Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken is a quick and easy meal that requires very little clean-up. The juicy chicken pairs so nicely with the fresh roasted vegetables, creamy feta cheese and salty olives. The fresh herbs and lemon add Mediterranean flavor to this dish. Serve with brown rice, hummus or on its own. 

MEDITERRANEAN SHEET PAN CHICKEN

Do you ever feel like you get to the end of the day and you don’t know what to prepare for dinner?

Somehow the day often gets away from me and I realize I need a quick meal to put on the table that the whole family will love.

I am a big fan of sheet pan dinners on days like this.

I love how easy sheet pan recipes are to prepare and clean-up.

It is so nice to have everything cook on one sheet pan and it is a complete meal with the protein and vegetables.

Today’s Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken is a particular favorite of mine because I love the ingredients  of the mediterranean diet which this recipe has.

The juicy chicken works so well with the fresh roasted vegetables, creamy feta cheese and olives.

If any of those ingredients aren’t your favorite you can leave them out of course.

I have swapped out the olives for artichoke hearts or roasted red peppers and have enjoyed that.

When I need a quick and easy meal I also like making these Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, Sheet Pan Lemon Parmesan Chicken Tenders, Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Vegetables or these Sheet Pan Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders and Vegetables.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS SHEET PAN CHICKEN RECIPE:

Simple healthy ingredients: This recipe uses simple, healthy ingredients, combining protein packed chicken thighs, with lots of fresh vegetables, kalamata olives and aromatic fresh herbs.

Easy to prepare and cook: The marinade takes minutes to prepare and works on both the chicken and veggies. Then it’s a simple case of you simply layer the ingredients on the sheet pan and baking. You can’t beat an easy dinner.

Perfect balance of fresh flavors: The citrusy lemon works well with the saltiness of the feta cheese and olives. The flavors works so well together.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN MEDITERRANEAN SHEET PAN CHICKEN?

• CHICKEN: I’ve used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs but you could also use boneless chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, whole chicken legs, chicken tenderloins or boneless chicken breast. Adjust the cooking time based on the cut of chicken you use.
• VEGETABLES: a combination of red onion, red bell pepper and zucchini are added to this easy sheet pan dinner.
• CHEESE: I add crumbled feta cheese towards the end of the cooking process. You can also use a block of feta cheese and cut it into chunks.
• OLIVES: pitted kalamata olives add great flavor to dish. You can skip these if you aren’t a fan.
• TOMATOES: I use whole cherry tomatoes for this recipe but any variety of smaller tomato like grape tomatoes will work. 
• GARNISH: I garnish the dish with fresh parsley, fresh dill and a wedges of lemon. You could also use lemon zest on the finished dish for extra citrus flavor.

FOR THE MARINADE

• OIL: I use extra virgin olive oil in the marinade as it has the best flavor. I always try to find a high quality extra virgin olive oil.
• LEMON: freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a balance of acidity to the marinade.
• GARLIC: use fresh garlic cloves in the marinade as it has the best flavor. If you don’t have fresh garlic you can use garlic powder.
• DRIED HERBS: I use a combination of dried oregano, rosemary, thyme, dill and basil in the marinade. You can add fresh herbs if that is all you have on hand.
• SEASONING: there’s so much flavor in the marinade that I keep the seasoning simple with some sea salt and black pepper.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN SHEET PAN DINNER?

MAKE THE MARINADE: In a small mixing bowl add the marinade ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, rosemary, thyme, dill, basil, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.

MARINATE THE CHICKEN: Add the chicken thighs into a large mixing bowl and add 3/4 of the marinade. Use tongs or your hands to coat the chicken with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 15 minutes (not more than 2 hours).

MARINATE THE VEGETABLES: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl  add the red onion, bell pepper, zucchini and add the remaining marinade to the vegetables. Toss the vegetables in the marinade until coated.

LAYER UP THE SHEET PAN: Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet. Remove the chicken from the marinade and nestle the chicken into the vegetables.

BAKE THE SHEET PAN: Bake for 20 minutes, remove the large baking sheet and add the kalamata olives, tomatoes and the feta cheese.

Cook another 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the skin is golden brown.

SERVE: Remove from the oven and sprinkle fresh parsley and fresh dill over the sheet pan meal.

Serve alongside rice, quinoa or potatoes or on its own with lemon wedges.

WAYS TO MODIFY THIS GREEK SHEET PAN CHICKEN

CHICKEN: This recipe would work equally well with chicken drumsticks, whole chicken legs or chicken breasts. Adjust the cooking times depending on what you are cooking.

VEGETABLES: Vary the vegetables in this dish, add sun-dried tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, green onions, mushrooms, eggplant, green beans or carrots.

POTATOES: Potatoes would be a great addition. Try sweet potatoes, baby potatoes or diced russet potatoes.

OLIVES: I used kalamata olives, but you can use any variety of green or black olive in this dish, or try a combination of olives.

LEMON: Make the dish extra lemony by adding the zest as well as the juice of the lemon to the marinade. You also can scatter lemon slices among the chicken and vegetables to add more lemon flavor.

SEASONING: If you don’t have all the dried herbs, a good substitution would be Italian or Greek seasoning.

SPICE: Add some chili heat by add powdered chili or red pepper flakes to the marinade.

FRESH HERBS: I’ve garnished the dish with fresh basil and dill, but you could also add fresh mint, oregano or thyme leaves.

TIPS AND NOTES FOR THE BEST SHEET PAN MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN

CONTROLLING SALT IN THIS DISH: This dish can be salty due to the fact that you are using olives and feta cheese. If you are watching your salt I suggest reducing the amount that you use in the dish.

COOKING THE CHICKEN: The size of chicken thighs can vary, so I like to check the internal cooking temperature with a meat thermometer. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

FLAVOR: This sheet pan meal has a lot of flavor but can easily be modified. If you like more of a citrusy flavor use a squeeze of lemon juice. If you want an earthy flavor add za’atar or sumac. If you want a hint of spice use chopped jalapeños, crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper.

DOUBLE THE RECIPE: This recipe is easily doubled up if you are feeding a crowd, or even if you want leftovers to enjoy later in the week.

LEFTOVERS: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to enjoy place back into the hot oven to warm through.

OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

GREEK MARINATED CHICKEN KABOBS

SUN-DRIED TOMATO FARRO CHICKEN BAKE

RANCH CHICKEN THIGHS

YOGURT MARINATED CHICKEN TENDERS

AIR FRYER MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN THIGHS

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI 

CHICKEN KOFTA