Quick Flavorful One Pan Dish (Printable)

Juicy chicken and colorful vegetables cooked in one pan with smoked paprika and fresh lemon.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 medium zucchini, sliced
05 - 1 red onion, sliced
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Aromatics & Seasonings

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tbsp olive oil
09 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1/2 tsp chili flakes
12 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
13 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Finishing Touch

14 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
15 - Juice of 1/2 lemon

# How-To:

01 - Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
02 - Add the chicken pieces and season with salt, pepper, and half of the smoked paprika. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned.
03 - Add the garlic, onion, bell peppers, and zucchini. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
04 - Sprinkle in the remaining smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, and chili flakes. Mix thoroughly to coat everything evenly.
05 - Add the cherry tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
06 - Squeeze the lemon juice over the dish and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot, directly from the pan.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The smoked paprika does something magical that makes people think you cooked for hours when really you barely tried
  • Clean up is literally washing one pan and maybe wiping down a cutting board
  • The lemon at the end wakes up every single flavor and makes the whole thing taste bright and alive
02 -
  • Crowding the pan is the number one mistake that turns this from a vibrant skillet meal into a steamed pile of sadness
  • If your chicken is releasing a ton of water instead of searing, your pan is not hot enough so remove the chicken, crank the heat, and start over
03 -
  • Let the chicken sit undisturbed for a full minute before your first stir, even when your instinct screams to move it around
  • The lemon juice is not optional, it is the entire reason this tastes like a real dish instead of meal prep

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