Italian chicken and vegetables

Italian Chicken and Vegetables is easy to make, full of flavor, and ready in just 20 minutes. This easy Italian Chicken Bowl is perfect for a busy weeknight meal and is super versatile – use whatever veggies you have on hand. With only 8 ingredients, it’s a recipe the whole family will love. It can also be used for meal prep.

If you like hearty chicken bowls like this, you should also try our Buffalo Chicken & Rice Bowl or Ground Chicken Rice Bowl.

Italian Chicken Bowl Highlights

Ready in 20 minutes – The veggies cook in the air fryer and the quinoa cooks in the Instant Pot, which means you don’t have to manage a bunch of pots and pans on the stove, so you can focus on the chicken. Easy to make – All the elements of this recipe are easy to make and don’t require a lot of prep time. Versatile – You can use whatever veggies you have on hand.

Featured Ingredients

Italian Dressing – Using your favorite bottled Italian dressing makes this recipe easy to make (and requires only a few ingredients).

How to make Italian Chicken and Vegetables

Cook the squash: Cut the squash into 1/4 inch thick slices. Sprinkle the dressing and spices over the squash and stir well. Cook in the air fryer at 400F for 12-16 minutes, shaking the basket occasionally. Check out all my tips on how to make zucchini and squash in an air fryer.

Make the quinoa: Rinse the quinoa thoroughly. Add the quinoa, water and salt to the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 1 minute and allow the pressure to release naturally. Release the pressure manually when the rest of the dish is done.

Prepare the chicken: Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dice the chicken. Add the chicken, Italian dressing, and salt to a bowl and stir well.

Cook the chicken: Add the chicken to the hot skillet and spread it out in a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes without touching the chicken. After 5 minutes, stir the pan and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

Assemble bowls: Place quinoa, chicken, and vegetables in bowls and serve.

Tip

If you don’t have an air fryer, place the pumpkin in a large skillet and cook over medium heat for 7-9 minutes until tender. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can cook the quinoa on the stove (same amounts). Bring the quinoa to a boil, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. You can use pre-cooked quinoa or rice (usually frozen, but you can freeze your own in advance), or there are great shelf-stable quinoa packs (I love Thrive Market’s quinoa mix blend) that cook in 60 seconds. To save time, I use chicken tenders. They’re already thin, so it only takes a minute to cube them. You can use your favorite Italian dressing, or make your own if you have the time.

Variations

Add more spice: Add a dash of Sriracha sauce or chili onion crunch Vary the veggies: You can make this with bell peppers, mushrooms, onions (red or white), green beans, and broccoli, all of which can be cooked in the air fryer at the same time Use a different grain: If you don’t have quinoa, you can also make it low-carb by using rice or cauliflower rice Different flavors: Use Greek dressing or add a dollop or two of pesto to the chicken or veggies (or both) Put it on pasta instead of grains

FAQ

What is the best chicken to use?

You can use any boneless, skinless chicken for this recipe, though we recommend chicken thighs for the most flavor, or chicken tenderloins if you’re pressed for time. Cube the chicken so it cooks quickly.

What is the best way to cube chicken?

I personally like to use kitchen scissors, but you can also use a sharp knife (and a plastic cutting board that you can put in the dishwasher when you’re done).

Preserving leftovers

Refrigerator: Leftover chicken quinoa veggie bowls can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezer: Chicken and quinoa can be frozen (up to 3 months). However, we don’t recommend freezing leftover pumpkin as it loses texture once thawed.

If you like this easy chicken recipe, be sure to try