Pesto Chicken with Roasted Vegetables & Quinoa: The One-Pan 45g-Protein Friday Dinner

Pesto Chicken with Roasted Vegetables & Quinoa: The One-Pan 45g-Protein Friday Dinner

Some dinners ask you to dirty every pan you own. This one asks for a single sheet pan: chicken strips, zucchini, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes all tossed in bright green pesto and roasted at 425°F, then piled over fluffy quinoa with a fresh pesto drizzle and crumbled feta. Forty-five grams of protein, about 560 calories, and roughly 35 minutes start to finish.

Why it works

The pesto does double duty. Half of it coats the chicken and vegetables before roasting, where it protects the chicken from drying out and flavors every bite as the tomatoes blister and burst. The other half stays fresh and gets drizzled on at the end, so you get both the deep roasted flavor and the bright, herby pop of raw pesto. Quinoa underneath catches all the pan juices, and a quarter cup of feta scattered over the top adds the salty finish. It is also a meal-prep natural: the components hold up for days and the bowls reheat beautifully.

The recipe

Ingredients

• 1½ lb chicken breast, cut into strips
• ½ cup pesto
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked
• ¼ cup crumbled feta

Steps

1. Toss chicken and vegetables with half the pesto on a sheet pan.
2. Roast at 425°F for 20–22 min until chicken is cooked through.
3. Serve over quinoa with remaining pesto drizzled on top and feta scattered over.

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Here's the card — save it for next time:

Want the printable version? Get it here: Pesto Chicken with Roasted Vegetables & Quinoa

Credit: Inspiration reel

— Dad