Healthy Chicken And Vegetables Skillet Recipe

You're about to transform weeknight cooking with a simple yet powerful skillet technique that'll revolutionize your meal prep. By combining lean protein and fresh vegetables in one pan, you'll create a nutritious dinner that's both quick and delicious. This method allows you to customize ingredients, control nutrition, and minimize cleanup—all while producing a restaurant-quality meal in under 30 minutes. Intrigued by the potential of a single-skillet solution that doesn't compromise on flavor?

Recipe Highlights

• This one-pan chicken and vegetable skillet is a nutritious meal that combines lean protein with fresh vegetables in under 30 minutes.
• Use high-quality ingredients like chicken breast, bell peppers, and broccoli, seasoned with olive oil and Italian herbs for maximum flavor.
• Cook chicken pieces until golden brown on medium-high heat, then add vegetables and cook until tender-crisp for a perfectly balanced dish.
• Achieve even cooking by cutting ingredients into uniform sizes and layering them strategically in the skillet to enhance flavor infusion.
• Serve the skillet meal with whole grains, garnish with fresh herbs, and offer lemon wedges to create a complete, restaurant-quality dining experience.

History

Although one-pan chicken and vegetable dishes might seem like a modern culinary trend, the origins of this cooking style actually trace back centuries.

You'll find that skillet cooking emerged from practical necessity, with early settlers and home cooks seeking efficient meal preparation methods. Mediterranean and European cuisines particularly championed these one-pan techniques, where resourceful cooks could quickly combine proteins and vegetables using minimal cookware.

Indigenous cultures worldwide developed similar approaches, using clay pots or cast-iron skillets to create nutrient-dense meals. Your modern chicken and vegetable skillet is essentially a contemporary descendant of these time-honored cooking traditions.

Traditional cookbooks from the late 19th century frequently featured similar recipes, demonstrating how culinary simplicity has always been prized by home cooks seeking delicious, uncomplicated meals.

Recipe

A chicken and vegetable skillet is the perfect weeknight meal for those seeking a nutritious, quick, and delicious dinner option. This one-pan wonder combines lean protein with vibrant vegetables, creating a balanced meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes.

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and flexibility. By using just a few key ingredients and a single skillet, home cooks can create a flavorful dish that's both satisfying and health-conscious, with minimal cleanup required.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 large mixed bell peppers
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
• Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by preparing your ingredients: cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and chop the bell peppers into similar-sized chunks. Season the chicken with half the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, ensuring pieces aren't overcrowded. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown and nearly cooked through.

Add the bell peppers and broccoli to the skillet, sprinkle with remaining seasoning, and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp and chicken is fully cooked.

When cooking this dish, ensure your skillet is properly heated before adding ingredients to achieve a good sear. If vegetables release excess moisture, slightly increase the heat to help evaporate water and maintain a crisp texture.

For added variety, feel free to swap vegetables or experiment with different seasoning blends to suit your taste preferences.

Cooking Steps

You'll start this one-pan meal by gathering and prepping all your ingredients, ensuring everything's chopped and measured before turning on the stove.

Next, you'll heat the olive oil in a large skillet and carefully add the seasoned chicken pieces, watching them turn golden brown as they sizzle.

Once the chicken is cooked through, you'll introduce the colorful bell peppers and broccoli, sprinkling the remaining Italian seasoning to create a vibrant, nutritious dish that comes together in just minutes.

Step 1. Gather and Prepare Ingredients

Grab your cutting board and kitchen tools: this skillet recipe demands precision and quick preparation.

You'll want to start by selecting fresh, high-quality ingredients that promise maximum flavor and nutrition. Carefully slice the chicken breast into uniform, bite-sized pieces to ensure even cooking, using a sharp chef's knife and clean cutting technique.

Chop bell peppers into consistent, roughly 1-inch squares, and break broccoli florets into similarly sized clusters. Measure your olive oil and Italian seasoning precisely, keeping all ingredients within arm's reach.

Group ingredients by cooking time: proteins first, then hardier vegetables like bell peppers, and finally more delicate components. Work methodically and efficiently, maintaining a clean workspace that supports smooth recipe execution.

[DIRECTIONS]:

Step 2. Add Chicken to Skillet

With ingredients prepped and ready, heat transforms your carefully chosen components into a mouthwatering meal.

Select your large skillet and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil, heating it over medium-high until it shimmers and moves fluidly across the surface.

Cut your chicken breasts into bite-sized, uniform pieces to ensure even cooking.

Season generously with half the Italian seasoning blend, using your fingers to distribute the herbs evenly.

Gently place chicken into the hot skillet, allowing each piece space to develop a golden-brown crust.

• Cook for 5-7 minutes
• Stir occasionally
• Watch for caramelized edges
• Listen for a gentle sizzle
• Avoid moving pieces too frequently

When chicken looks golden and develops a delectable exterior, you're ready for the next cooking stage.

Step 3. Add Vegetables to Pan

After searing the chicken to golden perfection, it's time to introduce the vibrant bell peppers and broccoli florets into your skillet.

Carefully add the chopped vegetables, making sure they're spread evenly across the pan's surface. Sprinkle the remaining Italian seasoning over the colorful mix, ensuring each piece gets a flavorful coating.

Stir the vegetables gently, allowing them to caramelize and develop a slight char while maintaining their crisp texture. Keep the heat at medium-high and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Watch for visual cues: the peppers should soften slightly, and the broccoli will turn a bright, deep green. You'll want the vegetables tender-crisp, with just a hint of resistance when you bite into them.

Step 4. Season Remaining Ingredients

Once you've seared the chicken to a beautiful golden brown, it's time to elevate the flavor profile with strategic seasoning.

Sprinkle the remaining Italian seasoning blend evenly across the vegetables and chicken, ensuring each piece gets a generous coating. Use your fingers to distribute the herbs, which will help release their aromatic oils and infuse deeper flavor throughout the dish.

Pay special attention to distributing:

• Herbs across the surface
• Seasoning between chicken pieces
• Spices over broccoli and peppers

The goal is creating a uniform taste experience where no bite feels bland.

Gently toss the ingredients to incorporate the seasoning completely, allowing the heat to activate the herbs' essential oils and create a more complex, layered flavor profile for your skillet meal.

Step 5. Plate and Serve Immediately

The moment your skillet masterpiece reaches perfection, you'll want to transfer this vibrant, aromatic chicken and vegetable dish to serving plates with precise yet confident movements.

Use a large spoon or spatula to carefully portion the chicken and vegetables, ensuring an even distribution of protein and colorful produce on each plate.

Consider these plating tips:

• Center the chicken pieces first
• Arrange vegetables symmetrically around the protein
• Aim for a height variation of 1-2 inches
• Drizzle any remaining pan juices over the dish

Serve immediately while the chicken remains hot and the vegetables retain their crisp texture.

The residual heat will continue to enhance the flavors, making each bite a delightful culinary experience that highlights the fresh ingredients' natural goodness.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're a busy professional or a home cook looking for a quick, nutritious meal, this chicken and vegetable skillet recipe offers a delightful solution to your weeknight dinner dilemma.

You'll appreciate how simple yet satisfying this one-pan wonder can be, transforming basic ingredients into a restaurant-quality dish.

The beauty of this recipe lies in its adaptability—you can easily swap vegetables based on what's in your fridge or adjust seasonings to suit your taste.

Remember that mastering this technique means learning to balance heat, timing, and ingredient preparation.