This chicken ratatouille skips all the stirring over the stove and bakes everything on a sheet pan instead!
I’m in love with the flavors of ratatouille, but not in love with the technique as a weeknight dinner option. Traditional ratatouille requires some babysitting, either in the form of sauteing ingredients individually, or checking on the entire pot every once in a while as it’s stewing. I wish I had the time to lovingly care for this dish on a random Wednesday night, but with my busy life and kids, it’s just not happening.
My sheet pan version, however, delivers all of the same saucy, melt-in-your-mouth stewed vegetables in about the same time as the stovetop version, without the constant checking. I’ve added chicken to the recipe, too, so it’s a complete meal. Once it’s in the oven, I can set the timer and walk away for 40 minutes.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
What Is Ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a stewed vegetable dish, whose origins are a little sketchy, but we’ll stick with the majority in agreeing that it’s a French dish. End-of-summer vegetables, like eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, and tomatoes are sauteed in oil and then simmered until tender and saucy. The name itself means “to stir,” and at one time, ratatouille referenced any kind of stew.
The French version of the recipe incorporates thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and rosemary. In my sheet pan version, I simply use dried oregano because I always have some in my pantry (I bet you do too!).
How To Make A Sheet Pan Ratatouille
There is nothing difficult or time consuming about preparing this recipe, which is one of the reasons I love it. Simply cut the chicken thighs and vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Then place them all into a bowl, toss with tomato paste, oil, salt, and oregano, and spread onto a sheet pan in a single layer. Place the pan into a preheated oven, set the timer, and focus your attention on other things.
This recipe calls for chicken thighs, which always stay tender and juicy during the long bake time. Chicken breasts can be substituted, but cut them into slightly larger pieces. You don’t want them to dry out while the vegetables are cooking.
When the ratatouille comes out of the oven, it’s going to look roasted in some places and watery in others. Don’t panic, because as you transfer everything to a serving bowl or platter, the tomatoes will burst and create that thick, saucy consistency that the stewed version offers.
How To Serve Chicken Ratatouille
Because of the added chicken in this sheet pan dinner, it can be served as-is—it contains all of the vegetables and protein you’d ever want. To stretch the meal a little bit though, I like to serve it in a bowl over rice, pasta, or white beans.
It also makes a great submarine sandwich filling, which is a great lunch if you manage to have leftovers. Slice open a baguette or sub roll and place on a sheet pan. Then, spoon the Chicken Ratatouille into each roll and top with a slice of provolone cheese. Pop it under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and it’s even better than a meatball sub.
More Great Sheet Pan Meals
Check out more one-pan dinner solutions for busy nights or try one the sheet pan recipes below.
Podcast Episode On Making Chicken Ratatouille Dinner
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this dish, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Chicken Ratatouille Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: French
DESCRIPTION
Skip the stirring and stewing with this sheet pan ratatouille for easy weeknight meals.
Serve over rice, pasta, polenta, or beans, or use as a sandwich/sub filling.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium onion, peeled, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 small eggplant, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled, roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl add chicken thighs, onion, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, salt, oregano, and oil. Toss to coat.
- Transfer ingredients to a large sheet pan; arrange vegetables and chicken in a single layer.
- Place pan in oven. Bake 40 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a large serving bowl or platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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This post originally appeared in January 2022 and was revised and republished in February 2024.
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