Mediterranean Chicken and Vegetables Sheet Pan Dinner
Who doesn’t love a sheet pan dinner? It’s a rhetorical question cause everyone does.
A meal that you can throw everything onto a pan, set a timer and ‘viola’ dinner is served! The sheet pan is a perfect serving vessel too, so even less dishes.
This recipe is nearly perfect because there’s barely any preparation! Literally toss everything on the sheet pan and throw it in the oven. Done! Seriously. That’s it.
Plus, you can keep all these ingredients stocked in your pantry so you know you can always have a healthy meal even on a busy day.
Not only is this meal incredibly easy AND amazingly delicious, it’s also so healthy! A well balanced meal, all on one sheet tray.
There are healthy fats from the olives, avocado oil and chicken thighs. Plus, protein.
Tomatoes, artichokes, olives, lemons, capers, oregano, onions, and garlic all provide important pre-biotic fibers that support good gut health, add anti-inflammatory nutrients and keep our bellies full and happy.
If you’re unfamiliar with capers, they are powerful little bursts or flavor and nutrients! They are particularly high in an antioxidant called quercetin, which is known to be anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and particularly supports the immune system as well as other overall health factors.
Quercetin is also found in tomatoes, onions, shallots, apples and brassica vegetables, although capers have the highest concentration.
Garlic is also known for its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties to boost the immune system. This recipe calls for 5 cloves, but you can add as much as you can tolerate for more immune support.
Potatoes provide the starches our body needs, but in a moderate portion. This meal is even better as leftovers too! Did you know when you cook a potato, and then let it cool, it develops resistant starch. Resistant starch is similar to fiber in the way that our body doesn’t fully digest it. Instead it feeds the good bacteria in our gut and therefore doesn’t impact blood sugar levels as much as a hot, starchy potato.
So, a little tip; eat your potatoes last so that they have time to cool and develop some of their resistant starch!
Mediterranean Chicken and Vegetables Sheet Pan Dinner
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on organic chicken thighs
- 24 oz petite potatoes halved
- 14 oz quartered artichokes
- 10 oz kalamata olives
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes
- 2 oz capers
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large red onion 1 inch slices
- 1 lemon ¼ inch slices
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, or ghee
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon sea salt divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1/2 bunch parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Season the chicken thighs in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of sea salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Set aside.
- Line a rimmed sheet tray with parchment. Add the potatoes, artichokes, olives, tomatoes, capers, and garlic to the tray.
- Slice the red onion into 1 inch wedges and the lemons into ¼ inch rounds. Add them to the sheet tray with the rest of the vegetables.
- Drizzle the sheet tray contents with 2 tablespoons avocado oil, oregano, 1 teaspoons sea salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Evenly distribute the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables, and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil.
- Put the sheet tray in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the chicken skin is golden brown, the meat is cooked through, and the potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove the sheet tray from oven. Top with chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy!
