Sheet Pan Peanut Chicken and Broccoli
Who likes the simplicity of a one-pan meal? I certainly do on a busy weeknight. Fewer dishes and more time to relax before gathering around the table. This new recipe for our Sheet Pan Peanut Chicken and Broccoli could not be easier, or delicious.
Ingredients for Sheet Pan Peanut Chicken and Broccoli
There’s a couple of helpful tips for gathering your ingredients for this recipe.
First, the chicken. I find chicken thighs retain the most moisture and are my first choice. I opt for organic if I can’t find any local, pasture-raised poultry. However, if you want to save time, you can purchase cutlets to reduce your prepping time. (You can toss them in without slicing them into smaller pieces.)
Second, we use the cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe’s that’s Gluten-Free. This version is made with about 75% cauliflower, as well as cassava flour, potato starch, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt. No wheat, sugar, dairy, or eggs are included here, and that translates to fewer carbs, with significantly less fat & calories than potato-based varieties. (Whole Foods has a good option too, but more expensive and tastes the same.)
Trader Joe’s also has sweet potato gnocchi, but it’s NOT gluten-free. They also have Kale Gnocchi, which is gluten-free, but I didn’t want too much green in this recipe in case it turned off the kids from trying something new.
If you want to make this vegetarian, I would suggest trying this with tempeh. Cut in half lengthwise, then short wise into rectangles.
Thai Green Curry Paste Uses
The one unique ingredient I purchased for this recipe is a Thai Green Curry paste from Thai Kitchen. You can use red curry paste, though it will have a bit more of a kick. Most grocery stores will have these in the Asian food section.
Don’t let these awesome flavor pastes go to waste. Use a little bit to jazz up some storebought hummus. Thin it out with a little olive oil and use it as a salad dressing. I’m a huge fan of making rice bowls for lunch. I’ll sauté leftover chicken, rice, and roasted veggies on the stove and toss in a teaspoon or so of the curry paste to bump up the flavor.
Both of these curry pastes make an awesome marinade for chicken, fish, or pork. Even better, toss some chicken with the curry paste and olive oil and toss in the freezer for a simple freezer meal down the road.
Simple One-Pan Peanut Chicken and Broccoli
My version of this recipe came about after I read Nadia Hussain’s Time to Eat: Delicious Meals for Busy Lives. There are loads of time-saving tips in her cookbook. Freezer meal ideas, simple sheet pan suppers, and lots and lots of ideas of how to repurpose leftovers.
Nadia’s version includes making peanut butter from scratch. While that sounds lovely, I’m taking a shortcut and buying the peanut butter.
I’m also using frozen gnocchi and skip the step of boiling them separately. I find roasting them is one of my favorite ways to cook gluten-free gnocchi.
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken thighs thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup avocado oil sub olive oil
- 1/4 cup Thai Green Curry Paste
- 1/4 cup peanut butter smooth, sub almond butter
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 12 oz cauliflower gnocchi (gluten-free)
- 2 heads broccoli florets only
- 2 red onion sub yellow onion
- 4 tbsp peanuts dry-roasted, salted, chopped
- 4 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 1 lime juiced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Lightly spray a roasting dish with olive oil. (13" x 9" size)
- Add sliced chicken to a large bowl. Add in the honey, curry paste, peanut butter, and salt. Mix well so the chicken is evenly coated.
- Layer the broccoli, gnocchi, and red onions in the roasting pan. Add the chicken and mix to distribute evenly.
- Cook 30 minutes. Stir halfway through to distribute the sauce.
- Top with chopped peanut, cilantro, and the juice of one lime.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
RELATED: SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CURRY STEW
I love that I can pop this in the oven and then sit and read for 30 minutes, or get a head start on the dishes.
Sheet pan suppers are such a great way to serve a family. If your kids don’t “like things touching,” I found this recipe still worked well to separate the ingredients at the end. One child had this on a plate with the chicken and broccoli separated out, with a couple of gnocchi to try (again.) After a few comments, he dug in and enjoyed this recipe.
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Thanks in advance for sharing my Sheet Pan Peanut Chicken and Broccoli Recipe.
