Sheet Pan Chicken With Zucchini And Basil
Juicy chicken, melty mozzarella, succulent veggies…you’ll get all of this and more when you make Sheet Pan Chicken with Zucchini and Basil! This one-hour dinner recipe is great for a weeknight, and it is packed with flavor!
A chicken and zucchini sheet pan dinner doesn’t have to be boring!
For this recipe, I really wanted the flavors to stand out. We’ll use sliced and roasted garlic, shallots, basil, and fresh mozzarella to dress everything up.
The sweetness of the shallots balances the tangyness of the fire roasted tomatoes. The mozzarella adds creaminess. And the basil, of course, brings it all together. Yum!
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Ingredients
Chicken – you’ll need 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (although you can use skin-on if that’s what you have). My chicken breasts were large, so I only used two. If you have smaller breasts, you may need more to get to 1.5 pounds.
Olive oil – 1 tbsp will be for the veggies, and 1 tbsp will coat the hot sheet pan (more on that later!)
Zucchini – I used 3 small-ish zucchinis, but you can also use 2 large ones.
Shallots – the sweetness of the shallots pairs amazing with the fire roasted tomatoes! I highly recommend using these (not subbing with onions).
Garlic – we’ll slice 3 garlic cloves and distribute them around the sheet pan so they get nice and roasted. Yum!
Fresh mozzarella – there’s nothing quite like fresh mozzarella! I used an 8oz package of pearl-sized. You can sub a different type, like a log cut into smaller pieces. While I recommend sticking to fresh, you can also use regular mozzarella if it is all you have on hand.
Fire roasted tomatoes – you’ll just need a half cup. These add a nice punchy flavor, and they complement the basil well!
Salt & pepper – we’ll use salt to draw the moisture out of the zucchini, and also season the chicken. Follow the recommended amounts, plus add more to your liking.
Herbs de provence – this blend of of herbs originates from France. You can easily make it yourself (in fact, I highly recommend doing that!) I like to mix all the herbs and then grind them in a mortar and pestal into a powder. This is easier to sprinkle on chicken.
Fresh basil and oregano – we’ll add this at the very end; it completes the whole dish! If you don’t have fresh oregano on hand, you can stick with just basil.
Serving & Storage
These chicken and veggies are great served all by themselves.
Or, if your family needs a little more carbs (or if you have picky eaters) you can also pair it with side dishes like rice or parmesan noodles.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
However, I recommend eating this dish fresh out of the oven. The mozzarella will harden and not be as melty and gooey when reheated.
How to Make Sheet Pan Chicken With Zucchini and Basil
Let’s make this dish together now, step by step!
Step 1:
The first thing you want to do is preheat your oven to 450 degrees and start prep work.
While the oven is preheating, cut the zucchini into 1/4″ slices, peel and slice the garlic, and cut shallots into wedges.
Toss all veggies with 1 tbsp olive oil, along with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Cover with foil and let the veggies sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Also, put the sheet pan in the now-hot oven and let it preheat for at least 30 minutes.
While the veggies and sheet pan sit for 30 minutes, you can start other recipe prep.
Step 2:
Next, trim the chicken breasts and pat them dry.
Then, rub them with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, and 1 tsp herbs de provence (once again, I recommend crushing your herb mix into a powder so it is easier to spread on!)
Step 3:
After the sheet pan is preheated, brush it with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.
Working quickly, add chicken to center of the pan (you should hear a sizzle). This is important! It will create a sear on the chicken.
Arrange vegetable mixture around the chicken. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.
Step 4:
Flip the chicken. Spoon 1/2 cup fire roasted tomatoes around the veggies and stir them together. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Step 5:
Place the fresh mozzarella pearls around the sheet pan, and some on the chicken (break the pearls up to flatten them on the chicken in needed). Continue to cook until softened and melted to your liking, about 5-6 minutes. Check the internal temp of the chicken and make sure it is 165 degrees.
First photo shows adding the tomatoes, second shows adding the mozzarella:
And there you have it! After letting the meal cool for a few minutes, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and oregano. Enjoy!
More Easy Dinner Recipes:
- Sausauge Gnocchi Soup
- Crockpot Garlic Parm Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Tomato Corn Soup
- Creamy Ham & Bean Soup
Find the printable recipe below:
Sheet Pan Chicken With Zucchini And Basil
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 large zucchini (or 3 small)
- 2 shallots
- 3 medium garlic cloves, sliced
- 8 oz container fresh mozzarella, pearl sized
- 1/2 cup fire roasted tomatoes, drained
- 3/4 tsp salt and pepper
- 1 tsp herbs de provence
- Fresh basil and oregano leaves
- Grated parmesan (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- While the oven is preheating, cut the zucchini into 1/4u0022 slices, peel and slice the garlic, and cut shallots into wedges. Toss all veggies with 1 tbsp olive oil, along with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Cover with foil and let the veggies sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. *(see note)
- Put the sheet pan in the now-hot oven and let it preheat for at least 30 minutes.
- Trim chicken breasts. Pat dry, then rub with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, and 1 tsp herbs de provence.
- After the sheet pan is preheated, brush it with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Working quickly, add chicken to center of the pan (you should hear a sizzle). Arrange vegetable mixture around the chicken. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.
- Flip chicken. Spoon 1/2 cup fire roasted tomatoes around the veggies and stir. Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Place fresh mozzarella pearls around the sheet pan, and some on the chicken (break the pearls up to flatten them on the chicken in needed). Continue to cook until softened and melted to your liking, about 5-6 minutes. Check the internal temp of the chicken and make sure it is 165 degrees.
- If desired, you can finish it off with a broil (turn up the heat to 500 degrees) for 1-2 minutes. Just be careful not to burn the vegetables.
- Serve immediately with fresh basil, oregano, and parmesan!
Notes
- By letting the zucchini soak in salt water, the juices will be drawn out. The resulting zucchini will be less water-logged than normal. However, if you’re low on time, you can skip this step.
- Letting the sheet pan preheat for 30 minutes will create a mock for the chicken when it hits the pan! I highly recommend following this step (and if you follow this step, you can easily let the zucchini soak too).
- My chicken breasts were very large. If you have smaller chicken breasts, you may need to use 3 or more to reach 1.5 pounds. Or, you can also scale down the recipe—just use less salt, pepper, and herbs de provence when seasoning.
- Another note about chicken breasts: bone-in, skin-on breasts also would work great for this recipe! The skin is able to get crisp by searing initially on the hot sheet pan. Just make sure to start with the skin side down, and then flip up after 10 minutes.
- The fresh mozzarella is highly recommended, but you can also use regular mozzarella if it’s all you have on hand. Either cut it into small chunks, or grate it over the veggies and chicken.
- You’ll want to drain most of the liquid out of the fire roasted tomatoes. I say most because a little bit of liquid is okay. You just don’t want a huge soggy mess of veggies!
Nutrition
Conclusion
There you have it, a chicken and zucchini dinner loaded with protein, nutrients, and of course flavor! Serve with noodles or rice, and you have a real winner! I hope you family enjoys this recipe as much as I enjoyed creating it.
More chicken recipes to try next: Pesto Chicken Sliders, or Crockpot Chicken Nachos!
