30 Minute Chicken and Broccoli Skillet

You don’t need to skimp on nutrition or flavor to have speed and convenience; this Mediterranean chicken and broccoli recipe delivers on all fronts. It comes together in one skillet, so we don’t have a whole sink full of dishes to wash, and it serves up a protein and veg with heaps of flavor in each bite. 

Some simple Mediterranean seasonings like oregano, thyme, garlic, and lemon make this recipe super accessible to every level of home cook, and you may already have everything you need in your pantry. Some chili flakes give everything a subtle heat that adds complexity without being overpowering. 

Key Ingredients

• Chicken breasts: Using chicken breasts in this recipe makes for a lean and quick dinner. The breasts cook up (after browning each side) in about the same time as the broccoli does so nothing is overcooked. The result is a juicy chicken breast with a lovely, seared and well-seasoned crust. 
• Broccoli florets soak up all the flavors from searing the chicken as they steam. 
• Lemon zest adds a lemony fragrance to the chicken breast, while the juice introduces a hit of acid to the final dish that brightens everything and pairs well with garlic.
• Extra virgin olive oil: I use oil to help the seasonings to stick to the chicken and sear it, but also saute the broccoli and garlic. The garlic infuses into the oil, which helps season the entire dish.
  • READ MORE: Cooking with Olive Oil: Everything You Need to Know
  • TRY IT: Italian Nocellara Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Sicily

How to Make Chicken and Broccoli

1. Season the chicken. Coat 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, and the zest of 1 lemon. 
2. Sear the chicken. Set a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil. Once warm, place the chicken breasts into the skillet and sear on each side until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Then transfer to a plate. They do not need to be cooked through at this point.
3. Sauté the garlic and broccoli. Into the pan, add 4 roughly chopped garlic cloves, 1 pound broccoli florets, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté them for about 2 minutes. Just enough time to get a little color on them. 
4. Add the chicken back in and cook. Make some space in the skillet and return the chicken breasts to the pan with the broccoli and garlic mixture. You can move all the broccoli to one side of the pan or just make little empty spaces in between the florets to place the chicken into. Pour in 1/4 cup water and cover the skillet with a lid and cook everything together for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 
5. Remove from heat and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat and squeeze the lemon juice all over. You can also sprinkle in 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Season with black pepper and some extra salt to taste and serve.

Make it Your Own 

• Play with the seasonings. There are many ways to season and flavor the chicken in this recipe. Use the spice blends you enjoy, and you can’t really go wrong. Anything from paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, or even some lemony sumac would go great in this dish. 
• Swap out the veg. If you want to substitute the broccoli with another type of vegetable, make sure to consider cooking times. Broccoli works because it needs some time to cook, but also doesn’t take ages like carrots and potatoes. Some good options would be peppers, zucchini, or green beans. 
• Add a starchy component. This meal could easily be bulked up with some pasta, rice, couscous, or quinoa. Cook the starch separately, then serve it on the side or mix it in.
• Get saucy. You might like to incorporate a saucy element like pesto, mustard, or a creamy feta dressing. If you like funky cheese, some crumbled blue cheese could also be delicious.  

Perfect Pairings

This dish is already a complete meal and delicious on its own. If you want to make it a little more filling, it would go well with a complementary side dish.

• Creamy polenta
• Whole baked potatoes with whipped feta
• An easy lemon pasta
• Try a crunchy salad like lemon parmesan lettuce salad or an Italian chopped salad.