This 30-Minute Italian Chicken Skillet is a delicious and low-calorie meal that’s great for meal prep – all you need is one pan!

This dish is easy to cook and even easier to clean up. Serve it over rice, pasta, or enjoy it on its own for a simple and satisfying dinner!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – use any neutral oil such as avocado oil, sunflower oil or vegetable oil for this recipe.
- Garlic – fresh or jarred minced garlic can be used for this recipe.
- Button mushrooms – use cremini mushrooms or portobello mushrooms if you don’t have button mushrooms available.
- Chicken breasts – boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breasts.
- Red pepper – use another variety of bell pepper if you don’t have red bell peppers on hand.
- Red onion – white onion, sweet onion or yellow onion are other great options for this dish.
- Asparagus – broccoli, green beans, and snow peas are all great alternatives to asparagus.
- Zucchini – eggplant or another summer squash can be used in place of zucchini.
- Italian seasoning – use store-bought or make your own Italian seasoning.
- Balsamic vinegar – mix cider vinegar or red wine vinegar with sugar to create a similar blend.
- Basil – fresh mint, parsley, thyme or oregano are great alternatives or you can leave it out altogether if you’re in a pinch.
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated Parmesan cheese is preferred for this recipe. If you don't have any, shredded Parmesan cheese will also work.
- Quinoa – use couscous or your choice of rice.

How to make this recipe
Step 1: Cook the quinoa.
Prepare the quinoa according to package instructions.
Step 2: Sauté the mushrooms and garlic.
Cook mushrooms and garlic in a skillet until soft.
Step 3: Cook the chicken.
Sauté the chicken until browned.
Step 4: Add seasoning.
Stir in Italian seasoning, balsamic vinegar, and basil.
Step 5: Mix in the veggies.
Cook vegetables until tender.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Stir in parmesan cheese, then serve over cooked quinoa.

Recipe Tips & Variations
- Don’t overcook the quinoa: Slightly undercooked quinoa will hold up better when mixed with the skillet ingredients.
- Make it creamier: Stir in a dollop of Greek yogurt or cream at the end for a richer sauce.
- Cheese upgrade: Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella or provolone before serving for an extra cheesy finish.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use pre-cooked chicken?
Yes! Pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken works well—just stir it in with the veggies to heat through.
How many calories are in this recipe?
There are only 332 calories in this Italian chicken skillet, which makes it a healthy and low-calorie dinner option.
How do I know when the chicken is cooked?
The chicken will take about five minutes to brown on all sides. If you’re not sure whether your chicken is cooked, you can always cut into the middle of one piece to see whether or not it’s done – if the juices are clear, it’s ready!

Storing and reheating
Storing: Divide the chicken and quinoa into individual portions and store in airtight glass containers. This dish will stay fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days, making it perfect for meal prep!
Reheating: When ready to eat, microwave a portion for 1-2 minutes until warmed through, and enjoy!
Freezing: This dish freezes beautifully! Let the dish cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Freeze in individual portions for easy, last-minute dinners. The dish will keep well in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Reheating from frozen: Thaw the dish overnight in the fridge, then microwave for 1-2 minutes until fully warmed.

More easy skillet recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this recipe into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.

30-Minute Italian Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 package Button mushrooms
- 3 chicken breasts, diced
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions and chop veggies.
- Heat olive oil over med-high heat in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic, sauteeing for 5 minutes until liquid starts to release. Add chicken and cook another 5 minutes until browned. Add Italian seasoning, balsamic vinegar and basil.
- Add veggies, cooking another 5-10 minutes until veggies are tender and everything is cooked. Stir in parmesan cheese, then serve with quinoa in four large bowls and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Tara Stevens says
We had the Italian Skillet last night & it was quick, easy & absolutely delicious. It’s also forgiving! I subbed chickpeas for the chicken, used white balsamic vinegar
(because that’s what I had), picked out the mushrooms for my son & he had leftover roasted potatoes instead with the skillet.
Thank you, Taylor, for another awesome recipe!
Alisha says
Just made it & love it so much! Added a little extra balsamic, kosher salt & pepper. So good. Thanks!
Melissa Porter Slater says
Do you cover to cook the chicken and veggies for the last ten minutes
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Melissa – no need to cover!
Andrea says
I was looking to make a mea on sunday to eat later in the week, Does this recipe -Italian chicken skillet work? Would you make the quinoa or couscous at the same time and refrigerate together? and just heat later in the week?
How do you reheat ?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Andrea – yes you can make the quinoa at the same time, refrigerate in the same container and then reheat in the microwave for a couple minutes when ready to eat!
Amelie says
I’d love to make this but we HATE quinoa. What can I use instead?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Amelie! The quinoa is just served on the side; you can serve anything else with it, from pasta to rice to roasted potatoes, to frozen fries, to just on its own without any sides!
Melanie Wiggins says
Thank you! This recipe was incredible!!! My Italian husband LOVED it, and he’s not a fan of mushrooms or quinoa. My 1-year old loved all of the veggies! Definitely adding this to my regular rotation of weeknight dinners.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed Melanie 🙂
TheGreatOutDork says
Hi,
I’m making this recipe as I type this lol. Looks so good. My only issue is that I don’t know how much chicken three breasts is…I got these gargantuan ones from the store and chopped them all up, but it looks like waaaaaay too much chicken. In hindsight I should have left one out but could you provide a weight?
Taylor Stinson says
So sorry! It’s about 1 lb of chicken that you should use.
Steph says
My only issue is that there’s no mention of the Parmesan in the directions. Add at the end?
Taylor Stinson says
Sorry about that Steph! Yes you just stir it in at the end – I’ve updated the recipe to reflect this 🙂
S says
Great meal! Tasty, easy and flavourful!
Resa Glennon says
HI Taylor!
It’s me again..trying another one of your dishes but this time not an Instant Pot! This One Pan Italian Chicken Skillet is sensational! I did not have the asparagus on hand so I had t leave that out but OMG is was delicious! Waaaay to easy and fast! This is another one of your “gonna make it again” dishes! I placed mine over ziti and it was so good. Hubby not a fan of quinoa and we had rice the night before so I decided on pasta! What’s not to like about an Italian dish served over pasta! Excellent! Keep up the great work and keep those recipes coming! (By the way….people are still replying to my FaceBook entry about your Pepper Steak! What a hit!)
Taylor Stinson says
Oh I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe too Resa, so glad to hear it was such a big hit with your husband as well 🙂 And the pasta is an amazing choice!!! Thanks so much for sharing with me <3