Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe

Cyd Converse

If you're wondering what's for dinner tonight, you need to try this easy, flavorful pesto chicken sheet pan dinner recipe.

If we've said it once around here, we've said it one million times - we are more than a little bit obsessed with an easy, delicious sheet pan dinner recipe

This pesto chicken sheet pan dinner recipe is no exception! It comes together easily, roasts while you're getting settled in at the end of the work day and, most importantly, serves up a dinner your whole family is guaranteed to love.

Simple ingredients like chicken, potatoes, green beans, feta cheese and store bought pesto come together with salt, pepper and lemon juice to create a literal feast for your taste buds with minimal effort.

Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe with Potatoes Photo

Why We Love This Easy Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe

As busy parent myself, figuring out what to serve for dinner is the neverending challenge that no one told me to prepare for as I approached adulthood.

Now a newly minted 40 year old, the elusive dinner conundrum hasn't proven to get any simpler. Yes, even as a food writer who talks about food all day long.

Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe with Potatoes Pic

This easy sheet pan dinner recipe is just that - easy! It's also hearty, packed with veggies and loaded with flavor. In short, there's no reason not to love this one.

With this recipe you can serve dinner in just about 45 minutes, but with lots of down time to do other things - like last night's dishes that are still staring at you.

The pesto, lemon and feta also create a perfect flavor pairing that is balanced, tart, salty and savory, a lovely complement to the chicken and vegetables.

Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Ingredients Picture

Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe

To make this easy, satisfying sheet pan dinner recipe, you will need:

Ingredients

  • Chicken - This recipe calls for your standard boneless skinless chicken breast. If you have other chicken on hand it will work great, but you may need to adjust your cook times.
  • Potatoes - I have been on a big yellow potato kick lately but any kind of potato will do such as red potatoes or russet potatoes. 
  • Green beans - This sheet pan dinner recipe calls for fresh green beans, but you could substitute asparagus, broccoli or Brussels sprouts if you like.
  • Pesto - If you have the time, feel free to use homemade pesto for this recipe, but to make things simpler the recipe calls for store bought pesto.
  • Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice adds a brightness to the pesto when creating the chicken marinade. Don't skip the added flavor boost!
  • Salt and pepper - Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper add the perfect seasoning to this easy dinner recipe.

Kitchen Gear

  • Sheet pan
  • Knives
  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Tongs or similar
How to Make Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Photo

Step 1. Preheat the oven and then slice your potatoes into strips. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and transfer to a sheet pan. Pop into the oven.

How to Make Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Picture

Step 2. While the potatoes are roasting, whisk together the pesto and lemon juice to create a marinade. Coat the chicken evenly and refrigerate in the interim.

How to Make Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Image

Step 3. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Flip, push to one side of the sheet pan and then add the chicken, green beans and feta along with lemon slices.

How to Make Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Pic

Step 4. Roast until the chicken is tender and juicy but cooked through and the veggies are fork tender, but not mushy. Dinner is served!

Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe Picture

Tips To Prep This Easy Dinner Recipe in Advance

From start to finish you can get dinner on the table in comfortably under an hour with this easy peasy sheet pan dinner recipe, but I know sometimes that's too long on a busy weeknight or at the end of a long week.

To prep this easy dinner recipe in advance, here are a few tips!

  • Follow our tips for how to parboil potatoes to cut the roasting time for your potatoes by half! Wait, so what is parboiling? Learning how to parboil will revolutionize your life as a cook - it's basically the process of partially boiling something to finish cooking it later by roasting, frying or grilling.
  • Likewise, you can even parboil chicken to reduce how long it needs to roast and simply store and refrigerate the chicken overnight to make this sheet pan recipe the following day. You'll have dinner on the table in a flash.
  • Similarly, brush up on our step-by-step guides for how to blanch green beans and how to parboil green beans to reduce the overall cook time needed to roast the delicious sheet pan dinner of your dreams.
Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe with Potatoes Image

More of Our Favorite Easy Dinner Ideas

From sheet pan dinners like our balsamic glazed chicken to easy Tex-Mex recipes, keeping dinner easy and approachable is the name of the game for us. 

Consider simple sides like our air fryer broccoli recipe or toaster oven roasted potatoes to pair with a great burger or our epic kimchi grilled cheese sandwich.

Skillet dinners like this skillet meatball lasagna recipe, our Greek gyro skillet recipe and our Mexican rice skillet recipe make dinner super easy and delicious.

Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe Photo

Our slow cooker salisbury steak recipe is unmatched in flavor and ease of preparation as is our slow cooker white chicken chili recipe. (It's a favorite!)

If, like me, you love breakfast for dinner, try our easy migas recipe, but don't sleep on our easy sheet pan chicken nachos recipe either. It's a crowd pleaser.

Finally, never forget the power of a good pasta recipe like our lemon chicken linguine, this simple white lasagna or our classic spaghetti and meatballs recipe.

Planning a dinner party and need some inspiration?

How about looking for a new slow cooker dinner idea?

We’ve got you covered in our ever-growing Facebook group! If you’re not a member yet, why not?!

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We’re chatting cooking techniques, dessert ideas, and everything in between. If you’re already a member, invite your friends to join us too!

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Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe

    41 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds Potatoes
  • 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds Chicken Breast
  • 3 tablespoons Pesto
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 pound Fresh Green Beans
  • 8 ounces Feta Cheese
  • Lemon, cut into 1/4" slices

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425° then wash, pat dry and slice potatoes length-wise into 1" strips.
  2. Drizzle the potatoes with half the extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and pepper to taste and toss well to coat evenly.
  3. Spread the potatoes onto a sheet pan in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, trim and slice chicken breasts in half or thirds, depending on how large the breasts are. Place in a mixing bowl or shallow dish.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together pesto and lemon juice with a bit of black pepper. Pour over the chicken.
  6. Coat the chicken thoroughly with the pesto mixture, then transfer the refrigerator to marinate while the potatoes are roasting.
  7. Wash the green beans and then snap or the cut the stems off the ends. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, a bit more salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat thoroughly. 
  8. After 20 minutes, carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. Flip the potatoes and push them to one side of the pan.
  9. Add the chicken and green beans along the other side of the pan.
  10. Break up a block of feta into large chunks and randomly distribute over top of the chicken and veggies.
  11. Finally, tuck the lemon slices in along with the chicken, vegetables and feta cheese right before returning the sheet pan to the oven.
  12. Roast for an additional 20 - 25 minutes until the chicken is tender but cooked through and the veggies are tender but not mushy.
  13. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and dinner is served.
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Related Recipes:
Sheet Pan Dinner Recipes, Chicken Breast Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Easy Recipes, Potato Recipes
Recipe Yields:
4 servings
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
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Published:
Author: Cyd Converse
Recipe Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 41

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 25
Calories 58

% Daily Value*
5%
Total Fat 3g
5%
  Saturated Fat 1g
3%
Sodium 69mg
1%
Total Carbohydrate 2g
1%
  Dietary Fiber 0g
  Sugars 0g
10%
Protein 5g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.

Cyd is a native of Upstate New York, born to a family of women who love to cook and host parties. She shares her love of all things food, home and entertaining on her blog, The Sweetest Occasion and on Instagram.

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