Summer Chicken Bake (Printable)

Juicy baked chicken with seasonal vegetables, lemon herbs and crumbled feta for a fresh weeknight dinner.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 yellow zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
03 - 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced into strips
04 - 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
05 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1 cup baby spinach leaves

→ Marinade & Seasonings

07 - 3 tbsp olive oil
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Toppings

13 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
14 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a large baking dish with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent sticking.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried oregano, fresh thyme leaves, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
03 - Place the chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish in a single layer. Brush generously with half of the marinade mixture, ensuring even coverage on all sides.
04 - Scatter the sliced zucchini, bell pepper strips, red onion, and halved cherry tomatoes around and over the chicken pieces. Drizzle the remaining marinade evenly across all the vegetables.
05 - Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, allowing the chicken to begin cooking through and the vegetables to soften and release their juices.
06 - Remove the dish from the oven. Scatter the baby spinach leaves over the top and sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese evenly across the entire dish. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the vegetables are tender.
07 - Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped basil and serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks on one pan which means you get a beautiful dinner and your sink stays manageable.
  • The lemon herb marinade does all the heavy lifting so the ingredient list stays short and forgiving.
  • It reheats brilliantly the next day tucked into a pita or scooped over rice.
02 -
  • Chicken breasts cook unevenly if they vary in thickness so a quick pound with a skillet or mallet saves you from dry edges and raw centers.
  • The spinach will look like a huge mound when you first add it but it wilts down dramatically so trust the process.
  • Let the dish rest for five minutes after it comes out so the juices redistribute through the chicken.
03 -
  • Take the chicken out of the refrigerator fifteen minutes before baking so it cooks more evenly from edge to center.
  • Taste a cherry tomato from the pan before serving and adjust salt and lemon if needed because tomato sweetness varies wildly by season.

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