Hazelnut Free Pesto-Walnut Sheet-Pan Chicken with Broccoli & Carrots
Sheet-pan dinners are weeknight gold, and this one delivers serious flavor with almost no cleanup. A vibrant walnut pesto — built from fresh basil, raw walnuts, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon — gets pressed right onto the chicken before everything roasts together at high heat, so the sauce caramelizes into something deeply savory and aromatic. The broccoli and carrots go on the same pan, picking up those gorgeous charred edges that make vegetables genuinely exciting to eat. For anyone navigating hazelnut allergies, store-bought pestos can be a minefield since many are made on shared equipment or swap in mixed nut blends — here, you control every single ingredient from start to finish. Walnuts stand in as the nut base, giving the pesto a rich, buttery depth without any cross-contact concerns. A quick rest after roasting keeps the chicken juicy, and a few lemon wedges and torn basil at the table brighten the whole plate beautifully. It's the kind of meal that looks and tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
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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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