Fast, flavorful and all on one pan, this Sheet Pan Mediterranean Chicken and Veggies makes quick and delicious work of a weeknight meal or a weekend meal prep. We’ve packed it with veggies to make it satisfying and healthy. Leave off the feta cheese for a dairy-free or Whole30 option, but definitely don’t skip the Tahini-Lemon Sauce that brings everything together for a meal you’ll want to make again and again.
Sheet pan meals are where it’s at.
In case you’ve been under a rock or are new to the kitchen, there’s a phenomenon sweeping the recipe universe right now that involves making dinner entirely on ONE PAN. And you definitely don’t want to miss out on it because it’s about to make your life a whole lot easier. While I’ve been a fan of this method for a while now (starting with this One-Pan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables that was one of the first recipes to appear on The Real Food Dietitians), this Sheet Pan Mediterranean Chicken and Veggies might be my new favorite. Here’s why:
- Veggie-packed
- Colorful
- Lower in carbs
- Whole30-friendly and dairy-free option
- Flavorful thanks to the herbs and good-quality olive oil
- Bright and lemony
- The Tahini-Lemon Sauce though (more on that later)
Eat the rainbow.
You’ll have no problem following the advice to ‘eat the rainbow’ with this Sheet Pan Mediterranean Chicken and Veggies because it’s literally packed with veggies – cauliflower, red bell pepper, zucchini, red onion, grape tomatoes, and if you’d like, a big bed of spinach or arugula (or both) to serve it on.
Just one pan means easy cleanup.
Even though you love doing dishes…kidding! No one LOVES doing dishes. That’s why the sheet pan dinner is so ideal. If you play your cards right and line the baking sheet with parchment paper before adding the chicken and vegetables clean up will take just a minute or two. No scrubbing pots and pans for you. Save that energy for something else, like maybe an after-dinner walk or bike ride.
Let’s Talk About That Sauce.
We promised there would be more to come about the Tahini-Lemon Sauce that takes this Sheet Pan Mediterranean Chicken and Veggies to the next level. Made with the simplest of simple ingredients – just tahini (ground sesame seed paste), lemon juice, salt, and water – it’s earthy/bright/creamy and perfectly complements the salty feta cheese and kalamata olives.
If you’ve never tried tahini, now is the time. You’ll be amazed at how delicious and versatile it is (and it’s the key ingredient in this budget-friendly 5-Ingredient Easy Garlic Hummus that’s perfect for snacking or adding to these Mediterranean Steak Bowls).
We are really loving this brand of tahini right now for its silky smooth texture and rich flavor.
How to Prep This Meal:
We know you’ll want to add this meal to your next meal-prep session, so we recommend two ways of going about it:
- Prep it up to the point of cooking (aka, Restaurant-Style Prep), or
- Prep it for an easy reheat-and-eat dinner (aka, Leftovers)
Tips for a Restaurant-Style Prep
- Combine the chopped/sliced veggies – cauliflower, red onion, bell pepper, and zucchini – in a large container with a lid, zip-top plastic bag or a large reusable silicone bag and store them in the fridge, separate from the chicken, until ready to place on the pan and bake.
- If you want more flavorful chicken (who doesn’t want that?!) it can be tossed with half of the herb-oil-lemon juice mixture up to two days in advance.
- The herb-oil-lemon mixture can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.
- Wash and pat dry the salad greens, halve the olives, crumble the feta cheese, and make the Tahini-Lemon Sauce up to three days in advance and store them separately in the fridge until ready to use.
Tips for Making This a Reheat-and-Eat Meal
- Prepare the recipe as directed. Allow food to cool for 30 minutes before transferring it to a container with lid for storing. Food can be stored in the fridge for up to four days and reheated in the microwave or in a toaster oven or oven, or in a covered skillet on the stovetop (you may need to add a splash of water to the pan for this last method).
- You may want to divide the food into separate containers for easy lunches or pre-portioned dinners. Consider packing the arugula/spinach/greens, feta cheese, and tahini-lemon sauce separately to add to the meal after you’ve reheated it.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Sheet Pan Mediterranean Chicken and Veggies
A delightfully healthy and flavorful meal that’s packed with protein and veggies and made all on one-pan for easy cleanup.
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 16 ounces raw cauliflower florets (~1 small head)
- 2 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise then into ¼-inch thick ‘half moons’
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium bell pepper, any color, thinly sliced
- 6 ounces grape tomatoes (~1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium lemons, halved
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved lengthwise
- 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 5 ounces fresh spinach and/or arugula for serving
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving, optional
Tahini-Lemon Sauce:
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup warm water
- Juice of ½ medium lemon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons) with oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix to combine.
- Place all of the veggies (including garlic) on the baking sheet. Toss the veggies with half of the herbed olive oil mixture.
- Place the chicken thighs on top of the veggies and rub them down with the rest of the herbed olive oil mixture.
- Nestle two lemon halves, cut side up, into the veggies.
- Drizzle and additional 1 tablespoon olive oil over the chicken and veggies and lemon halves.
- Place pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until veggies are tender than the chicken registers 165℉ on an instant-read thermometer when inserted in the thickest part.
- While the chicken and veggies bake, make the Tahini Sauce by stirring the tahini, warm water, and lemon juice. Add salt to taste.
- When the chicken is done, remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the olives, parsley, and feta over the veggies and chicken.
- Serve over greens with the Tahini Sauce drizzled over the top.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive so we can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: ¼th recipe
- Calories: 476
- Fat: 29g
- (Sat Fat: 6g)
- Sodium: 846mg
- Carbohydrate: 17g
- (Fiber: 6g
- Sugar: 7g)
- Protein: 35g
Dietary
Pin Now to Make It later!
Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
Brenda says
I made this last night and it was amazing! My 65 yr old husband hates zucchini and olives, so for the zucchini I told him to suck it up, and for the olives I substituted capers. It was so good he went back for seconds and said he wouldn’t mind having this on a regular basis. Oh, and he said that with all of the flavor he didn’t notice the zucchini, a vegetable I’ve been trying to get him to eat for 40 years.
It was a quick and easy prep, and clean up was a breeze, so yes, he’ll be seeing it regularly.
Jessica Beacom says
Hahahaha! “Suck it up” – that’s amazing. We’re so glad you both enjoyed it…zucchini and all!
Sharlee says
This is an amazing recipe. I’ve made it twice and it is fool proof and delicious. ( Healthy too!!) Thanks!!
Stacie Hassing says
This is great! Happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for leaving a 5-star rating and review!
Barbara Nix says
Sounds easy healthy and delish
Stacie Hassing says
Thank you for the 5-star review Barbara!
Bryce says
The herbed-olive oil mixture makes this dish! You feel good after eating it, too! I doubled the marinade and added an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil because I found the marinade was a bit too dry for my taste.
Stacie Hassing says
Thank you for this feedback Bryce. We appreciate your 5-star review!
Shepherd says
Great and very filling