This Mediterranean hen recipe stars tender hen breasts baked with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon, and feta for a wholesome one-pan dinner. Cooked in simply half-hour!
Right here’s a one-pan recipe that’s shiny and daring with no difficult steps or hard-to-find components: my baked Mediterranean hen! After growing Mediterranean weight loss program recipes for years and not too long ago testing lots of for my upcoming Mediterranean weight loss program cookbook, I’ve been hooked on dinner concepts with zingy flavors and minimal dairy.
What makes this Mediterranean hen recipe work is the layers of taste: the cherry tomatoes burst right into a shiny sauce, the Castelvetrano olives add richness, and the capers make salty pops. It’s so scrumptious, each time I make it for dinner it disappears in a flash!
Substances You Want
This recipe is straightforward; the bottom line is within the mixture of contemporary components:
- Boneless, skinless hen breasts: Search for breasts which might be roughly the identical dimension so that they prepare dinner evenly. You’ll pound them to a fair thickness to make sure the meat stays juicy whereas the greens roast.
- Olive oil: Used each for the greens and brushing the hen.
- Spice mix: My customized spices create layers of Mediterranean taste with none contemporary herb prep.
- Cherry tomatoes, shallot, garlic: These type the vegetable base and
- Lemon slices: As they roast, the lemon releases oils and infuses citrusy taste all through.
- Castelvetrano olives and capers: Any such buttery, delicate Sicilian olives are my favourite for cooking: Castelvetranos add richness with out overwhelming all the things else. Capers present bursts of tangy brightness.
- Feta cheese: Only a trace of feta makes a wealthy, salty garnish, nevertheless it’s not required for the flavour.
Professional Ideas for Excellent Mediterranean Rooster
Listed below are just a few tips for making this recipe:
- Pound the hen evenly. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to softly pound every breast till it’s roughly the identical thickness all through. That is key for baked hen as a result of completely different thicknesses prepare dinner at completely different charges.
- Watch the broiler rigorously. These closing 2 to 4 minutes underneath the broiler are when the magic occurs: the hen these good charred spots that aren’t attainable with baked hen. Each broiler is completely different: set a timer and peek via the oven door continuously.
- Let it relaxation. That is one thing I realized from my husband Alex: letting the hen relaxation for five minutes permits the juices to redistribute. It actually does make for moister, extra flavorful meat!
This recipe matches right into a Mediterranean weight loss program meal plan as a result of it’s go contemporary greens, makes use of olive oil as an alternative of butter, and depends on herbs and spices for taste as an alternative of heavy sauces. It’s additionally naturally gluten-free and simply dairy free with out the feta.
Methods to Serve It
The sauce that develops on the backside of the pan is nice for serving alongside, although it’s finest to take the items of hen out of the dish with a slotted spoon. The greens make a kind of pure vegetable aspect, however for a filling meal I normally serve this with:
- White rice or brown rice
- Entire grain farro for a hearty aspect
- Quinoa for a protein-packed, gluten-free choice
- Fluffy couscous which absorbs the juices
- Pearl couscous (Israeli couscous) for a barely chewier texture
- Orzo pasta tossed with a bit of of the pan sauce
- Crusty bread for mopping up each drop of the sauce
- Roasted potatoes – or strive my pan fried potatoes which might prepare dinner on the stovetop
- A giant inexperienced salad dressed with zingy French dressing to maintain issues gentle
For a whole Mediterranean weight loss program meal, begin with straightforward stuffed dates and end with contemporary fruit or one other Mediterranean weight loss program dessert. This hen additionally pairs properly with different Mediterranean weight loss program recipes should you’re meal planning for the week.
Recipe Variations to Strive
Listed below are just a few methods to customise this recipe when you’ve tried the unique model:
- Greek-style: Use contemporary dill as an alternative of parsley for garnish and extra feta cheese.
- Italian: Tear up some contemporary mozzarella and add it over the last 5 minutes of baking. End with contemporary basil.
- Spicy: Add ½ teaspoon pink pepper flakes and add sliced pepperoncini to the vegetable mattress.
- Artichokes: Stir in 1 cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts with the opposite greens.
- Protein swap: This method can work with different proteins. Strive salmon fillets (bake for 12-Quarter-hour) or boneless hen thighs (bake for 25-28 minutes).
Storage and Reheating
Retailer leftovers refrigerated for as much as 4 days. To reheat, use a lined skillet over medium low warmth with a splash of water or broth.
I’ve not examined this particularly, however you could possibly freeze the hen for as much as 3 months: the vegetable texture would turn into softer after freezing.
Leftover hen could be nice on a sandwich the subsequent day on ciabatta with some arugula (and perhaps garlic aioli?). It’s additionally nice chopped and tossed right into a grain bowl with farro.
Dietary Notes
This Mediterranean hen recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free with out the non-compulsory feta cheese.
Baked Mediterranean Rooster
This Mediterranean hen recipe stars tender hen breasts baked with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon, and feta for a wholesome one-pan dinner. Cooked in simply half-hour!
- Prep Time: Quarter-hour
- Cook dinner Time: 20 minutes
- Whole Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Class: Predominant Dish
- Methodology: Baked
- Delicacies: Mediterranean
- Weight loss program: Gluten Free
Substances
- 4 boneless, skinless hen breasts (about 8 ounces every)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- Freshly floor black pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 giant shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small lemon, thinly sliced into rings (seeds eliminated)
- ¼ cup ripe inexperienced olives (like Castelvetrano)
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 1 teaspoon every garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and dried tarragon
- Freshly floor black pepper
- 1 oz feta crumbles, non-compulsory
- Contemporary chopped parsley or basil, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Transfer an oven rack to the higher third of the oven to assist with the ultimate broil.
- Pat the hen breasts dry with paper towels. Utilizing a kitchen mallet or rolling pin, flippantly pound the thick finish of every hen breast till they’re roughly the identical thickness all the way in which throughout, about ¾-inch thick. This ensures they prepare dinner evenly alongside the greens.
- In a 9 x 13″ baking dish or giant rimmed baking sheet, stir collectively the halved tomatoes, sliced shallot, minced garlic, lemon slices, olives, capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, oregano, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and contemporary floor black pepper. Brush the pounded hen breasts with 1 tablespoons olive oil, then rub the spice combination generously over each side of the hen.
- Nestle the seasoned hen breasts on prime of or snugly between the greens and feta within the baking dish. Bake for 18 minutes.
- Flip the oven to Broil on excessive. Broil the pan for two to 4 minutes, conserving a detailed eye on it. The hen ought to develop golden brown edges, however watch out to not burn the garlic. The hen is completed when the interior temperature reaches 165°F.
- Take away from the oven and let the hen relaxation within the pan for five minutes to permit the juices to redistribute. Garnish with contemporary parsley or basil and feta crumbles if desired. Add hen to a plate and use a slotted spoon to take away some veggies to serve alongside.