1-Pan Roast Chicken Ratatouille Recipe (Paleo, Gluten Free)

This easy one-pan chicken dinner features ratatouille vegetables roasted under chicken thighs to catch all the flavorful drippings.

There is definitely something to be said for meals that come together in 20 minutes or less. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, meals that slow-cook themselves to perfection in a Crockpot.

Both require minimal hands-on effort, but still result in something that not only nourishes our families, but also brings them together.

But what about cooking the old-fashioned way? The way we reserve for Sunday afternoons or evenings when company comes over. Those braised, roasted, and slow-simmered meals are pure comfort food. I’m a firm believer that comfort food doesn’t necessarily have to be rich, indulgent, and/or reserved for special occasions.

Even though my roast chicken ratatouille isn’t a quick-cooking dish, once it’s in the oven this dish basically cooks itself. In this recipe, tons of veggies get cooked down under chicken thighs as they roast, which is an old trick I learned from a friend in law school. This way, the chicken gets crispy outside and the veggies soak up all the flavorful drippings from the chicken.

Zucchini, yellow summer squash, and eggplant are generally available year-round these days (which means ratatouille can be a year-round dish!). And these vegetables lend themselves beautifully to roasting.

For this recipe, it doesn’t matter if tomatoes are out of season because they’re just going to be roasted anyway. Other than my Creamy Wintertime Tomato Soup, this dish is one of the best ways I know to make good use of tomatoes in winter. Garlic and woodsy herbs like fresh rosemary and thyme add the perfect savory aromatic finishing touches to this dish.

Inspiration For This Recipe

I’d call a random chilly Friday afternoon in December reason enough to make this beautiful, comforting meal. But as it happens, I actually made this for a very special occasion. Alyssa, the blogger behind Everyday Maven, is getting ready to have her second baby – another sweet little boy!

Alyssa is incredibly talented in so many ways, not least of which is her ability to make a gorgeous healthy (usually paleo) meal that appeals to everyone. I can’t tell you how many times my hubby (who is quite possibly the world’s pickiest eater) has asked me to make something from her site after he took a glance at my computer screen. (His absolute favorite recipe of Alyssa’s is her Indian-Spiced Chicken Wraps with Curry Mayo. To.die.for.)

Alyssa and I live on opposite sides of the country, so it isn’t feasible for us to meet up for a meal. But this is the next best thing. If I could invite her over for dinner, this is what I would want to make her. And if you’re wondering what to serve alongside this dish, a nice vegetable mash would be lovely, and so would buttered noodles, steamed rice, brown rice pilaf, or cauliflower “rice”.

In honor of Alyssa and the newest addition to her family, Liz from The Lemon Bowl and I invited a few other bloggers to participate in the celebration. We wanted to come up with new recipe ideas that Alyssa could utilize, so we decided to keep our recipes gluten-free and grain-free. Scroll down below the recipe card in this post to see what everyone else made for this event.

Chicken Thighs Roasted Over Ratatouille Vegetables – Ingredients and Substitutions

• Olive oil – In this recipe we use olive oil in 2 ways: 1) toss the vegetables with a little olive oil, and 2) rub the outside of the chicken with a bit of olive oil.
• Onion and garlic – Onion and garlic adds savory depth of flavor and aroma here.
• Tomato, zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, and red bell pepper – These are classic ratatouille vegetables because they’re traditionally at their peak season simultaneously. And they are a delicious combination!
• Rosemary and thyme – These fresh herbs add complexity to this dish. You can swap them out for any type of herbs you like or have on hand. Basil and/or oregano are also delicious here.
• Salt and black pepper – These basic seasonings add a ton of flavor to this simple chicken dinner. Note that instead of coarse kosher salt, you can use fine salt and just use a bit less.
• Crushed tomatoes – This gives the vegetables a saucy base that almost creates ratatouille stew. If you prefer the final dish less stew-like and more dry, omit the crushed tomatoes and add 1/2 cup chicken broth instead.
• Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – I use 4 pounds of chicken thighs, which is around 8 large-ish thighs.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Add the tomato, onion, zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, red bell pepper, garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the roasting pan and toss to combine. Cover the pan with foil and roast for 45 minutes.
2. Remove the foil from the top of the roasting pan, and stir in the crushed tomato. Securely fit a wire rack over the top of the roasting pan and arrange the chicken on top, skin side up. Rub the remaining 1 tablespoon oil on top of each piece of chicken, and then sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Roast until the chicken is fully cooked (there should be no pink when you cut into it), about 1 hour.
3. Serve hot.

Storage

Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Tips

• You can swap out the vegetables based on your personal preference or what you have on hand. For example, if eggplant isn’t your thing, omit it and add another zucchini.
• If you don’t like chicken thighs, you can also use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts here.
• As written, this recipe is gluten free and paleo.

What to Serve with Chicken Ratatouille

With protein and vegetables, this can be a full meal in itself. It’s hearty and satisfying without being overly heavy.

However, if you want to serve it with something to catch all the delicious juices or if you want to stretch this dish, you serve it with a couple side dishes.

Here are a few sides that pair well with it:

• Steamed white or brown rice
• Buttered noodles
• Crusty bread
• Leafy green salad
• Homemade Rice a Roni
• Crispy Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes
• Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage)
• 1-Bowl Fluffy Garlic Bread Drop Biscuits

Let’s Connect

Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.

To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!

Print

Pin

Rate

1-Pan Roast Chicken Ratatouille Recipe (Paleo, Gluten Free)

By: Faith Gorsky

Prep TimePrep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook TimeCook Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Yields: 8 servings

This easy one-pan chicken dinner features ratatouille vegetables roasted under chicken thighs to catch all the flavorful drippings.

Email This Recipe

Get this recipe link emailed straight to your inbox!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email Me This Recipe *

Plus you’ll be the first to get new recipes and tips.

SEND IT

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ▢ 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes chopped large
• ▢ 2 medium onions chopped large
• ▢ 2 medium zucchini chopped large
• ▢ 2 medium yellow summer squash chopped large
• ▢ 1 small-medium eggplant chopped large
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper de-seeded and chopped large
• ▢ 5 large cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt use less if using fine salt, divided
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
• ▢ 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 4 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs this is 8 large-ish thighs

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Add the tomato, onion, zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, red bell pepper, garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the roasting pan and toss to combine. Cover the pan with foil and roast for 45 minutes.
• Remove the foil from the top of the roasting pan, and stir in the crushed tomato. Securely fit a wire rack over the top of the roasting pan and arrange the chicken on top, skin side up. Rub the remaining 1 tablespoon oil on top of each piece of chicken, and then sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Roast until the chicken is fully cooked (there should be no pink when you cut into it), about 1 hour.
• Serve hot.

Notes

• Storage: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• If you prefer the final dish less stew-like and more dry: Omit the crushed tomatoes and add 1/2 cup chicken broth instead.

Nutrition

Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 637mg | Potassium: 1161mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1649IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Chicken Ratatouille, Chicken Ratatouille Recipe, Roast Chicken Ratatouille

Share it with me on Instagram and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!

Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe

What Everyone Made For This Event

Breakfast

Chocolate Orange Protein Smoothie from The Lemon Bowl

Sumac-Spiced Spaghetti Squash and Two-Potato Hash from Eats Well With Others

Lunch

Hearty Garbanzo Soup from Sweet Life Bake

Pumpkin White Bean Soup from Blue Kale Road

Dinner

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Arugala from Virtually Homemade

Snacks

Charred Brussel Sprout, Bacon, and Toasted Sesame Guacamole from Baker by Nature

Quick and Easy Cucumber Bites, Three Ways from Hip Foodie Mom

A huge thank-you to Liz for being an awesome co-host and to all the other fabulous bloggers who participated, and big congrats to Alyssa! xo, Faith

I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.

Meet Faith