Sheet Pan Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
Pineapple salsa and avocado cream sauce are placed on top of cubed chicken breasts cooked with cabbage on a sheet pan. This is one of the best sheet pan dinners I’ve ever prepared! It’s so lovely and incredibly fulfilling. Try my Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas for another one-pan chicken meal.
Sheet Pan Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
Avocado Cream Sauce
- 1 Large avocado
- ½ Medium lime, juiced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 Tbsp Fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 Medium jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced (approximately ½ cup)
- 1½ Tsp Garlic, minced
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- 1 Tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ Tsp Black pepper
- ½ Cup (115g) Sour cream
Pineapple Salsa
- 1 Cup (181g) Pineapple, fresh or canned, finely diced
- 1 Cup (180g) Roma tomatoes, finely diced (2 tomatoes)
- 2 Tbsp Fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ Cup (40g) Red onion, finely diced
- 1 Medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (approximately ¼ cup)
- 4 Tbsp Lime juice, about 2 limes, or use bottled lime juice
- ¼ Tsp Kosher salt
Sheet Pan Chicken
- 2 Pound Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Chili powder
- 1½ Tsp Kosher salt
- ½ Tsp Onion powder
- ½ Tsp Garlic powder
- ½ Tsp Cumin
- ¼ Tsp Granulated sugar
- 1 head cabbage, shredded (about 10 cups, any color)
- ½ Tsp Black pepper
- 1 Cup (113g) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
Avocado Cream Sauce
- Add the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeños, cumin, garlic, and salt & pepper to a blender. Blend until it's smooth. Until it's time to serve, chill.
Pineapple Salsa
- Put the pineapple, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Until it's time to serve, chill.
Sheet Pan Chicken
- Turn the oven on to 400°F. Put parchment paper on a large baking sheet.
- Put the chicken and olive oil in a medium bowl. Toss to mix.
- Mix the chili powder, salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and sugar in a small basin. Over the chicken, sprinkle. Toss to mix.
- Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper on the baking sheet that has been prepped. Toss to mix.
- After placing the chicken on the cabbage, roast it for fifteen minutes. Sprinkle the casserole equally with the shredded cheese after 15 minutes. Return the chicken to the oven and bake it for another five minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F and the cheese has melted.
- Serve the chicken with avocado cream sauce and pineapple salsa on top.
Chicken with Pineapple Salsa on a Sheet Pan
Sheet-pan meals are excellent recipes. They are simple to assemble, and cleanup is a breeze! This recipe calls for two additional containers for the pineapple salsa and avocado cream sauce.
However, you might prepare those two items in advance so they are ready when you prepare the chicken. The cream sauce comes from my recipe for Pan-Seared Cod with Avocado Cream Sauce, which you must try!
Ingredients for Sheet Pan Chicken
This recipe, which could have been called Sheet Pan Chicken with Pineapple Salsa and Avocado Cream Sauce, has three components, but that sounds like a mouthful. In any case, its mouth-watering taste will fill you up.
Avocados: Many people believe that avocados are a superfood. They have a pleasant flavor and texture, are very nutrient-dense, and are high in good fats. Below, I’ll explain how to choose a ripe avocado.
Pineapple: You can use canned (drained) pineapple or fresh pineapple for the salsa.
Chicken: Slice the skinless, boneless breasts into small pieces. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can also be used (just as in my chicken bites).
Cabbage: As I’ll describe below, you can shred a head of cabbage of any color or a combination of colors. Or use a bag of cabbage that has already been shredded.
Methods for Shredded Cabbage
Instead of purchasing pre-shredded packs of cabbage, you can save some money by using a head of cabbage and shredding it yourself. Furthermore, it will be the most recent option. The process is simple and doesn’t take very long, so don’t be intimidated by it!
- Remove loose leaves.
- Half or quarter the cabbage.
- Remove the stem/core.
- Thinly slice the cabbage.
Use it right away for optimal effects. (If you won’t be using it immediately, Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days.)
Please note that the cabbage still has a slight crunch after baking with the chicken, which we all enjoyed. If you prefer less crisp, simmer the cabbage for 5 to 10 minutes before adding it to the sheet pan.
Can I Prepare the Pineapple Salsa Sheet Pan Chicken in Advance?
Indeed! This sheet-pan chicken dish can help you get started. Making the pineapple salsa and avocado cream sauce the day before will save time. Just keep both covered in the refrigerator. Cover the cream sauce with plastic wrap that touches the top while it is being stored. This will prevent the avocado from browning.
Indeed! This sheet-pan chicken dish can help you get started. Making the pineapple salsa and avocado cream sauce the day before will save time. Just keep both covered in the refrigerator. Cover the cream sauce with plastic wrap that touches the top while it is being stored. This will prevent the avocado from browning.
Can Whole Chicken Breasts Be Used to Make This?
It is possible to season chicken breasts and put them whole beside the cabbage on the sheet pan. However, depending on the thickness and size of the chicken breasts, you will most likely need to modify the cooking time.
Sheet Pan Pineapple Salsa Tacos with Chicken!
Adding the baked sheet-pan chicken and cabbage to a flour tortilla is a fantastic way to use this dish. Take your Taco Tuesdays to the next level by adding the pineapple salsa and avocado cream sauce on top!