Low Sugar Pesto-Walnut Sheet-Pan Chicken with Broccoli & Carrots
Sheet-pan dinners are already a weeknight hero, but this one earns extra points for how genuinely vibrant and satisfying it tastes without a single gram of added sweetener anywhere in the mix. The star is a homemade walnut pesto — fresh basil, raw walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil blitzed into a thick, fragrant paste that gets pressed right onto the chicken before it hits the oven. While the pesto does all the flavor heavy lifting, the broccoli and carrot coins roast alongside until they're tender with lightly charred edges, which is honestly the best version of both vegetables. Everything cooks on one pan at 425°F, so cleanup is minimal and the whole process is surprisingly hands-off. Store-bought sauces and marinades are notorious for sneaking in honey, cane sugar, or sweetened vinegars, but because you're making the pesto from scratch here, you know exactly what's in it. A squeeze of fresh lemon and a scatter of torn basil at the end brighten the whole plate and make it feel a little restaurant-worthy. It's the kind of clean, whole-food meal that doesn't taste like it's missing anything.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the walnut pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the sheet pan
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
- 4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 medium head)
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch coins
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For serving
- lemon wedges (optional)
- fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line an 18×13-inch rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
- 2
Make the pesto: combine the basil, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse 6–8 times until coarsely chopped, then stream in the 1/4 cup olive oil with the motor running and process until a thick, slightly chunky paste forms, about 30 seconds.
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