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Bringing you all some springtime vibes with this Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken and Lemon Butter Potatoes with creamy whipped feta and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. Basil pesto marinated chicken roasted alongside sesame-crusted lemon garlic potatoes. Served over creamy whipped feta cheese, then topped with vinaigrette and all the herbs you can find. This dish is quick, easy, extra colorful, super flavorful, and so delicious. The perfect dinner to serve any night of the week. Promise this is not your average sheet pan dinner. It’s so DELICIOUS and the leftovers make for an awesome lunch the following day.
This is going to sound cheesy, but you guys, spring has sprung! Well, I mean, kind of. It sure felt like spring on Friday and Saturday. But of course, yesterday was filled with snow and it’s supposed to continue throughout the week. But, we’ve had a glimpse and I’ve surrounded myself with all the fresh spring flowers I can find. So, I am very much in the springtime mindset and today’s recipe 100% reflects that.
I’ve definitely made it clear by now, but I really love a one-and-done sheet pan dinner. They’re some of my favorites to share as well as my favorite to serve to family and friends. They really do take the stress out of the weeknight dinner. It’s nice to be able to throw everything into the oven and let your dinner cook away while you work on other things.
I mean, right? Yes, yes. Of course.
And everyone…this sheet pan dinner feels extra special because it is. it has those “extras” that really make it really really GOOD.
My Inspiration?
Well, spring for one, and the fact that the only fresh herb I had on hand the other day was basil. But also, I wanted to create a lighter spring dinner that still felt satisfying enough for a Sunday night family dinner. Or even upcoming Easter Sunday.
I did some brainstorming and thought back to the recipes my Nonnie would make when we’d visit them in Florida over spring break. One of her signatures was a simple roasted chicken with potatoes…and bread. Always bread with dinner.
So, I stole one of her concepts a bit and made it into a sheet pan dinner, which she would fully approve of. My Nonnie was an awesome cook, but she didn’t mess around with “fussy” recipes. She lived by the motto, the easier the better.
Start with the chicken and potatoes
For the chicken, I kept things simple and tossed it with some basil pesto, a shallot, and a bit of lemon zest. All very fresh spring flavors, and all very delicious. I like to let the chicken sit and “marinate” while I prep the potatoes.
And the potatoes? Aside from the feta (more on that below), they’re my favorite part. Inspired by a classic greek roasted potato. I flavored them with lots of lemon, garlic, and butter. The butter is not traditional but adds a richness to the potatoes that I found to be delish. Oh, and then some sesame seeds for a little nutty crunch.
The potatoes go into the oven first so that they really have time to roast before adding the chicken to the pan. The idea is that you don’t want the chicken to dry out, so add it to the pan halfway through cooking. It will cook perfectly alongside the potatoes.
And while that’s happening, whip that feta…
Is this necessary? No, absolutely not. But do you need this? Yes, you absolutely do.
If you have a food processor, all you do is whip feta cheese with olive oil until creamy. It takes just a few minutes and is worth every bit of extra effort…I promise! Once the warm roasted potatoes and chicken touch the creamy feta, the feta immediately begins to melt into everything creating a creamy, delicious “sauce”.
It’s the perfect amount of salty creaminess to balance out all the savory roasted potatoes and chicken.
Let’s finish it up!
While the chicken is cooking mix up a quick vinaigrette with some sun-dried tomatoes and the olive oil left in the tomato jar. Add in balsamic vinegar and a squeeze of lemon. This is your super simple tomato vinaigrette.
I like to drizzle it over the feta, then add the potatoes and chicken. It is SO GOOD and pretty too with all the colors from the tomatoes and herbs. This makes it perfect for spring, but still cozy enough for days when the weather can still be cold and snowy (or cold and rainy, which I think is actually worse).
I made this for my family Sunday night and it was the perfect dinner to share with them. My dad especially loved the potatoes combined with the whipped feta. It’s a mouth-watering combination that’s rather hard to beat!
So you see? Great for a Sunday, easy enough for a busy weeknight, but still fancy enough for Easter!
Looking for other sheet pan recipes? Here are a few to try:
Sheet Pan Sticky Gochujang Chicken Meatballs
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Sheet Pan Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken and Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Lastly, if you make this Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken and Lemon Butter Potatoes with Whipped Feta be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken and Lemon Butter Potatoes with Whipped Feta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 729 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- zest and juice of 1-2 lemons
- kosher salt and black pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 medium russet potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, and reserve the oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or thyme
- 2 tablespoons white or regular balsamic vinegar
- pita/naan and fresh herbs, for serving
Whipped Feta
- 8 ounces feta cheese
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425° F. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, pesto, shallot, lemon zest, and a pinch each of chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Let sit 15 minutes.2. On a baking sheet, toss the potatoes with olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender. 3. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Add the butter, lemon juice, garlic, and sesame seeds, toss to coat, then push the potatoes to one side of the pan. Put the chicken on the other side. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 20 minutes more, until the chicken is cooked through.4. Meanwhile, make the tomato vinaigrette. In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and the balsamic vinegar until combined. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, dill, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.5. To make the feta. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. The feta can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. 6. To serve, spread the feta onto plates and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Add the potatoes and chicken, top with fresh herbs. Serve pita on the side. Enjoy!
favorite recipe hands down!! delicious in every aspect. will 100% be making it again and again 😀
Hey Diandra,
I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Easy and delicious!
Hey Abby,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
This was absolutely incredible. Will be making forever. I also combined the leftover feta, sun dried tomato vinaigrette, and pesto with hot honey and made a ridiculously good sauce that would be perfect for pasta. Yum!
Hey Emily,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I have tried many of Tieghan’s recipes and they’re all amazing but this one is my absolute favorite, so much flavor and yet still so easy to make. I serve this recipe with homemade pitas, also using her recipe, and it’s my absolute favorite meal. I wonder how much longer I can keep making it weekly before my family tires of it. 🙂
Hey Alicia,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Delish! Made it twice for a crowd and everyone has loved it! Incredible amalgamation of flavors that leave you wanting more!
Hey Jenny,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Made this dish for my husband and parents, and everyone loved it! They were asking for the recipe by the end of the night.
Hey Sara,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Really delicious and simple! The sun dried tomatoes add the perfect touch. Recommend using soft feta for making the whipped feta. Will be a regular dish in our house!
Hey Maureen,
Happy Labor Day!?? Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This is amazing! I would recommend cooking the potatoes and chicken on two different pans, because the chicken did get very liquidy and I think the potatoes wouldn’t have been as crispy otherwise. But the flavors are amazing and it came together so quickly without the whipped feta and vinaigrette!
Hey Kayleigh,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Thank you Teighan for this recipe! Made this a few times and everyone who’s tasted it has LOVED it! I don’t usually add the vinaigrette as, personally, I find the flavors more balanced to my liking without it. That said it’s great on salad!
Thanks again for all your effort and creativity!
Hi Carolyn,
Awesome! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
I made this last night and it was so delicious! We loved the blasts of flavor and are definitely sold on whipped feta!
Hey Jen,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful holiday weekend ?? xTieghan
Made last week and my family immediately declared it in their top THREE of all time! It is SO full of flavor and delicious!
So good that I am making it again tonight!! (I never do two of the same recipe in back to back weeks… haha!) this is FOR SURE going in our rotation. So delicious!
Hey Allison,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed:) xTieghan
Like some others have mentioned, we ended up with way too much liquid on the pan. I ended up removing the potatoes from the sheet-pan and air frying them. Also added chives, because they were going to go bad if I didn’t use them, to the whipped feta and it was delicious!
Hey Katie,
Happy Friday! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xxTieghan
Fantastic! The flavors were amazing. Two thumbs up from my family! Every recipe of yours that I make always turns out delicious! Keep the recipes coming
Hey Druann,
Awesome! So so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xxTieghan
Really delicious! Was a little hesitant at first with needing to convert to metric (in Australia over here) but it worked out great. Will def make again!
Hey Grace,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xxTieghan
I made this tonight for my in-laws and was blown away by how delicious AND easy it was. I even had enough time to wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen while the chicken baked. There were so many flavors, but they all complemented each other wonderfully! It’s definitely going into our regular rotation.
My only question that I wasn’t sure about, was are we supposed to melt the butter before mixing it with lemon juice, etc. and tossing the potatoes in it? It probably doesn’t make a huge difference either way, but I wasn’t 100% clear on that.
Hey Emily,
Fantastic! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Melted butter does work best or room temp. xxTieghan
Wow!!! This was amazing!!!!! The flavors paired perfectly! Will definitely be making this for guests to impress them!
Hey Marisa,
Wonderful! That’s so great to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great Friday:) xTieghan
I cooked this for Mother’s Day Brunch this year and IT WAS A HIT. My entire family said this is now the dish I need to make each holiday. Absolutely delicious and SO EASY to make. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
The whipped feta was the highlight, and we even enjoyed it leftover on bagels the rest of the week.
Hey Erika,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I’ve been out of town for 2 weeks and needed a home cooked meal. This came together quickly and was so good. Even picky hubby liked it. First time having whipped feta, won’t be the last. Thanks for the great recipe.
Hey Robin,
Awesome! I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan