One-Pan Italian Chicken and Vegetables
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This One-Pan Italian Chicken and Vegetables is an easy way to make the most of fresh summer produce. Zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and garlic roast until tender before marinated chicken is added to the pan for a simple, flavor-packed meal. Finished with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese, it’s a colorful, satisfying dinner with minimal cleanup, perfect for busy summer nights.
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
I love recipes that let fresh, seasonal ingredients do most of the work, and like my Briam recipe, One-Pan Italian Chicken and Vegetables is a perfect example.
Instead of tossing everything onto a sheet pan (which this recipe can be adapted for), I roast the vegetables first, so they caramelize and create a delicious, almost sauce-like base. While they’re roasting, the chicken marinates, so when it’s added to the pan, it cooks right on top of all those flavorful vegetables.
Finished with fresh herbs and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, it’s an easy dinner that feels elevated and makes the most of summer’s vegetable abundance.
This one-pan chicken and vegetables recipe is:
- So easy with minimal prep!
- A feast of summer vegetables! Fresh zucchini, yellow squash, sweet cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic roast until tender and caramelized, making the most of peak-season produce so it’s wholesome and light. The vegetables roast before the chicken is added, allowing them to caramelize and create a rich, flavorful base.
- One pan = easy cleanup. Everything cooks in the same baking dish, making prep and cleanup quick and convenient.
- A complete meal. Tender, marinated chicken and plenty of colorful summer vegetables come together in one satisfying dish, so there’s no need for extra sides unless you want them. Some crusty bread to soak up the pan juices is all you need!
- Perfect for busy summer nights or any night! Good zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes are available all year long. With simple ingredients, minimal hands-on time, and fresh flavors, this is an easy one-pan chicken meal you’ll want to make all year long.
Whether you’re looking for a delicious way to use up summer produce or just need a flavorful, fuss-free dinner, this recipe will earn a spot in your dinner rotation!
How to Make One-Pan Italian Chicken and Vegetables:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this chicken and vegetables recipe. The exact quantities are on the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Chicken Cutlets: A chicken cutlet is simply a chicken breast that’s been sliced horizontally into two thinner pieces. I like to use chicken cutlets here because they cook quickly and evenly, making them perfect for finishing in the oven over the roasted vegetables. You can purchase cutlets or easily make them yourself.
- Italian Dressing: Use your favorite bottled Italian salad dressing. When I do buy bottled salad dressings for convenience, I like Newman’s Own. You could also substitute their Caesar dressing. The profits all go to charity.
- Calabrian Chile Paste: Calabrian chile paste is an Italian condiment made from crushed Calabrian chile peppers, olive oil, and salt. It has a fruity, slightly smoky flavor and a moderate heat that adds depth and a mildly spicy kick. If you can’t tolerate a lot of heat, leave it out, or substitute crushed red pepper flakes to your taste.
- Dried Oregano: Dried herbs such as oregano are ideal for recipes with longer cooking times like this chicken and vegetables recipe. As they cook, they rehydrate and slowly release their essential oils. Fresh herbs like the fresh basil and parsley, on the other hand, are best reserved for the end of cooking to preserve their delicate flavor and vibrant color. Can also use Italian seasoning.
- The Vegetables: I used yellow squash, zucchini, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and red onion, but you can swap them out. Use eggplant, yellow bell pepper, shallots, fennel, mini potatoes, or artichokes.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine the tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion, and garlic in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Stir 1 teaspoon of the Calabrian chile paste into the olive oil. Drizzle over the vegetables, add the oregano, and generously season with salt and black pepper. Toss well to coat the vegetables evenly.
- Immediately after placing the vegetables in the oven, start marinating the chicken. Place the chicken in a non-reactive bowl. Whisk the remaining chile paste into the Italian dressing. Pour over the chicken and turn to coat evenly. Let marinate while the vegetables roast.
- Roast for 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- At the 35-minute mark, place the chicken over the vegetables. Do not taste the vegetables after adding the raw chicken.
- Return to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part of each cutlet.
- If needed, switch to clean tongs. Lift each piece of chicken just enough to sprinkle 1/2 the basil and parsley over the vegetables, then place the chicken back down.
- Sprinkle the remaining basil, parsley, and Parmesan cheese over the chicken and vegetables. Serve immediately.
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- I recommend buying whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slicing them into cutlets yourself. Pre-cut chicken is convenient, but you’re paying extra for the labor and packaging. It only takes a minute or two to do yourself and can save a little money. It’s especially easy if the chicken is semi-frozen.
- The vegetables are all high-water-content vegetables, so be sure to season them well with salt and black pepper before placing the dish in the oven.
- Use dried herbs for the roasting stage. Dried oregano has time to rehydrate and infuse the vegetables with flavor, while the fresh basil and parsley are added at the end to keep their bright, fresh taste.
Recipe FAQs:
Starting the vegetables first gives them time to caramelize and develop flavor before the chicken finishes cooking on top. The result is sweeter, richer vegetables and perfectly cooked chicken.
Everything returns to the oven and continues cooking. Any juices from the chicken are fully cooked as the dish bakes. Just be sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees in the thickest part of each cutlet before serving. Do not taste the vegetables after the raw chicken has been added! If you placed the raw chicken over the vegetables with tongs, thoroughly wash the tongs or use clean tongs to add the fresh herbs, and remove the cooked chicken from the baking dish.
Yes, sure can! Use eggplant, yellow bell pepper, shallots, fennel, mini potatoes, or artichokes.
You can prep the vegetables a day in advance and place them in the baking dish. Avoid adding salt beforehand because it will draw moisture from the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and garlic. The chicken can also be prepped ahead of time; refrigerate separately in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Don’t add the dressing until the vegetables are cooking as directed in the recipe.
VARIATIONS:
- Use bottled Caesar dressing in place of bottled Italian dressing.
- Sprinkle on some pitted and halved Castelvetrano olives.
- Add drained and rinsed white beans for an even heartier one-pan meal.
- Give it a Greek twist! Add Kalamata olives and use feta cheese in place of Parmesan.
- Dollop prepared basil pesto over the chicken just before serving for another layer of Italian flavor.
Serve this One-Pan Chicken Meal with:
- Pasta, creamy polenta, rice, or orzo to stretch the meal.
- Antipasto Tortellini Salad
- Lemony Broccoli Barley and White Bean Salad
- Easy Herb Bread
More great Easy Chicken recipes!
- Roast Split Chicken Breasts
- Baked Cajun Chicken Drumsticks
- Baked Greek Chicken
- Easy Skillet Mediterranean Chicken
Get all my chicken recipes at Chicken Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
One-Pan Italian Chicken and Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 heaping cups cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 medium yellow squash or 2 small squash, (about 1/2 pound) sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 medium zucchini or 2 small squash, (about 1/2 pound) sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded, membranes removed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 large cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Calabrian chile paste, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt, or as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 chicken cutlets, (1 1/2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine the tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion, and garlic in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Stir 1 teaspoon of the Calabrian chile paste into the olive oil. Drizzle over the vegetables, add the oregano, and generously season with salt and black pepper. Toss well to coat the vegetables evenly.
- Roast for 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- Immediately after placing the vegetables in the oven, start marinating the chicken.
- Place the chicken in a non-reactive bowl. Whisk the remaining chile paste into the Italian dressing. Pour over the chicken and turn to coat evenly. Let marinate while the vegetables roast.
- At the 35-minute mark, place the chicken over the vegetables. Do not taste the vegetables after adding the raw chicken.
- Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part of each cutlet.
- If needed, switch to clean tongs. Lift each piece of chicken just enough to sprinkle 1/2 the basil and parsley over the vegetables, then place the chicken back down.
- Sprinkle the remaining basil, parsley, and Parmesan cheese over the chicken and vegetables. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You could also use bottled Caesar dressing in place of Italian dressing.
- If you can’t tolerate a lot of heat, leave the chile paste out, or substitute crushed red pepper flakes to your taste.
- Other vegetables you can use: Eggplant, yellow bell pepper, shallots, fennel, mini potatoes, or artichokes.
- Can use Italian seasoning in place of oregano.
- Slice your own chicken cutlets. Buying whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slicing them into cutlets yourself saves money and only takes a minute or two. It’s even easier if the chicken is slightly frozen.
- Because zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and bell peppers have a high water content, they need a generous seasoning of salt and black pepper to bring out their flavor.
- Use both dried and fresh herbs. Dried oregano has time to bloom as the vegetables roast, while fresh basil and parsley are stirred in at the end for a bright, fresh finish.
- Prep the vegetables a day in advance and place them in the baking dish. Avoid adding salt beforehand because it will draw moisture from the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and garlic.
- The chicken can also be prepped ahead of time; refrigerate separately in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Don’t add the dressing until the vegetables are cooking as directed in the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
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