Seasoned with olive oil and italian spices then roasted to perfection, this sheet pan chicken and rainbow veggies is great for meal prep and makes a healthy lunch or dinner too!
Meal prepping is a must if you go to work, school or like to have healthy meals on hand at all times. Having healthy meals on hand will make your day and week run a lot smoother. This means you wont end up needing to purchase last-minute un-healthy fast food. You can prep the entire weeks meals on the weekend so you’ll always have tasty healthy food at reach. I assure you it’s well worth the extra effort and will also save you a lot of money.
This sheet pan roasted chicken and rainbow veggies is a great dish to make if your just starting to meal prep or if you just want easy toss in the oven kind of dinner.
The chicken and veggies are loaded with spices and drizzled with olive oil, then roasted in the oven for 20 minutes or until charred and tender. Since the chicken breasts are cut into small cubes, they cook at the same rate as the veggies making it that much easier to cook everything at the same rate.
Divide the chicken and veggies into individual meal prep containers on a handful of brown rice or quinoa or your favorite type of rice and enjoys a weeks worth of meals all done in under 30 minutes! 
Meal Prep - Healthy Chicken and Veggies
Ingredients
- 2 medium chicken breasts, boneless skinless cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup broccoli florets, frozen or fresh
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 cup grape or plum tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-4 cups cooked rice of choice, optional
- 4 meal prep containers
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- Place the chicken and veggies in the baking dish. Sprinkle all the spices and garlic evenly over the chicken and veggies. Drizzle with the olive oil.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are charred and chicken is tender.
- Place 1/2 or 1 cup of cooked rice of choice into 4 individual meal prep containers. Divide chicken and veggies evenly on top of the rice. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How do you warm up when you want to eat it
How do you reheat after it is frozen?
Mine was a little dry what can I add to it when reheating?
Thanks
I am planning on trying some of these recipes this week. Is it possible to freeze these recipes?
REally good! I made it without the Rice, so i’m not sure how many calories to count it as.
Just take out what the calories of the rice would be, so it should roughly be around 300 without the rice that is.
Can this be heated up in the microwave from frozen? I want to make for my daughter for her dorm at college. She can only heat up in the microwVe.
Yes though it will take long to defrost in microwave. I’d suggest, if at all possible, to defrost overnight in fridge or on countertop 3-4 hrs before heating up in microwave.
That raw chicken touching vegetables makes me incredibly uncomfortable, even if its all going to be cooked raw chicken should not be touching anything else, thats very dangerous!
Beth The vegetables are being heated to the same temperature as the chicken, what part of that is dangerous? if there’s bacteria remaining in the vegetables, it’s going to be In the chicken too. use common sense? and if you lack that, google it beforehand.
Lmao damn you tell em Zak!!
what’s the texture of the rice after frozen
If I freeze the cooked meal, what do I need to do when it is time to eat the meal?
These look amazing, I can’t wait to try them!! thanks so much for sharing.
How much rice is calculated into the 524 calories per meal, 1C or 1/2C?
I made this recipe today and it was fantastic! I may add more spice next time but it was seriously so delicious and healthy! Do you know nutrition info on 1 serving?
Yes, just added the nutritional info under the recipe!
Is the nutritional info under the recipe for the 4 servings or 1? i’m on WW and when I calculated the points it came out to 16, so i’m hoping the info. is for all 4 servings. sorry about the all caps, it won’t turn off on my keyboard!
If you use frozen broccoli florets do they need to defrost or can bake frozen straight out of the bag?
You can bake them straight out of the freezer!
for how long???? In the oven at what temp. Can I nuke them to reheat them?
The first step is to pre-heat the oven to 450F. You can reheat in microwave, stove-top or oven as needed.
Hi, wow long to microwave if they are refrigerated?
About 2-3 minutes or until steaming!
Can you repost the nutriTional Facts? I can’t seem to find them even after wAiting for it to load.
What kind of rice do you recommend with this?
Jasmine, brown or basmati work well.
So if i take 2 bucks to the store i can buy all these ingredients?
You just made my weekly lunch meals so much easier. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
hi layla!! exactly how many lbs of chicken breasts did you use for this recipe? thank you!!
We use about 1 pound of chicken breast!
Any suggestions how to make this vegetarian and keep the same cooking times and temperature? I’m wondering about replacing the chicken with tofu, chickpeas or something else and am open to ideas. Thanks!
Would You stire the food uncooked in the food container and cook when required, or cook it all first then store?
Thanks
Will this be enough to eat if I don’t make rice with it? And just eat the meat and veggies?
Strange question. New to meal prepping. How would I reheat this dish after I’d defrosted? Would it just be in the microwave? Or is there other ways? Thanks
I microwave for 2 minutes on high or until steaming.
I made this recipe, but didn’t need the baking sheet. What is it used for?
What did you cook the chicken and veggies on? The baking sheet is the base.
Are the calculated calories including the rice or without?
The calories are without the rice. Adding 1/2 cooked brown rice to each container would add an additional 100 calories.
4oz chicken is usually 36 g protein.. so how are these only 20 g each? Thanks!
The recipe is 2 chicken breasts and it makes about 4 servings so each chicken breast is split into two servings.
Quick question – why is the fat content so high? Is it the olive oil? Because chicken and veggies don’t contain 15 grams of fat.
Yes, most of the fat is from the olive oil. It’s really good for you so I wouldn’t be worried!
Hi! Just made this last night and loved the flavor! Quick question though, the nutritional value you have added, I assume this does not include a 1/2 c. of rice or quinoa. Correct?
Yes, the nutritional veggies do not include the rice or quinoa but adding 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice or quinoa would only add just over 100 calories to each container.
How do you make sure the chicken still has good flavor when reheated in the microwave?
The flavor should still be the same when re-heated.
How do you normally heat these up?
Microwave for about 2 minutes or until hot.
Delicious..whole family gobbled it right up!
My first time cooking this recipe, and looking forward to it. However, i forgot to put in tomatoes, and now it will probably be a bit dry.
How long does each container last in the fridge?
4-5 days.
Can you cook and then freeze? I am trying to start meal planning and that would be ideal as I don’t want something to go to waste
Yes, you can cook everything then freeze in freezer containers.
Hi i wanted to ask if i wanted to freeze it for some weeks do i still bake it or do i just prep it and put it in the freezer? and when the time has come i bake it and divide into containers. So prep then freeze or prep bake then freeze?
It’s honestly up to you. I have a tutorial on how to prep then freeze here https://gimmedelicious.com/2017/09/17/chicken-and-veggie-freezer-packs/
How long would this stay fresh if frozen
Hi can you eat these meals cold?
Yes, you can but we prefer hot because all the ingredients can be heated.
I’ve made this several times and it’s very good! I bought the same containers online through amazon and I started freezing them. It only takes hours to thaw. The only changes I made were that I added a red bell pepper, and instead of garlic i used 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic. Be sure to add juicy tomatoes because that is what make the sauce so good! THANK YOU!
Any idea the calorie count on 1 meal for this recipe??
Not all of these ingredients need the same cooking time–I started the chicken and onions, plus some large diced yellow bell pepper, then 5 minutes later added the zucchini and broccoli, 5 minutes later, the cherry tomatoes. This was a delicious lunch combo, and since I don’t mind eating cold food, I found perfect right from the fridge in my office lounge. I also like to spray the baking pan with some sort of nonstick spray and although seasoning the ingredients separately gets a little fiddly, it isn’t much extra work and I prefer to have all of the elements cooked perfectly–no rice for me
Thanks Janet — I followed your instructions exactly. I am using just 1/4 cup of rice to minimize carbs… I do need some for running. I also added carrots and mushrooms to the roasted veggies but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It is SO STUNNING and even better was my butcher cubed the chicken breast so it saved so much time!
That looks like a really big roasted chicken. I guess I need to get some chicken and start making my own. I love the picture and cannot wait till I eat this one. Thanks.
If I am freezing about two serving together in a dish what should my instructions be for reheating it in the oven? I’m trying to make freezer meals for a friend who is going through chemo, thanks!
That’s very nice of you, Deanna! Cover with aluminum foil and heat at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. I do suggest re-heating in the microwave though; it’s much easier and faster.
What is your microwave instructions?
Thank you for your great inspiration. Great pictures, great recipes.
I love chicken and vegetables, and this recipe seems to be delicious, I wrote down to do soon, could you tell me where to find the Italian seasoning?
Hi Maria,
If you have a Walmart look for 5 Seasons or Frys (Kroger) Food & Drug look for their brand or in the Spanish/Mexican spice area, it’s usually at reasonable price.
Just in time, I am just looking for a chicken recipe I want to prepare for my kids. Hope they will like it. I’ll give this a twist which good for the kids as they don’t like spicy.
I love to do meal preps for the week over the weekend. Thank you for this idea
Who knew roasted veggies could look so colorful and pretty? Definitely trying this for work lunches.
Can this be frozen?
This recipe is so simple, and so incredibly yummy, not to mention incredibly healthy. I love the meal prepping idea, to cook once and have a delicious lunch for 4 days. No more of those nasty frozen entree’s like Lean Cuisine and others that claim to be good for you. This is much better, just as convenient, and soooo much tastier! Use whatever vegetables you have. I didn’t have any tomatoes or red onion. I used broccoli florets, bell pepper, zucchini and summer squash (or yellow zucchini I like to call it). I wanted to make sure everything got coated evenly with olive oil and spices, so what I did was I took out a huge bowl, cut everything up, tossed it into the bowl, then drizzled olive oil and added the seasonings. Then I just tossed it all together to make sure it was all coated evenly, then transferred to a foil lined baking sheet. YUM!
Hi Layla! Thanks for the recipe. I will try it tonight but I’m a bit concerned on cooking time for different vegetables. If I replace one of the veggies for squash for instance, should I leave that longer in the oven? Sorry, cooking is not my thing!! ????
I would just cook them for 15 minutes and check how they feel most veggies cook around the same time unless it’s potatoes. Enjoy!! 🙂
would it affect the time if I didn’t bake these on a baking sheet with foil? I would like to use one of my glass pans instead. So would I just coat everything with the oil and seasonings and throw into my glass pan? Would it change my bake time? And everything gets baked together?
Made this and my pickiest eater asked for seconds! Has anyone tried to freeze the meals successfully?
What a great idea cooking everything on the same pan! I made this for my lunch for the week and today I tried it for the first time. It was amazing! Thanks for idea. This will definitely be a go-to from now on.
I tried this tonight and it was delicious!! So much flavor with just a few ingredients. I have just started getting into the meal prep craze, so this was a really good recipe to try out. I served it with a mixture of brown rice and red quinoa. The chicken was just a tad dry, so I may cook that on a separate tray and take it out just a few minutes earlier next time. Veggies were cooked perfectly though!
Made this for dinner last night. Easy and Delicious! We will definitely be making this again.
Don’t the tomatoes get soggy when frozen?
I am allergic to tomatoes, is there anything else I can substitute?
You can just leave them out or use red bell peppers instead!
I’ve been using quartered mushrooms mushrooms in place of the tomatoes and it’s delicious!!
Is this calorie count not including the rice? I thought a cup of rice had around 220 calories in it? Looks great though!
The nutritional facts are for the chicken and veggies. 1 cup of cooked brown rice does contain 220 calories so you can use that or any other low-calorie side of choice.
Do the calorie count on this?
Sorry, meant to ask if you had the calorie count on this meal?
No problem Cintia! The nutritional info box is below all my recipes. Sometimes it loads a little slow so you have to give it a minute to fully load. There are 240 calories per serving!
Does that include the rice???
I am definitely doing this for weekday lunches! YUM
this looks amazing, but as a chef I am slightly concern at how you are chilling the food quickly especially the rice which can be dangerous if not chilled quickly. I wash my cooked rice if I am storing it, in cold water then drain.
Just a thought for those who may not know
I’m not understanding your concern, Trish. I’ve never heard of washing cooked rice before. I usually cook fresh hot rice when meal prepping and storing it right away in the meal-prepping containers along with the chicken and veggies. Putting hot food in the fridge right away is the safest. Every minute the food sits cooling is more time for spoilage and contamination to occur. You want the moisture to stay in the food so keep it covered.
http://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/S_T/Safe-cooling-of-cooked-rice.
At catering college i did an advanced food hygiene unit and rice can be very dangerous if not cooled quickly, see above link, in fact at a wedding in Bristol some years ago, several guests died when pre cooked rice had not been cooled quickly, not criticising you in any way just letting you know,maybe just add a rider, remeber to cool rice quickly
best wishes
I’m sure a lot of people are not aware of the health hazards of leaving food out. Thanks so much for the info, Trish! 🙂
thats my pleasure keep your gorgeous recipes coming!
That is improper food handling. You never store hot foods right away into the fridge or freezer without properly cooling it down. Bacteria doesn’t start breeding right away- unless in hot weather (if you left your leftovers in your car during a hot summer day- toss it, it wouldn’t be safe to consume).
I was certified in Safe Food Handling in California and owned my own restaurants for over 13 years. Now I am moving to a new career of studying Nutrition Science- combining my love of food with the sciences in biology, chemistry, human physiology. Chef Trish was absolutely right.
Other than that, your recipe is wonderful for those working and in school as an option to eat healthier throughout the week using minimal ingredients while being really tasty.
Sorry Tina, this is a load of rubbish, and I don’t care where you’re certified, you didn’t understand the why behind what they were explaining apparently. Simply put, the reasons behind the rules for the restaurant industry are vastly different than homes, because nobody at home is trying to refrigerate a 15 gallon vat of hot soup next to their carton of milk…!
The ONLY reason for cooling food down before storing it is to prevent the latent heat energy in the cooked food from affecting (read: WARMING into the optimal bacterial growth ‘danger area’ temporarily) any other food that is already stored in the refrigerator, and also potentially overworking the compressor if we’re talking about 15 gallons of hot soup.
However, this is offset very easily by because if your portions are too large to cool quickly, divide them into smaller portions and then refrigerate…
In other words, the optimal food safety strategy IF YOU HAVE AN EMPTY REFRIGERATOR would be to instantly store the hot food in it.
However, because this often isn’t possible, a maximum 2 hour cooling window for cooked food before storage is usually recommended in situations where you may affect other food by storing it immediately in the refrigerator.
Now something to think about… putting a case of room temperature beer in the refrigerator will have almost the same effect as placing 10 cups of boiling water in there… and who ever even considered worrying about putting beer in?
I could go on forever with links:
https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/mistakes/
http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/housing/info-02-2010/myth_buster_should_you_let_hot_food_cool_before_refrigerating_.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/12/21/hot-food-fridge_n_8854680.html
Thanks John, I was raised to believe that you let it cool before you put in the fridge, then when I got older I would see both recommendations, i.e. put it in the fridge immediately, or wait for it to cool down. I eventually just decided to put stuff in the fridge immediately. Now I understand why both pieces of advice are out there and am (a little) less confused.
Made this tonight, and love the spicy flavor (I opted to include the red pepper flakes). Thanks for the great (and weekday easy) recipe idea!!
How long and what temperature would you suggest for re heating?
We usually re-heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Have to try this in coming week, looks yummy!
How do you freeze without getting freezer burn?
Can the rainbow chicken be reheated?
Yes, it can be reheated in the oven or microwave!