simple italian balsamic sheet pan chicken

Name: simple italian balsamic sheet pan chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs; 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning; 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; chopped parsley, optional

by Katie | Jan 15, 2018 | Main Course | 23 comments

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Do you have 5 minutes? Then you have enough time to get a batch of this Simple Italian Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken into the oven. I am not exaggerating when I say the hardest part of the whole recipe is chopping one clove of garlic. And people, I know we can do that, even on the busiest of evenings.

As I said two weeks ago, one of my goals for this year, is to really focus on getting enough protein in my diet. I mentioned in my post about these high-protein Meal Prep Spinach, Beet and Chicken Power Salads that women over 40 need to get 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal.

I wanted to chat about that for just a second to explain why it’s really important to me to maintain my muscle mass. One really big reason is that muscles burn more calories than fat when at rest. That basically means that the more muscle you have, the easier it is to stay trim. Also important, if not more so, is that having more muscle mass also helps to maintain strength and mobility which as we age can help prevent fractures. I have a small frame and in my dieting years I was amenorrheic, so I am at particular risk for low bone density. So I am all over this one!

I do weight lifting five days a week, I am back to teaching BodyPump and I also take Crossfit three or four times a week. That helps to build the muscle and resistance training (of which weight lifting is) builds and maintains bone density. But this also means I have to be even more vigilant about eating protein throughout the day to replenish.

To figure out how much you need, multiply your weight in kilos times 1.3. That’s a good place to start for a ballpark. Of course, I also recommend checking in with a Registered Dietitian to make sure that’s the right formula for you, your age and your activity level.

I’ve done the math, and for me, that means I need to spread out my protein servings through the day to total up to 75 grams. As I said before, your body doesn’t store it the way it does carbs, so you can’t just load up on it at one meal. I’m aiming for 20 to 30 grams per meal. That means a Green Protein Smoothie or a Cheese and Greens Omelet for breakfast.

And it means I will be making recipes like this Simple Italian Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken on a regular basis, so I have healthy easy protein on hand when I am fixing lunch or dinner.

The great thing about this Sheet Pan Chicken, is it’s made with boneless skinless chicken thighs, so the meat stays juicy and yummy, even though it’s just baked. It’s so easy to throw together. Toss the chicken with a clove of chopped garlic, oil, salt and dried Italian Seasoning. Then bake it in the oven on a sheet pan lined with parchment. When it’s done, just throw on some chopped parsley and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. You won’t believe how much flavor it has for so little effort. I feel a little guilty how easy it is.

If you love this recipe you should also check out this garlic herb marinated chicken breast.

Or this 5 ingredient honey mustard chicken thighs.

In the summer you may also love these simple Maple Chipotle Barbecued Chicken Thighs.