Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini

5 from 8 votes

Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini serves up crispy Parmesan chicken tenders and perfectly seasoned zucchini—all on one pan! Comes with an easy, tasty three-ingredient dipping sauce!

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Healthy

Keyword: Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $12.43

Equipment

Cooling rack see note 1
Large sheet pan (15" x 21") 15 x 21-inch

Ingredients

Spices

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

Chicken and Zucchini

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

Chicken Breading

1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese divided, see note 3
Cooking spray

Sauce—see note 4

1/2 cup prepared coleslaw dressing
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
3 tablespoons honey BBQ sauce I like Sweet Baby Ray’s

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Take out both a large (15x21-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.

Video

Notes

Note 1: If you don’t have a cooling rack, just put the chicken on the sheet pan separate from the zucchini.

Note 2: If using chicken breasts, remove excess fat, pound them to even thickness, and slice them to the size of tenders (about 1 and 1/4-inch strips).

Note 3: Use a block of Parmesan cheese and grate on the small holes of the grater. Measure loosely. I don’t recommend jarred/canned Parmesan cheese—the flavor will be overpowering and too salty.

Note 4: Dipping Sauce: If you don’t have fresh coleslaw dressing, here is a recipe that will yield very similar results: Whisk the following in a bowl until smooth:

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

Storage: This dish is best enjoyed immediately after being made. I recommend making only enough for one meal or what will be enjoyed the same day.

Nutrition