Summer Chicken Bake (Printer-friendly)

Juicy baked chicken with seasonal vegetables, lemon herbs, and crumbled feta for a light summer dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 yellow zucchini, sliced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1 cup baby spinach leaves

→ Marinade & Seasonings

07 - 3 tbsp olive oil
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Toppings

13 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
14 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a large baking dish with a small amount of olive oil.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried oregano, fresh thyme leaves, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
03 - Arrange the chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish and brush generously with half of the marinade mixture, ensuring even coverage on all sides.
04 - Scatter the sliced zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion, and halved cherry tomatoes around and over the chicken. Drizzle the remaining marinade evenly across the vegetables.
05 - Bake uncovered for 25 minutes until the chicken begins to brown and the vegetables start to soften.
06 - Remove the dish from the oven and scatter the baby spinach leaves over the top. Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese evenly across the entire dish. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 8–10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F and the vegetables are tender.
07 - Remove from the oven and garnish with freshly chopped basil. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks on a single sheet pan which means you get your evening back instead of scrubbing pots.
  • It tastes like you tried much harder than you actually did and that is the best kind of cooking.
02 -
  • The spinach goes in late for a reason because if you add it at the beginning it will reduce to a disappointing puddle and take the visual appeal with it.
  • Let the chicken rest for five minutes after pulling it from the oven or every drop of juice will run onto the cutting board instead of staying where it belongs.
03 -
  • Check the chicken temperature at the 30 minute mark because breast thickness varies wildly and dry chicken is the only real way to ruin this recipe.
  • Slice any extra lemon into rounds and tuck them between the chicken pieces because roasted lemon makes the whole dish look like it came from a magazine spread.

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