Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini pairs crispy Parmesan chicken tenders with seasoned zucchini, all cooked on one pan. Don’t skip the easy 3-ingredient dipping sauce!
author’s note
Crispy Chicken + BBQ Mustard = Game Over!
I love a good sheet pan meal, and I’ve made plenty over the years. This one came together when my garden zucchini was going wild, and I needed something quick to use it up. I threw a few things together, and it ended up being one of those meals I couldn’t stop thinking about.
The chicken is super crispy, the zucchini has this cheesy, crunchy coating, and the dipping sauce brings it all home. It’s a sweet honey BBQ mustard situation that somehow works with both, and it’s only three ingredients.
Ingredients
Full recipe is below but here are a few ingredients to talk about.
| Ingredient | Tip or Swap |
|---|---|
| Chicken tenderloins | Swap with chicken breasts sliced into strips (about 1¼-inch thick). |
| Parmesan cheese | Use freshly grated from a block for better flavor and texture. Avoid canned. |
| Panko breadcrumbs | Use gluten-free panko if needed. Toast them first for extra crispiness. |
| Zucchini | Use similarly sized pieces to ensure even roasting. Don’t overcrowd or it steams. |
| Coleslaw dressing | No coleslaw dressing? Use his homemade version. |
How To Make Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini
- Mix the seasoning blend and set aside 1 tablespoon for the zucchini.
- Prep chicken: Coat in batter and breading, then place on a greased cooling rack.
- Cut zucchini into wedges, toss with olive oil and reserved seasoning, and add to the sheet pan.
- Arrange everything: Position the cooling rack with chicken on the pan, spacing zucchini evenly around it.
- Bake 10 minutes, flip the chicken and toss zucchini, then bake 7–10 more minutes.
- Adjust if needed: If chicken is done but zucchini isn’t, remove the rack and roast zucchini a few extra minutes.
Quick Tip
Since cooking time can vary due to several factors, I always recommend using a digital meat thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken and remove any guesswork on your end. Once chicken registers 165 degrees F it is safe to consume.
How To Get Crispy Baked Chicken
Getting crispy chicken tenders without a deep fryer can be tricky, but these tips make all the difference:
- Use panko breadcrumbs for a lighter and crunchier coating than regular breadcrumbs.
- Add Parmesan to the breading because it crisps up nicely in the oven.
- Spray the chicken with cooking spray to help the coating crisp and prevent sticking.
- Bake on a wire rack placed over a sheet pan so heat circulates evenly and crisps all sides.
Quick Tip
If you prefer a homemade sauce, I include a similar sauce recipe in the notes section of this Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini recipe. It has five ingredients instead of three, but is still simple to make and very tasty!
Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini Recipe Tools
Here are the products I recommend for this recipe:
- Cooking spray. Spray the breaded chicken to get crisp, even browning.
- 15×21-inch sheet pan. This size fits both the chicken and zucchini on one pan with a cooling rack. If you don’t have one, use two smaller pans.
- Metal Spatula. A metal spatula makes flipping the chicken and tossing veggies quick and easy.
- Cooling racks. Bake the chicken on an oven-safe cooling rack that fits your pan.
Storage
Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini Storage
This recipe is best enjoyed fresh, as the tenders lose their crispiness when stored. I recommend making only what you’ll eat that day.
If prepping ahead, wait to coat the chicken in the panko-Parmesan mixture until just before baking. Otherwise, the breading gets soft and won’t bake up as crispy.
More One-Pan Dinner Recipes:
Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini
Video
Equipment
- Cooling rack see note 1
- Large sheet pan (15" x 21") 15 x 21-inch
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins see note 2
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 2 to 3 small-to-medium zucchini about 13 ounces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese divided, see note 3
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup prepared coleslaw dressing
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoons honey BBQ sauce I like Sweet Baby Ray’s
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Take out both a large (15×21-inch) sheet pan and an oven-safe wire cooling rack (see note 1). Generously spray the cooling rack with cooking spray and set aside. Toss together all the spices. Remove 1 tablespoon of spices and set aside. Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towel and trim any fat and remove tendons. Add 1 cup (70g) Parmesan and panko to a shallow bowl. Toss to combine and set aside.
- In another bowl, add mayo, flour, egg, mustard, and remaining spices to a large, shallow bowl. Whisk to combine. Using tongs, add a chicken tender to the batter. Generously dredge and evenly coat all sides. Repeat to dredge all the tenders in the batter. Tenders should be well-coated and use up the batter.
- Next, dredge each tender in the Parmesan and panko mixture. Again, coat tenders generously. (You should use most of the breading.) Place breaded chicken tenders on top of the sprayed cooling rack. Press any leftover breading on top of chicken tenders and generously spray the tenders with cooking spray on 1 side.
- Cut zucchini into 3-inch coins. Cut each coin in half, then in wedges to get 4–6 wedges (depending on how wide the zucchini is). Place zucchini wedges on the sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and 1 tablespoon spice. Toss with your hands to generously coat and move zucchini to make room for the cooling rack with the chicken. Once the cooling rack is on the tray, position zucchini evenly around the cooling rack, making sure zucchini has plenty of room to roast. (If zucchini is overlapping, it will steam and take longer to cook.)
- Place sheet pan in the center of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and carefully flip the tenders. Generously spray with cooking spray and bake another 5–10 minutes or until chicken registers 160°F on a food thermometer (carryover heat will bring it to 165°F). Make sure zucchini is crisp-tender as well. Remove from oven and taste. Add a light sprinkle of salt on top of the tenders if needed to make the flavors come alive.
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.
- Remove the cooling rack with chicken on top and add remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan to the zucchini. Toss the zucchini with the Parmesan and any panko breading that fell on the tray. Serve zucchini with chicken and dipping sauce.
Recipe Notes
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Best Foods/Hellman’s Regular Mayo
- 1-1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1-1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon honey BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray’s)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A very tasty and easy to make recipe! I had every ingredient in the kitchen except for the cole slaw dressing which I was able to make from scratch. I added some sliced up crookneck squash to the zucchini. Can’t wait to try another of your recipes!
MMM that sounds awesome!! I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
This was DELICIOUS! I had to use the broiler for a few extra minutes at the end to crisp up the outside of the chicken. I also seasoned the chicken a little with salt & pepper before I coated it. Everyone loved it- Will be making this again for sure! The dipping sauce was AMAZING. Thanks for sharing!!
Excellent recipe! Chicken came out yummy & crispy & the zucchini was perfectly cooked and not mushy. I almost didn’t make the sauce as it sounded odd, but so glad I did, it was excellent! I doubled the recipe as I’m feeding 2 adults & 2 teenagers and am so glad I did as both my teens loved it as well and came back for seconds. Great time of year to make this as our garden is overflowing with zucchini:)
Ahh i’m so happy to hear this Julie! I couldn’t agree more, we’ve been making this a ton lately as our zucchini’s are out of control! Haha! Thanks! 🙂
I am very excited to make this recipe tonight I was innitally planning on making the garlic parm such and chicken tenderloins in a seperate dishes but once I seen this all in one pan and read the recipe I was stoked to try it out!!
Yay i’m so excited for you to try this! Enjoy!! 🙂
I made this last night and it was delicious, left overs went to my husband for lunch the next day! Would defiantly recommend this recipe!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this! Thanks for the comment 🙂
This was one of the best, tastiest dishes I’ve made! I served mine over pasta and sauce. Thanks!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed this so much Nicole! 🙂 Thank you so much for the comment!
A miracle happened at dinner tonight, everyone loved it! This was a huge hit with both my kids and my picky husband. They asked where I got the receipe and after a said a blog my 9 year old son said get more receives from that blog! ? Thanks for yummy new dinner in our rotation.
YAY!! 🙂 That is the BEST to hear that! I’m so thrilled it was a hit with everyone 🙂
Love love love one pan dinners, especially when they look as delicious as this one!
I love this recipe idea with the Italian seasoning. Great finger foods to promote self feeding for the little ones too.
Absolutely! 🙂
This looks so delicious! My only question is, what is coleslaw dressing? Thanks!
Thank you Layne! It’s essentially a pre-made dressing. Here’s a link so you can see an image of my favorite coleslaw dressing: http://www.maries.com/product-detail.aspx?productID=11
They are generally found in the produce section with other refrigerated dressings and dips.
Thank you! I made this tonight and it was a hit. My husband is usually weary of squash of any variety but he ate most of it himself! Also, big fans on the chick fil a sauce.
You are so welcome! 🙂 That is fantastic to hear! SO glad this dish was well enjoyed. Thanks for coming back and sharing Layne! 🙂