Description
A flavorful and easy sheet pan dinner featuring juicy honey balsamic marinated chicken and a colorful mix of roasted vegetables. This recipe combines tender chicken cubes with crisp-tender veggies, all cooked together on one pan for a simple, wholesome meal that’s perfect served over rice.
Ingredients
Scale
For Marinade:
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove garlic)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
For Sheet Pan Dinner:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ medium red onion, cut into chunks
- 1 crown broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks (green, orange, or yellow peppers are fine, too)
- 1 small zucchini or summer squash, cut into ½-inch half moons
- 8 ounces mushrooms, halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- cooked rice, for serving
- fresh parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
- Make the Marinade: In a measuring cup, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, minced garlic, dried oregano, kosher salt, and coarse ground black pepper. Whisk well to blend all ingredients thoroughly.
- Marinate the Chicken: Place the cubed chicken breasts or tenders into a zip-top bag or baking dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are evenly coated. Seal the bag or cover the dish and refrigerate. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours for maximum flavor infusion.
- Preheat the Oven: When ready to cook, set your oven to 400ºF (205ºC) and allow it to preheat fully before roasting.
- Prepare Vegetables on the Sheet Pan: On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange the red onion chunks, broccoli florets, bell pepper chunks, zucchini half-moons, and halved mushrooms. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Toss everything gently to coat evenly.
- Initial Roast of Vegetables: Place the baking sheet with the vegetables into the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes to begin softening and caramelizing the vegetables.
- Add Chicken, Marinade, and Tomatoes: Remove the baking sheet from the oven carefully. Add the marinated chicken pieces, including the marinade liquid, along with the cherry or grape tomatoes. Toss gently on the baking sheet to combine and coat all ingredients in the marinade. Spread the mixture out in a single even layer for even cooking.
- Continue Roasting: Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC) and is fully cooked. The vegetables should be tender-crisp and coated in the flavorful sauce.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve the honey balsamic chicken and vegetables hot over cooked rice. Optionally, garnish with chopped fresh parsley for a burst of color and freshness.
Notes
- Cooking tip: Don’t overcook the chicken and vegetables. The mixture should be juicy with vegetables remaining crisp, resembling a stir-fry with a sauce.
- Variations: Substitute other vegetables such as carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts as preferred.
- You may swap boneless skinless chicken breasts with boneless skinless chicken thighs for a darker meat option.
- Marinate chicken up to 8 hours or at least 30 minutes for best flavor absorption.
