Easy Hasselback Chicken Primavera made with chicken stuffed with vegetables and mozzarella. A high-protein sheet pan dinner perfect for busy weeknights.
Sheet Pan Chicken Primavera
I’m so excited for spring, and this Hasselback Chicken Primavera is exactly the kind of fresh, easy dinner I crave this time of year. I love how this chicken turned out—the chicken is sliced Hasselback-style and stuffed with zucchini, tomato, red onion, and melty mozzarella for a twist on classic pasta primavera flavors. Everything bakes together on one pan, making this a simple weeknight meal that feels a little special without any extra effort. For more recipes like this, check out my chicken breast recipes collection.
Why This Recipe Works
Traditional primavera, which means “spring” in Italian, is a pasta dish with seasonal vegetables and Italian ingredients. Instead of pasta, I turned those classic flavors into a high-protein stuffed chicken breast dinner and loved it!
- Easy: Hasselbacking chicken is easier than stuffing and comes out great.
- High Protein: 44 g protein per serving
- Seasonal produce is always more flavorful and affordable.
- Simple cleanup: Line the baking sheet with parchment so you can toss it when you’re done.
What is Hasselback Chicken?
Hasselback chicken is a technique in which you make multiple thin, evenly spaced cuts in chicken breasts without cutting all the way through to the bottom. Then, you stuff the chicken with vegetables, cheese, or other ingredients and bake it in the oven.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this easy sheet pan chicken primavera recipe. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts aren’t always my favorite because they can be less flavorful and drier than thighs. However, stuffing them with seasoned vegetables boosts flavor and helps keep the chicken tender as it bakes.
- Olive Oil for the chicken and vegetables helps keep them moist.
- Seasoning: Kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Vegetables: Sliced zucchini, tomato, and red onion.
- Cheese: Freshly grated mozzarella and parmesan.
- Fresh Basil for a pretty, flavorful garnish.
How to Make Hassleback Chicken Primavera
Season the chicken and vegetables, stuff the chicken, then pop the tray in the oven. It bakes in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you still want something healthy and fresh on the table. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- How to cut Hasselbeck chicken: Use a sharp knife to make about 5 slices across each breast, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Season the chicken breasts: Coat them with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Season the vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Stuff the chicken with the veggies and top with mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake chicken primavera at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes. If you want to brown the cheese, broil the chicken for the last minute. Then remove it from the oven and garnish with basil.
Variations
- Vegetable swaps: Use yellow squash instead of zucchini, cherry or grape tomatoes instead of a vine tomato, or shallots instead of red onions.
- More veggie options: If you don’t like one of the vegetables listed above, you could also make this primavera with asparagus, peas, canned artichoke hearts, or bell peppers.
- Herbs: Substitute basil with parsley or rosemary. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, use a mix of any dried herbs you have, such as oregano, parsley, or basil.
- Cheese: Replace Parmesan with Pecorino Romano, or omit both cheeses to keep the dish dairy-free.
Storage
- Refrigerate chicken for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw in the fridge the day before, then warm in the microwave or the oven at 350°F.
More Sheet Pan Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
For more one-pan dinner ideas, check out these five delicious sheet pan dinner recipes to inspire your next meal!
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons
- 1 vine tomato, sliced and cut into half moons
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
- Chopped basil, for garnish
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Preheat the oven to 425° F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken breasts Hasselback-style by making evenly spaced crosswise slits along each breast. Take care not to cut all the way through, leaving about ¼ inch intact at the bottom so the chicken remains whole. Coat the chicken with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Gently transfer to the prepared baking sheet and set aside.
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Add the zucchini, tomato, and onion to a mixing bowl. Drizzle with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and the Italian seasoning. Gently toss to coat the vegetables evenly with the seasoning.
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Slightly fan the chicken breasts open and nestle the vegetables into each cut, spacing everything evenly along the length of the chicken.
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Top each chicken breast with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven to roast until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes. Feel free to broil for the last minute to get the cheese a little browned.
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Remove from the oven and garnish with basil before serving.
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 chicken breast, Calories: 307 kcal, Carbohydrates: 5.2 g, Protein: 44 g, Fat: 11.5 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 139.5 mg, Sodium: 661 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2.5 g
