My Favorite Sheet Pan Dinners
Abs Are Made in the Kitchen
I say it all the time, you can exercise for hours a day but if how you’re eating isn’t in line with how you’re exercising you won’t see or feel the results you’re looking for. I’m not suggesting any kind of diet but rather, cooking yourself delicious and nutritious meals. My go to most nights is a sheet pan meal because it only takes one pan and is quick and easy. Keep reading for some of my favorites and tweaks I made to make them just that much better for you!
METHOD
Heat the oven to 450 degrees with a rack in the center.
Pat the chicken dry and trim excess fat and skin. Sprinkle all over with 2 teaspoons salt, and season with pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the red-pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, ginger and oil. On a sheet pan, rub the chicken and pears all over with the mixture. Arrange chicken skin-side up and pears skin-side down. Cook until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees at the thickest part) and the pears are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add the sunflower seeds to the pan. If there’s a lot of fat when finished cooking, tilt the pan and spoon it off until there’s a light coating on the surface of the pan.
Scatter the arugula on top, and squeeze the juice of ½ lemon over the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with herbs, if using. Cut the remaining lemon half in quarters and serve.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 servings
6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (2½ to 3 pounds)
Kosher salt and black pepper
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger from a 2-inch piece
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 firm, semi-ripe Bartlett or Bosc pears, cored and quartered lengthwise
2 tablespoons raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
2 packed cups baby arugula
1 lemon, halved
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped (optional)
Sheet Pan Fish Tikka with Spinach
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 servings
1½ pounds firm, white-fleshed fish (such as cod, basa or halibut, cut into chunks - you can ask your fish monger to do this to save time!)
¼ cup olive oil or any neutral oil
2 tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon Kashmiri or other red chile powder
1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Fine sea salt
1 pound baby spinach (about 14 packed cups)
Rice or roti, for serving - I recommend cutting your rice with cauliflower rice.
METHOD
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pat the fish dry and set aside.
Combine the oil, yogurt, garam masala, chile powder, ginger, garlic, coriander, turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and stir until the marinade is smooth. Add the fish and coat evenly.
Arrange the spinach in an even layer on a large sheet pan. Place the fish on the spinach, dispersing it evenly. Bake on the top rack for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish starts to turn golden.
Set the oven to broil and broil on high just until the fish turns golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt. Serve with rice or roti, if desired.
METHOD
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Place zucchini on a rimmed sheet pan, and season with a little more salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine garlic, mint or oregano, coriander (if using) and red-pepper flakes. Whisk in oil. Add chicken to the pan with the zucchini pieces and pour garlic mixture over all, tossing until well coated. Spread chicken and zucchini in a single layer, and roast until chicken is cooked through and zucchini is browned and caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes. You don’t need to turn anything.
Once the pan is out of the oven, squeeze a lemon wedge over everything. Garnish with basil and serve with more lemon wedges and red-pepper flakes on the side.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
1¾ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1¼ pounds zucchini, sliced into 1-inch chunks (about 5 cups)
2 fat garlic cloves, finely grated, passed through a press or minced
2 teaspoons dried mint or oregano
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, cracked with a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef’s knife (optional)
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Lemon wedges, for serving
½ cup torn fresh basil leaves, for serving
METHOD
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line one sheet pan with parchment paper and a second sheet pan with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Place drained chickpeas on the towel-lined sheet pan and gently rub them dry. Place the pan on the back of the stove and let the chickpeas dry as you prepare the other ingredients.
Place the squash on the parchment paper-lined pan and toss with 1 teaspoon baharat, ½ teaspoon salt, thyme sprigs, red-pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons oil. Spread squash into an even layer and roast for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes of roasting, in a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, red onion, remaining ¾ teaspoon baharat, ¾ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil, and toss until well combined. Add the mixture to the pan of squash and stir everything well. Continue roasting for another 30 minutes, tossing the mixture halfway through, until the squash is golden brown and tender, and the chickpeas and onions are slightly crispy.
Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle vinegar and herbs on top and toss. Drizzle with hot honey and toss again to combine. Taste and season with more salt, more hot honey and vinegar to taste.
Serve with dollops of yogurt, jasmine rice, and mango for a complete and delicious dinner.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 servings
2 (14.5-ounce) cans chickpeas (preferably not “no salt added”), drained and rinsed
2½ pounds honey nut or butternut squash, peeled, trimmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1¾ teaspoons baharat, garam masala or another spice blend
1¼ teaspoons fine salt, plus more as needed
5 thyme sprigs
⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar, plus more as needed
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves or dill sprigs, or a combination
1 to 2tablespoons hot honey, plus more to taste
Plain whole-milk yogurt or sour cream, for serving - I used Cocojune Coconut Yogurt and it’s perfect.
METHOD
Heat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack set in the lower third. On a sheet pan, combine the broccolini, tomatoes, onion, chickpeas and lemon slices with the olive oil and toss. Add cumin and red-pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, and toss again until evenly coated. Nestle the feta slices into the vegetables. (It’s OK if they break apart a little.)
Roast 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through but leaving the feta in place, until the broccolini is charred at the tips, the stems are easily pierced with a fork and the tomato skins start to blister and break down.
Serve over orzo or farro (I prefer quinoa or Jovial Foods Cassava Orzo to keep it gluten free). Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the remaining lemon half for squeezing. Top with fresh herbs, if using.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 servings
1 bunch broccolini, ends trimmed, thick stalks split lengthwise, or broccoli, stalks trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
1 small red onion, peeled, quartered and cut into 2-inch wedges
1 lemon, ½ cut into thin rounds and the remaining ½ left intact, for serving
1 can rinsed chickpeas
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 (6- to 8-ounce) blocks feta, cut into 1-inch slices - I love Mt. Vikos Feta because it’s organic and made from sheep/goat milk
Cooked orzo or farro, for serving - I prefer quinoa or Jovial Foods Cassava Orzo
½cup fresh basil or cilantro leaves and fine stems, roughly chopped (optional)
METHOD
Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a baking dish or casserole, whisk together the chile crisp, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, scallions and cilantro.
Add the tofu slices to the dish, and coat them with the sauce, then allow to marinate for as long as it takes to heat the oven and trim the green beans.
Add the green beans to a large sheet pan, then drizzle the neutral oil on top and toss to coat. Slide the green beans to the sides of the pan, and arrange the slices of tofu in an even layer in the center of the pan. Pour remaining marinade over the tofu, and place in oven.
Roast until the green beans start to blister, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately with rice and extra chile crisp on the side.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 servings
3tablespoons chile-crisp condiment, plus more for serving.
3 tablespoons soy sauce - use GF tamari if you can
1½tablespoons Chinese black vinegar - you can sub balsamic vinegar
1½teaspoons sesame oil
1teaspoon honey
2garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2tablespoons chopped scallions
2tablespoons chopped cilantro
1(14-ounce) package organic extra-firm tofu, drained and sliced crosswise into 8 (½-inch-thick) slabs
¾ pound green beans
1tablespoon avocado oil
White rice, for serving
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
METHOD
Heat the oven to 450 degrees and place one rack on the top and one on the bottom. Fill a kettle or medium pot with water (about 8 cups) and bring to a boil. Place the noodles in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Set aside the bowl to use in Step 5.
Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic and sesame seeds.
Place the noodles on a sheet pan. Add the sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of neutral oil, soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Toss to combine, then spread the noodles out evenly.
Dip each tofu slice into the marinade, coating both sides, then add them to the sheet pan, pushing the noodles aside so that the tofu touches the pan and doesn’t just sit on top of the noodles. Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reserve excess marinade.
Place the baby bok choy into the reserved bowl, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon of neutral oil and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and toss to coat.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven (the noodles should be crisp on the bottom and around the edges) and add the bok choy to the pan. Return the sheet pan to the top rack of the oven and bake for 4 to 7 minutes until the greens are vibrant with crispy edges, and the top of the noodles are crispy. Drizzle with the remaining marinade, top with cilantro leaves and serve.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 servings
For the Noodles
3 blocks instant GF ramen noodles (about 9 ounces - I love Lotus Foods), flavor packets discarded
2tablespoons sesame oil
2tablespoon avocado oil
2tablespoons soy sauce - use GF Tamari
Kosher salt
1 14-ounce package organic extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
3 baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced vertically into 4 pieces
Handful of cilantro leaves
For the Marinade
2 tablespoons hoisin- use GF if you can. I love
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
METHOD
Step 1
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the gochujang, soy sauce, ginger and 3 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl or resealable bag. Add the squash, turnips and scallion whites, toss to coat with glaze, or seal bag and shake to coat. Lightly season with salt and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Season the chicken with salt and toss to coat in whatever is left of the glaze in the bowl or bag. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side up between the vegetables on the sheet.
Step 2
Roast until vegetables are tender, chicken is cooked through and the skin crispy and browned in spots, about 40 minutes.
Step 3
While the chicken cooks, thinly slice the scallion greens. Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, cut the radishes into thin rounds. In a small bowl, toss the sliced scallion greens and radishes with the rice vinegar and sesame oil, if using. Season to taste with salt and set aside to lightly pickle.
Step 4
Top the roast chicken and vegetables with the quick-pickled scallion-radish mix and transfer to serving plates. Serve with steamed rice, if desired.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
3tablespoons gochujang - I have not been able to find a GF version of this
2tablespoons soy sauce - use GF Tamari if you can
1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons avocado oil
2pounds squash, such as butternut, acorn or delicata, unpeeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 5 loose cups)
1 pound turnips, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3½ loose cups)
10 scallions, ends trimmed, green and white parts separated, but not chopped
Kosher salt
2½ to 3pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks or breasts, patted dry
1 bunch radishes (about 10 ounces), trimmed
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional)
Steamed organic jasmine rice - I like to cut it with cauliflower rice to up the veggie content. Roast a packet of frozen cauli rice for about 20 minutes with a drizzle of evoo and s&p then mix it together with about 1 cup of cooked rice.