Lemon-Herb Chicken with Broccoli & Quinoa
A balanced one-plate dinner of juicy lemon-herb chicken, roasted broccoli, and fluffy quinoa. Controlled carbohydrate and high protein for steady blood sugar.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Chicken and broccoli roasted together on one sheet pan and spooned over quinoa that cooks while the oven does the rest. Four servings, twenty-five minutes of cooking, and one pan to wash afterward. It also reheats better than most roast chicken dinners, because the lemon and oil the chicken was tossed in stay with it in the container, and quinoa does not turn to paste the way rice can. If I were cooking one thing to carry a week of lunches, this is the plate.
Rinse the quinoa before you cook it. The seeds carry a natural coating called saponin, which is soapy and bitter and is there to keep birds and insects off the plant, and thirty seconds in a fine sieve under cold running water is the entire fix. Most boxed quinoa is sold pre-rinsed and most of it still benefits from another pass. It is the usual reason a pot of quinoa tastes faintly of dish soap, and the grain generally gets blamed for it.
Quinoa is one of the few grains carrying a complete protein of its own, so the plate is well covered before the chicken is even counted. The broccoli is doing more than filling space as well: the florets catch the lemon and oil at the edges and go brown and slightly crisp there, which is the part people go back for. Between the three of them a bowl of this holds through an afternoon without anything else alongside it. Our Baked Chicken With Butternut Squash is the squash version of this dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 lb broccoli florets
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (about 3 cups cooked)
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa, then leave it alone: Put the cup of quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse it under cold water for thirty seconds, moving it around with your fingers until the water runs clear instead of cloudy. Bring it to a boil with two cups of water, turn it down to the lowest simmer, cover it, and leave it for fifteen minutes without lifting the lid. Take it off the heat and let it stand covered for another five, then fluff it with a fork. That rest is the difference between separate grains and a wet clump.
- Toss the chicken and let it sit while the oven heats: Toss the chicken with two tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice, the garlic, the oregano, salt, and pepper, and leave it on the counter while the oven comes up. Fifteen or twenty minutes is plenty: the salt seasons the surface and the oil carries the garlic and oregano onto every side of every piece. If the breasts are much thicker at one end, flatten that end to match the rest, or it will be dry by the time the middle is cooked.
- Give the chicken a head start on the broccoli: Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Spread the chicken over one half of a sheet pan and roast it alone for eight minutes, then toss the broccoli with the last tablespoon of oil, add it to the other half, and roast for another ten to fourteen. Broccoli that goes in at the same time as the chicken is soft and drab by the time the meat is ready. Keep both in a single layer with space around them, because a crowded pan steams rather than roasts.
- Check the chicken with a thermometer, not the clock: Push an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the largest piece. Chicken is done at 165°F and not before, and a breast that gets to 175°F is dry no matter what happens afterward. Ovens run differently and chicken breasts vary by half an inch in thickness, so eighteen to twenty-two minutes is a range rather than an instruction. If one piece is ready before the others, lift that one off the pan and give the rest another few minutes.
- Rest the chicken, then build the plate from the bottom up: Let the chicken rest five minutes on a board before it meets a knife, so the juices settle back into the meat rather than running out onto the board, then slice it across the grain. Divide the quinoa among four plates or containers, spoon the broccoli alongside, and lay the sliced chicken over the top along with anything that collected on the board. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, which lifts the whole plate after twenty minutes of dry heat.
Variations
- Lower carb: swap the grain for cauliflower rice or extra vegetables to lighten the carbohydrate load.
- Add more vegetables: asparagus or green beans can take the broccoli's place or join it. Both want the same short time in the pan.
- Make it spicy: add a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the marinade so the heat goes on with the lemon and garlic rather than being sprinkled on at the table.
- Change the herbs: fresh thyme and rosemary in place of the dried oregano push this toward a roast chicken flavor, and a spoonful of chopped dill stirred into the quinoa takes it Greek.
- Make it a grain bowl: stir kalamata olives, cucumber and crumbled feta into the quinoa, then pile the chicken and broccoli on top and dress the whole thing with the pan juices. The olives and feta both add sodium, so skip any extra salt.
Storage & Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for three to four days, and if these are going to be lunches, portion them the night you cook rather than reheating one large container over and over. Pack the quinoa on the bottom with the chicken and broccoli over it, so the grain takes up the juices and the broccoli is not sitting in the middle of a hot container steaming itself soft.
Reheat it in a 375°F (190°C) oven for about ten minutes, or in a skillet with a lid and a spoonful of water for three or four. Both leave the broccoli roughly where it was rather than taking it past tender-crisp. A microwave is fine for a single lunch as long as you stop when it is warm rather than hot, since chicken breast tightens the second time it goes through a full heating.
Cooked quinoa freezes well on its own for up to two months, which is a good argument for making a double batch of it; spread it thin in a bag so you can break off what you need. Roasted broccoli does not freeze at all well and roasted chicken breast comes back dry, so freeze the grain and cook the other two fresh. With the quinoa already made, that part is a fifteen minute job.
Notes & Tips
- Let the chicken rest: give cooked chicken a few minutes to rest before slicing so it stays juicy.
- Rinse the quinoa: give quinoa a quick rinse before cooking to wash off its natural coating and any bitterness.
- Marinate while the quinoa cooks: fifteen minutes in the lemon and garlic is plenty, and it fits neatly into the time the grain is on the stove.
- Give them room on the pan: crowded chicken and broccoli steam instead of roasting, so use two sheet pans if yours is small.
- Cut the broccoli evenly: florets about the same size finish together, and any small loose pieces will char before the rest is tender.
- Flexible swap: no garlic? You can leave it out, or use a pinch of garlic-free all-purpose seasoning.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- Chicken, quinoa and broccoli make a full plate between them. The chicken carries the protein, the quinoa gives the meal its warm grainy base and its fiber, and the broccoli keeps everything green and fresh tasting.
- Quinoa cooks up into small separate grains with a slight pop to them, and it comes with fiber, magnesium and a complete set of amino acids of its own.
- Chicken breast is fine textured and mild, which is why the lemon and garlic soak into it so well, and its protein is what makes this plate hold you for a long stretch.
- Broccoli roasted rather than boiled comes out with nutty browned florets and stems that still have bite, and more of its vitamin C stays in the vegetable that way.
- Lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and black pepper season everything here, and the lemon is what keeps the plate lively, brightening the chicken and cutting across the quinoa in every forkful.
- As you eat, catch the lemon coming up off the warm chicken and the toasted edges on the broccoli, and go slowly enough to feel the moment when the plate has done its job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is quinoa okay for diabetes?
Yes, in a controlled portion. Quinoa is a lower-glycemic whole grain with fiber and protein, which slows its effect on blood sugar. The key is portion size.
Can I make this dairy-free or grain-free?
It's already dairy-free. For grain-free, swap the quinoa for cauliflower rice or extra roasted vegetables.
How do I keep the chicken from drying out?
Roast just to 165°F and let it rest before slicing. Breasts of even thickness cook more evenly. Pound thicker ends if needed.
How long does it keep?
Three to four days. Reheat it in a 375°F (190°C) oven for ten minutes, or in a covered skillet with a spoonful of water, both of which leave the broccoli about where it was. A microwave is fine for one portion if you stop while it is warm rather than hot.