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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Garlic Herb Chicken with Quinoa & Spinach

    By Nancy Mock February 23, 2020 Updated December 27, 2020 2 Comments

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    Black plate with sliced chicken breast over quinoa.

    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.

    Sliced cherry tomatoes with chicken breast and quinoa.
    → Jump to Recipe

    "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.

    Grains of cooked quinoa on a black plate with sliced cherry tomatoes.

    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.

    Tricolor quinoa cooked and copped with sliced chicken breast and cherry tomatoes.

    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.

    Seasoned raw chicken breasts in a baking dish.

    🔪 How to make this recipe

    Step 1: Bake the chicken

    Cooked chicken breast with herbs.

    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

    Cooked quinoa with spinach and parsley.

    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

    Sliced cherry tomatoes with chicken breast and quinoa.

    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.

    Uncooked quinoa in a mesh strainer being rinsed,

    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.
    Black plate of quinoa with chicken and cherry tomatoes, blue napkin on side.

    Find this delicious dinner recipe below. Here are a few more dinner ideas, to help round out your week of meals:

    Sesame Noodles with Garlic Roasted Chicken
    A recipe loaded with flavor! These Sesame Noodles and Garlic Roasted Chicken are perfect for dinner or as a make-ahead lunch to bring to work.
    Take me there
    Sliced chicken and scallions on top of sesame noodles.
    Lemon Chimichurri Roast Chicken
    Imagine the amazing aroma from the oven while making Lemon Chimichurri Roast Chicken! It's delicious thanks to a citrusy and herby sauce.
    Take me there
    Roast chicken in a cast iron pan with parsley leaves
    Chopped Taco Salad with Peppers, Beef & Corn
    A spicy, flavorful blend of fresh corn and peppers with seasoned beef and tangy dressing. It works as both an app and a meal!
    Take me there
    Image of Chopped Taco Salad in a glass bowl with Tortilla Chips

    💬 How did you like this recipe? Leave a comment and a star rating below!

    Tricolor quinoa cooked and copped with sliced chicken breast and cherry tomatoes.

    Garlic Herb Chicken with Quinoa & Spinach

    Nancy Mock
    This makes a delicious dinner: chicken baked with herbs and garlic and served with healthy quinoa, spinach and tomatoes. Make it for supper or for a week's worth of make-ahead lunches
    4.80 from 5 votes. Tap stars to vote
    Print it! Pin This Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Resting Time 10 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Dinner, Make-Ahead Lunch
    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 3½ 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
    • 1½ teaspoons salt, divided
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1½ pounds boneless chicken breast
    • 2½ cups low-sodium chicken stock (or use water instead)
    • 1¼ 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 2½ 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 2½ 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 ½ 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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 589kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 52gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 1319mgPotassium: 1194mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1129IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 203mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment, tell me what you think!

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Christine

      March 27, 2021 at 12:23 pm

      5 stars
      I love it! I accidentally added too much salt to the chicken sauce mixture but it still turned out great. Chicken is super flavorful!

      Reply
      • Nancy Mock

        March 27, 2021 at 4:27 pm

        Hi Christine, this is great to hear! I'm so happy you enjoyed this dish, thank you for trying it!

        Reply

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