This makes a delicious dinner: chicken baked with herbs and garlic and served with healthy quinoa. Make it for supper or for a week’s worth of make-ahead lunches.
“What’s for dinner?” Lately when I get that question my answer is, “Chicken something or other.” And the best part is, no one ever questions it!
Any many, many dinner nights are indeed chicken something-or-other nights. Because chicken satisfies everyone, it’s easy to prepare, and there are 2,354,016 ways to prepare it. Approximately.
The next time you need a chicken something-or-other dinner, this is a perfect one to try. Chicken breast loaded with garlic and herbs, served over fluffy (and healthy!) quinoa. A little spinach, a few cherry tomatoes, and a little Parm. And maybe a glass of wine. (For you!)
Why you’ll love this recipe
The flavors in this dish are found in classic Italian dishes, favorite flavors like fresh parsley, garlic, tomato, and olive oil . There are layers of flavor in the chicken as well as in the quinoa, making every bite delicious.
The chicken in this recipe is baked, which gives you time to cook the quinoa while it’s in the oven.
If all that is not enough, how about versatility? This Garlic Herb Chicken with Quinoa & Spinach is a great choice for a week’s worth of make-ahead lunches. Make this recipe on a Sunday and have ready-made lunches in the fridge for the week.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Bake the chicken
Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, minced garlic and herbs. Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally and lay them out in a baking dish. Cover the chicken with the herb sauce, then bake for about 20 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the spinach
Cut away any long stems from the baby spinach and slice the leaves once or twice to cut them up a little.
Step 3: Make the quinoa
Rinse the quinoa, then add it to boiling chicken stock or water. Cook the quinoa until it’s almost done, then add in the spinach and cook for 5 minutes more.
Step 4: Assemble the meal
Fluff up the quinoa with a fork and add in chopped parsley. Slice the baked chicken into thin strips. Spoon the cooked quinoa and spinach onto plates and top it with sliced chicken. Toss some tomatoes on top and add a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
Notes
- This recipe makes a wonderful dinner, and it also works great as a make-ahead lunch, giving 4 or 5 lunches ready to go for the week! In the recipe below there are directions for how to assemble the lunches.
- The quinoa can be cooked in water or in chicken stock for extra flavor. I used tricolor quinoa in my recipe, but regular quinoa works fine, too.
- Quinoa has a naturally-occurring coating called saponin which for some people gives the grains an earthier, sometimes bitter flavor. There are a wide range of opinions out there on whether or not it’s necessary to rinse quinoa to remove this coating. I choose to rinse: it’s not a complicated or lengthy step, and the quinoa I get at the end of cooking is light, fluffy, and tasty.
Find this delicious dinner recipe below. Here are a few more dinner ideas, to help round out your week of meals:
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Garlic Herb Chicken with Quinoa & Spinach
Ingredients
- 3 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock (or use water instead)
- 1 ¼ cups tri color or regular quinoa
- 1 cup baby spinach, washed
- 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (you can keep them whole or slice them in half)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (or more if you'd like a more generous sprinkling on your dish)
Instructions
Make the chicken
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Have ready a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish.
- Whisk together 2-1/2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and basil in a medium bowl. Add in 1 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper.
- Slice through the chicken breasts horizontally to make two thinner halves. Place the chicken in the baking dish, spaced evenly. Pour the sauce over all of the chicken, and turn the pieces to coat them all on both sides.
- Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes until the breasts are cooked through with no pink remaining. Remove the pan from the oven and cover the chicken with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
In the meantime make the quinoa
- Bring 2 ½ cups of chicken stock (or water) to a boil in a large saucepan.
- Place the washed baby spinach on cutting board and slice off any long stems. Run your knife through the leaves once or twice to cut them up just a little. Hold the spinach aside.
- Rinse the quinoa under cold water in a mesh strainer. (This rinses away its natural, bitter-tasting coating.) When the stock or water comes to a boil add in the rinsed quinoa.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook the quinoa for 10 minutes. Add in the spinach leaves, cover the pan and cook everything for 5 minutes more until the quinoa is cooked through. (Most or all of the liquid should be absorbed. If there's a lot of liquid left drain it off.) Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit covered until the chicken is done.
Assemble the meal
- Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Add in the chopped parsley, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Gently stir these through the quinoa.
- Slice the baked chicken into thin strips.
- Scoop the quinoa onto dinner plates. Lay slices of chicken over the quinoa and spoon a little of the pan juices over the top if you would like. Top each plate with tomatoes and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
OPTION: Make-Ahead Lunches
- Have ready 4-5 large, reheatable, covered containers that you can take to work. Let the chicken and quinoa-spinach mixture cool a bit.
- Divide the quinoa between the containers. Add sliced chicken to each container, laying it over the quinoa. Add in (or pack separately) the tomatoes and grated Parmesan. Cover the containers tightly and store them in the refrigerator.
- The meals can be warmed in a microwave.
- Store leftovers or the make-ahead portions in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Makes 4-5 servings.
Notes
- This recipe makes a wonderful dinner, and it also works great as a make-ahead lunch, giving 4 or 5 lunches ready to go for the week! In the recipe above there are directions for how to assemble the lunches.
- The quinoa can be cooked in water or in chicken stock for extra flavor. I used tricolor quinoa in my recipe, but regular quinoa works fine, too.
- Quinoa has a naturally-occurring coating called saponin which for some people gives the grains an earthier, sometimes bitter flavor. There are a wide range of opinions out there on whether or not it’s necessary to rinse quinoa to remove this coating. I choose to rinse: it’s not a complicated or lengthy step, and the quinoa I get at the end of cooking is light, fluffy, and tasty.
Tell me what you think - comment below!