Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken Tenders
A one-dish Sheet Pan Dinner with a Balsamic Vinegar flavor profile, served on rotini pasta.
The author of this original recipe made it so complicated, missing the point that the first and foremost attribute of a Sheet Pan Dinner is convenience. She wrote about using 1/3 of the balsamic mixture for a marinade, then using 1/3 of it as a basting sauce and I swear, I read her recipe three times trying to understand what she had done with the remaining 1/3 of the sauce. I finally figured out she intended it to be served on the side after the dish was cooked. Her instructions were verbose and she had 11 steps. This doesn’t have to be that complicated.
Served with Rotini Pasta Makes for a Great Primavera
This dish lends itself well to serving with a hearty pasta, like rotini. The acidic quality of the vinegar, roasted chicken and fresh vegetables make this remarkably similar to a Pasta Primavera, a classic American-Italian dish that features pasta tossed with a variety of fresh, colorful vegetables, often accompanied by a light sauce. The dish is known for its vibrant, spring-like ingredients, which is where the name "primavera" (meaning "spring" in Italian) comes from.
Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup IGP balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette (like, Newman's Own)
- 1-1/2 lb chicken tenders
- 1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed of the woody parts of the stems
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp seasoned salt (like Morton's Nature's Seasoning)
- 6-7 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
- non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Spray the sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cut the chicken tenders into bite-size pieces, then combine with half the balsamic vinegar and vinaigrette in a bowl or plastic bag and marinate for at least n hour but longer if you have the time.
- Put the veggies on the sheet pan with the remaining half of the balsamic vinegar and vinaigrette, and roast for 13-15 minutes.
- Then, after discarding the marinade add the chicken tenders to the sheet pan, sprinkle with the seasoned salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning, and cook an additional 15 minutes.
- Toss with cooked rotini pasta and serve.
