Southwest sheet pan chicken and veggies is a flavorful, easy, hands-off dinner the whole family will enjoy. Add your favorite toppings, serve with rice or tortillas, and dig in!
I’m sort-of a sheet pan dinner fanatic.
They’re just so stinking easy to throw together, and I love that it’s a hands-off meal once I’ve got it prepped.
Givex me a few minutes to make a drink, read a magazine, check email or just breathe.
(My kids' daily iPad or screen time is usually when I’m making dinner, so it’s often guaranteed quiet time. So lovely!)
I’ve shared quite a few here before, particularly chicken-based recipes.
Sheet pan chicken dinners:
- Sheet pan Mediterranean chicken and veggies
- Sheet pan chicken and broccoli with bell peppers
- Sheet pan harvest chicken and vegetables
(Update to add, I just recently shared sheet pan honey mustard chicken with potatoes and broccoli, which is a great family-friendly dinner! And sheet pan Indian chicken and veggies has tons of warm, flavorful spices.)
Today though it’s this southwest sheet pan chicken and veggies, which is SO flavorful and just as easy to make as you’d expect.
We’ve got tender strips of chicken breasts, bell pepper, zucchini, red onion and a little corn tossed in at the end.
Everything is coated in a delicious southwest seasoning mix for maximum flavor.
Plus, there’s tons of fun toppings you can add and different ways to serve this. It’s a perfect one to customize to your family’s tastes so that everyone comes to the dinner table with a smile.
That’s pretty priceless, am I right?
So let’s get cooking!
Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up on how to make southwest sheet pan chicken. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on southwest sheet pan chicken and veggies:
- The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts and these are cut into 1-inch wide pieces. (They cook fast, help stretch the chicken to more people and make it easier to eat.)
- Or you could use chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you may need to adjust the time slightly to ensure the chicken is cooked through but not overcooked.
- Two sheet pans is key. One sheet pan is for the chicken, which can release juices. You want the vegetables on a separate sheet pan so they roast and don’t get soggy from sitting in that liquid from the chicken.
- You’ll add the corn to the veggie sheet pan for the last few minutes of cook time, to help it warm through and get a little color. It’s fine to use fresh, frozen or canned corn here, whatever you have.
Also, while I almost always have some of this homemade southwest seasoning on hand (it’s a version of an Emeril Lagasse seasoning) to use for this, you can substitute a store-bought seasoning mix if you prefer.
Whatever is easy.
OK, let’s talk toppings. Because the toppings really take this dinner over the top and make it so much fun for the whole family!
Topping ideas for southwest chicken sheet pan dinner:
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Shredded cheese (such as cheddar or Monterey Jack)
- Sliced or diced avocado or some guacamole
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Pickled red onions
- Pickled jalapeños
- Hot sauce
Pick any or all of those that you love. (And any others you can think of!)
Ready to eat? Let’s get to it.
You can serve this sheet pan dinner lots of ways. Gotta love options.
Serving ideas for sheet pan chicken and veggies:
- Serve the chicken strips and veggies over steamed brown or white rice for a rice bowl. Or sub cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
- Serve it with another grain such as quinoa or farro.
- Pile the chicken and veggies into a whole grain tortilla for a wrap or burrito.
- You can also chop the chicken and vegetables a little smaller after they are cooked and serve this with some tortilla chips for scooping.
Also, the leftovers of this store great!
You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave, but I prefer to broil at least the vegetables in the oven (low broil for about 5 minutes will work) to get them warmed and a bit of the oven char flavor without becoming mushy.
Makes for a great lunch wrap.
This would also work well as a meal-prep chicken dinner or lunch. You can cook everything, portion it out into separate containers (with rice, if you want to serve it that way) and store it in the fridge for a healthy meal later in the week.
Just don’t forget to add some fun toppings when you go to reheat and eat it.
I hope you give this a try to make dinnertime a little easier one night.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. Browse these healthy one-pot chicken dinners for more easy dinner inspiration!
Southwest sheet pan chicken and veggies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch wide strips
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then cut into ½-inch thick half moons
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons southwest seasoning mix, divided (see notes)
- ⅔ cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
Optional toppings:
- Lime juice, shredded cheese, avocado or guacamole, salsa or pico de Gallo, fresh cilantro, Greek yogurt or sour cream, pickled red onions, pickled jalapeños, hot sauce, etc.
For serving:
- Steamed rice or cauliflower rice, tortillas, tortilla chips, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Place the chicken strips on one sheet pan and toss with a tablespoon each of olive oil and southwest seasoning. Spread out into an even layer.
- On a second sheet pan, add the pepper, zucchini and red onion. Toss with the remaining tablespoon each of olive oil and southwest seasoning.
- Roast both sheet pans at 425 for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the corn to the sheet pan of vegetables for the last 5 minutes of cook time to get the corn warmed through and lightly charred.
- Serve immediately with any desired toppings.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
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