If you are looking for healthy chicken and broccoli recipes, I’ve got one that’s perfect for busy weeknights! This Healthy Baked Chicken and Broccoli is a super easy dinner the whole family will love that just uses one pan in the oven, and takes only 20 minutes to bake!
First, let’s get your burning questions about this chicken and broccoli recipe out of the way:
Can you bake broccoli with chicken?
I know this might seem like a silly question, but I think what people are really asking here is if the chicken and broccoli will bake at the same rate. If you were baking a whole chicken breast alongside some broccoli, then the answer is “no.” But if you cut up your chicken into bite-sized pieces, then the answer is “almost.”
The chicken pieces need about 20 minutes to be fully-cooked, while the broccoli only needs about ten minutes. So we bake the chicken by itself for a few minutes, and then we take it out of the oven and add the broccoli.
Today’s Freebie!
Can you prep baked chicken and broccoli ahead of time?
Yes! All you have to do is cut up your skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs and broccoli florets, and then store them in separate containers or plastic bags in the refrigerator. Then when it’s time to bake, everything is all cut up and ready to go!
The best part is that this recipe also has a tasty sauce that you can prepare ahead of time, and then just heat when it’s time to bake and serve.
Can you use frozen broccoli and chicken?
You can, but hopefully you have cut up your chicken beforehand and frozen the bite-sized pieces! Otherwise, it may be very difficult to cut a frozen chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. If you’re starting to bake your chicken and broccoli from frozen, understand that you will need to double the baking time for each.
Also be aware that your broccoli may not have the desired “tender-crisp” texture. This is because when fruits and vegetables are frozen, the water in them expands and breaks their cell walls. When those fruits and vegetables thaw, those cell walls aren’t there any more to help them hold their shape, so that’s why they are often mushy when thawed or baked. (This is why frozen strawberries are always mushy and yucky when thawed!)
Animal cells are just surrounded with membranes, not walls. So when frozen, those membranes stretch, but don’t break like cell walls. That’s why frozen meats can still retain their shape and texture when thawed.
O.K. Now that we have all the sciency stuff out of the way, let’s make dinner! I’m including a yummy sauce with this recipe that makes it a little less healthy, but if you want, you can skip the sauce and just drizzle olive oil over everything and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
Can you use a rotisserie chicken?
Since I’m assuming the rotisserie chicken is already cooked, you won’t need to cook it with the broccoli. All you’ll need to do is heat it through during the last few minutes in the oven.
Cook your broccoli for about ten minutes in the oven (instructions are below). Then add the cut-up pieces of rotisserie chicken, along with any sauce you like, and pop it back in the oven for about three minutes.
Ingredients for Healthy Baked Chicken and Broccoli
The ingredients for this healthy dinner recipe are pretty simple. (Plus, this is a great way to use up fresh broccoli). You’ll notice it doesn’t use any mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup. This recipe has more of an Asian flair to it.
- chicken (I use boneless chicken breasts, but you can also use thigh meat)
- broccoli
- additional vegetables as desired (I used snap peas from our garden)
The (optional) honey ginger sauce is what makes this dish really delicious! You make it on the stove beforehand with these ingredients. There will be instructions on the recipe card further down.
- soy sauce
- hoisin sauce
- apple cider vinegar
- honey
- sesame oil
- ginger
- garlic
- cornstarch
- water
Hoisin sauce is a special Asian sauce that you can find in most grocery stores. It’s mostly a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and garlic. If you don’t have it or can’t find it at the store, it’s o.k. to leave it out of the sauce.
How to Make Healthy Baked Chicken and Broccoli
First, you’ll want to prep a large baking sheet by covering it with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. Then lightly spray it with cooking spray.
You’re going to cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces and spread them out on this tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Then you’re going to pop these into the oven for just eight minutes. Meanwhile, you’re going to chop a head of broccoli and prepare any other vegetables you’d like to add. Great possibilities are onions, green beans, bell peppers, asparagus, and snow peas. I also really like to add cashews.
After the eight minutes are up, take the chicken out and add your veggies and cashews if desired.
Then drizzle your prepared sauce over the top. You may not use all of it. That’s o.k. I like to save some to add at the end or to pour over the top when I’m serving this with rice. Again, if you want to keep this super healthy, now is the time to just drizzle some olive oil over the top, give everything a good stir, and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Then you just bake this for another 8-10 minutes, and you have perfectly tender chicken, and gorgeously roasted broccoli in this easy weeknight dinner!
In case you’re worried about whether or not you’ve baked your chicken for the right amount of time, you can use a meat thermometer to make sure the largest piece has an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F. However, since the pieces are so small, I find it easiest to just cut one in half. If it doesn’t look pink at all, then it’s done.
When this is done baking, I transfer it to a bowl, add more sauce if necessary (for extra great flavor), and spoon it over the top of Japanese sticky rice. This would also go great with Jasmine rice or brown rice.
The chopsticks are optional
How to make this great recipe low carb
The only thing really adding any carbs to this recipe is the sauce. Simply substitute a different low-sugar (or no sugar) dressing, or sprinkle on some of your favorite spices, like salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, or Italian seasoning.
Or if you want to keep the Asian flavors, go with some Chinese Five-spice powder or Szechuan seasoning. You could also just drizzle with soy sauce.
Or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or Cheddar cheese. The possibilities are endless!
P.S. If you want a fantastic broccoli casserole recipe, be sure to make my Lemony Chicken Broccoli Casserole!
It’s another great chicken and broccoli recipe for busy nights! And you can use leftover chicken, rice, and broccoli in it as well!
Healthy Baked Chicken & Broccoli
Add this healthy meal to your dinner menu this week. You’ll be so glad you did!
Want some more easy sheet pan dinners? Try these!
Sheet Pan Thai Chicken and Peppers with Peanut Ginger Sauce
Sheet Pan Pesto Ranch Chicken and Potatoes
This recipe first appeared on Yellow Bliss Road, where I am a contributor.
Today’s Freebie!
Healthy Baked Chicken and Broccoli
If you are looking for healthy chicken and broccoli recipes, I've got a great one for you today! This Healthy Baked Chicken and Broccoli uses one pan in the oven, takes only 20 minutes to bake, and could not be simpler!
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
For the Chicken and Vegetables
- 2 large chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 head broccoli florets
- 1 cup additional vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces (bell peppers, onions, sugar snap peas, etc., optional)
- 1/2 cup roasted salted cashews
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Sauce
In a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat, add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Stir and heat until almost boiling.
Meanwhile, stir the cornstarch with the 1/2 cup of water and set aside. When the rest of the sauce mixture is hot, pour in the cornstarch/water mixture, stirring constantly as you pour it in.
Continue stirring sauce over medium heat until it thickens slightly. Remove it from the heat and set aside while you prep the chicken and vegetables.
For the Chicken and Vegetables
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.
Add the chicken pieces to the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Put in the oven for eight minutes. Then remove from the oven and add your vegetables and cashews.
Drizzle with the reserved sauce. You may not use all of the sauce.
Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
Serve over rice or noodles and additional sauce if desired.
Notes
To make this more healthy, omit the sauce and just drizzle the chicken and vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper before baking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 258Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 1035mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 3gSugar: 16gProtein: 24g
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Love the cashews you’ve added to this baked broccoli and chicken. Looks great on the bed of rice!
I’ve been looking for more healthy meal prep recipes and this is what I’ve been looking for! YUM!
My hubs loves sheet pan meals! So glad I found this one!
My family loves healthy spins on classic Chinese take out!!