Chicken and Broccoli Skillet
This easy Chicken and Broccoli Skillet is healthy, quick, and perfect for a busy weekday! Frozen broccoli makes this easy chicken dinner fast and convenient.
Easy Chicken Skillet
This simple Chicken and Broccoli Skillet recipe will be your new go-to healthy, quick meal! Using frozen broccoli means you’ve got dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. Chicken thigh pieces stay nice and juicy while the broccoli cooks to perfectly tender. A little red wine vinegar and garlic add loads of flavor to bring it all together!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Ingredients for Chicken & Broccoli Skillet
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card below.
- Chicken thighs and Avocado oil – Thighs will stay juicier while chicken breasts or tenderloins are more likely to dry out and overcook. You can use your preferred cooking oil if you don’t have avocado oil.
- Frozen broccoli and Minced garlic – Frozen broccoli has been blanched prior, so it cooks quicker than fresh broccoli. The small chicken pieces cook quickly, so you’ll need to blanch the fresh broccoli if you prefer to not use frozen.
- Butter, Chicken broth, and Red wine vinegar – These add tons of flavor and deglaze the pan for all those tasty bits that get stuck on the bottom. I don’t recommend any substitutions, but making your own chicken stock to use will make it even more flavorful.
- Italian seasoning, Onion powder, Salt, and Parsley – You could swap out the Italian seasoning for your favorite all purpose blend. If you prefer things spicy, you could use a blackening seasoning instead! Fresh thyme or even basil would work well as a garnish if you don’t have parsley.
How to make one-pan chicken and broccoli
This is such an easy recipe that is great for beginner cooks and families! Here’s a quick step-by-step guide for making this healthy chicken dinner.
Brown chicken
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the avocado oil to warm up. Once hot, add the diced chicken and brown it, turning occasionally so that all sides get a nice even browning. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside. It won’t be cooked yet, but it will finish later.
Cook broccoli
Add two of the tablespoons of butter to the skillet and allow it to melt, then add in the frozen broccoli. Cook this for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Finish together
Add the chicken back into the skillet, then pour in the broth, garlic, Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, onion powder, salt, and the rest of the butter. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and the garlic is tender.
Serve
Garnish the skillet with fresh parsley, thyme, or sliced green onions for additional flavor. We like enjoying this as a full meal, but you can easily add Buttermilk Biscuits or Keto Dinner Rolls to stretch it further. Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Butter Mashed Cauliflower would also work perfectly with this meal.
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Storing Chicken & Broccoli
This dish is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. You technically can freeze this, but the broccoli texture will be mushier after thawing and reheating. I don’t really recommend it.
Best ways to reheat chicken and broccoli
- Skillet – Spray a skillet with oil and heat up to medium heat. Pour in leftovers and allow to warm up, occasionally turning and stirring so that all bits get nice and warm.
- Oven – Pour leftovers onto a sheet pan and roast at about 350 degrees F until chicken is warmed throughout and the broccoli is crisp on the edges.
Alternatively, you could reheat this in the microwave or the air fryer. The microwave will give you a very strong broccoli smell, and it does make the broccoli a bit mushier than I personally enjoy. The air fryer can make the broccoli nice and crispy, but you do run a greater risk of drying the entire dish out. You don’t really get any sauce using the air fryer method.
If you like this recipe, you’ll love these one-pan dinners:
- Greek Chicken Skillet – This recipe is so filling and flavorful. You won’t feel the need to add any sides unless you just need to feed a crowd!
- One Pan Cheesy Pasta – The pasta comes out perfectly tender after cooking in this delicious one-pan meal! The cheesy topping just makes it better.
- Mushroom Chicken – Super healthy, packed full of protein, and covered in sauce! This is a quick recipe without a ton of ingredients
- Steak and Shrimp Skillet – This is a great option in a skillet or on the Blackstone! The perfect sear makes the shrimp, steak, and veggies amazing.
- Asian Pork Chops and Broccoli – Beautifully tender and juicy pork chops finish just in time with perfectly cooked broccoli.
One-Pan Chicken FAQ’s
I tried, but raw broccoli takes longer to cook than the small chicken pieces. Frozen broccoli works best because it’s already been blanched, keeping the cooking time short. If you want to use fresh broccoli, you’re going to need to blanch it first so that it’s finished on time.
You can, but the lower calories and fat also means you’re working with less moisture. Chicken breasts will dry out quicker and are more likely to overcook than chicken thighs. You can still use chicken breasts, but you may want to thaw the broccoli first just to have it finished a minute or two earlier, keeping the chicken nice and juicy.
Frozen vegetables like brussels sprouts, green beans, and asparagus all work work great in this! Again, you want to use the frozen options because they’re already partially cooked and require less time overall.
Chicken and Broccoli Skillet
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs skinless/boneless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 1 lb frozen broccoli florets
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- Parsley optional for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced chicken, browning and turning occasionally so all sides are browned evenly. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add 2 tbsp of butter to the skillet, then add the frozen broccoli. Cook the broccoli for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet along with the chicken broth, garlic, Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, onion powder, salt, and the remaining 1 tbsp butter. Continue to cook for a few minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the broccoli is tender. Garnish with parsley and serve!
Notes
You can use chicken breasts for this recipe but they may be a little bit drier than the chicken thighs. Use thighs for the juiciest result!
You can use other frozen vegetables like asparagus, brussels sprouts, and green beans in place or in addition to the broccoli!
