Mediterranean Chicken Tray Bake

Loaded with Mediterranean flavors from tomatoes, olives, and capers, this easy 30-minute tray bake means quick KP too! A dinner winner!

Sometimes when I taste a new recipe I stop midbite. Then say: Wow!

This is one of those recipes.

erbed chicken, tomatoes, olive, and capers poured over crisp lettuce and cucumbers

Bigger, Better, Best. One-pan Mediterranean Chicken Tray Bake

A tray bake is a one-sheet meal. A baking sheet or oven-proof skillet works. I like All-Clad skillets and used a 12-inch one for this recipe. If you use a baking sheet, choose one with at least 1-inch sides to keep the pan juices corraled.

My plan was to make a quick Greek Chicken Salad. But decided to go bigger. Rather than raw tomatoes, I turned on the oven and roasted them with olives and capers.

Then I went better. I set herb-rubbed chicken over the tomatoes. To reduce the cooking time, I pounded the chicken. And it worked, I had dinner on the table in about half an hour.

Then I went best. Just before serving, I piled all those cooked foods on to fresh lettuce and sliced cucumbers then sprinkled it all with feta cheese and a squirt of fresh lemon juice.

That’s when I pronounced this as ideal cooking because it was easy, but looked like more, and it was full of flavors.

The next time I made it was for company. They gave it thumbs up. One said it was light and refreshing. One of the men did a replay of my reaction. He stopped the conversation and said, ” This is really delicious! What is it?”

He said: “I never would have put these ingredients together, but this is so good! I love the warm chicken and tomatoes with the fresh lettuce and cucumber. Cool! Usually a salad doesn’t fill me, but this one does. How did you make this?”

30-minute Mediterranean TrayBake: Greek Chicken Salad recipe

In a heavy pan, I added tomatoes, olives, capers and herbs. Baked that. I pounded the chicken breast with a meat mallet into a 1/2-inch thickness. This drives the herbs in, tenderizes the meat and is the reason this dish is on the table in 30 minutes. Then I baked a little longer.

cook tomatoes and olives
pounded chicken breast
pound chicken to even thickness

A 30-minute Greek Baked Chicken Breast Salad 

The Ingredients

  • Chicken breast: lean protein that’s quick cooking.
  • Cherry or grape tomatoes: are packed with potassium, vitamin C, and lycopene. Lycopene, a plant compound that helps protect cells, is better absorbed from cooked tomatoes. Oil helps with absorption and olive oil has an edge over other oils.
  • Kalamata olives: a healthy fat and a flavor boost. You can substitute another black olive if you’d like.
  • Herbs and spices: dried oregano and basil, capers, vinegar, and feta cheese are traditional Mediterranean flavors. Herbs and spices add flavor while keeping sodium levels down.
  • Lettuce and cucumber: add crunchy vegetable freshness.
Greek Chicken sheet pan dinner with roasted tomatoes and olives

Let me know what you think of the recipe. Here’s another one-pan recipe Peanut Asian Rice Bowl.

MORE Mediterranean diet recipes

P.S. If you like this post, you might enjoy my LiveBest newsletter. Receive each new post delivered to your Inbox. Sign up right here. Pinky promise I won’t overwhelm you with endless STUFF!

P.S.S. If you want to jumpstart healthier eating, I created a free, 5-day challenge you can join by clicking this link. You’ll get tips and tools, resources and recipes to create your own roadmap to meet your fiber goals. Don’t ya? Won’t ya? Seriously, it’s only 5 days 😉 Find it right here.

Pin it for later OR rate it below, please.

plate with lettuce, cucumber, spiced chicken, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click through and make a purchase, the seller pays me a commission. It does not increase the price you pay. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Print

Mediterranean Chicken Traybake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

Loaded with flavor, this easy to make 30-minute one-pan meal, means quick KP too! A dinner winner!

  • Author: Judy Barbe, registered dietitian
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: Greek, American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil, divided
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 2 tablespoons red or white vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced
  • 3 tablespoons Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1/2 fresh lemon

Instructions

  1. Chicken: Heat over to 450° F. In a zip-top bag, combine chicken, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano. Seal bag. Massage it to coat the chicken with herbs. 
  2. Cook: On baking sheet or in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, combine tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place in oven. Cook for 15 minutes.
  3. Then: While tomatoes are cooking, pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet until they are 1/2-inch thick. Or cut the chicken in half horizontally to make a thin cutlet. After first 15 minutes, lay chicken breasts over tomato/olive mixture. Return pan to oven and cook 15 minutes more.
  4. Salad: Layer Romaine and cucumber on dinner plates. Top with chicken, tomato/olive mixture, pan juices. Sprinkle feta and squeeze lemon juice over top.

Notes

Sub in your favorite lettuce, such as spinach or kale.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2
  • Calories: 300
dinner plate with lettuce and cucumber, oven baked chicken breast topped with cooked tomatoes and olives.

Comments

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star