed. At least a little. And even though I still love a delicious meal with lots of sides, the reality is WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT? Not this mom. I’m lucky to get dinner on the table at a reasonable time. And some nights? I’m lucky to get dinner on the table at all. And I know I’m not the only one.
So what are we to do? Seriously. Do we resort to grilled cheese and frozen pizza and Culver’s? Some nights, yes. But for all those other nights, when we want to actually make a “real” dinner but we still don’t have the time, let me introduce you to Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken.
Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken- A complete meal
It really is just as easy as it looks. Raw chicken, raw veggies, pesto, olive oil, pine nuts…..pop it in the oven for 20 minutes and voila. Dinner, with sides, is served! This Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken can be prepped in advance by cutting the chicken and chopping the veggies, and it works well as leftovers, too. I love the pop of flavor from the pesto, and I LOVE the fact that the veggies help keep the chicken moist. The end result is nothing short of a dinner miracle. No lie.
And here’s the deal. If your kids don’t like the veggies I used, you can feel free to swap them out for their favorites. And if they don’t like pesto? Well, that needs to change. Plain and simple. Because Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken is DELICIOUS! And definitely the “right” way to do dinner….if there is such a thing. (I hope your family loves it as much as we do!)
Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 4 c. cauliflower florets
- 2 medium red bell peppers
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 2/3 c. prepared pesto
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. pine nuts
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp. shaved parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Place chicken and vegetables on baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, combine pesto, olive oil, and salt.
- Drizzle evenly over chicken and veggies.
- Sprinkle with pine nuts.
- Bake 20 minutes (or until chicken is fully cooked), stirring halfway through.
- Sprinkle with shaved parmesan.
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. Looks like a perfect work night meal. Cannot wait to try, thanks for sharing!
Nothing like a sheet pan dinner. Good idea for 1 person or a family. This looks really tasty and will happen in this house by the end of the week!! Thankyou for such a good, hearty meal!
I am loving these one pan dinners! There are soooo many combinations! Love the pesto in this one!
Even I can do this…Thanks!
I never think to add cauliflower to my sheet pan meals – love that you’ve done so here, friend!
Sheet pan meals are seriously the best! I am loving all of these flavors here!
I’ve been pinning sheet pan recipes lately, thank you for sharing this it looks absolutely delicious ????!
They’re SO EASY! We’ve been loving them!
One pan dinners are the BEST!! This one looks and sounds fantastic! Can’t wait to give it a try!!
When it comes to dinner, simple is definitely the order of the day. This is a sheet pan meal I definitely have to try!
Sheet pan dinners have to be the easiest idea ever. SO would love this if I replaced the cauliflower for broccoli.
I have been LOVING them, Maris!
Are you leaving the ingredients all lined up, as you have it pictured, when you bake it or do you mix it all together first?
Super easy. I wanted to like it. I love all of these things on their own. The pesto just didn’t combine well with the flavors of asparagus and cauliflower. I won’t make this again.
This was delicious and so easy to prepare! My husband kept making comments of how good it was through dinner. I will definitely be making this again! 10 stars!
Chicken iss sold by the pound, not the cup. How much chicken do I buy for this?
1 pound
not much flavor
This was a huge hit with my family. I used broccoli instead of cauliflower, because we aren’t big c.flower fans. I didn’t have enough pesto, so I added a tablespoon of basil stir-in paste, which reduces the calories a lot. And ai added a little crushed garlic and 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes. It’s super easy and delicious.
Happy you enjoyed it…your additions sound delicious!
Isn’t the pesto based in oil…i am a little confused as to why to mix it with additional olive oil? Am I reading that right?