Catalina chicken is an easy, 30-minute skillet dinner with juicy chicken breasts and broccoli cooked in a sauce made from homemade Catalina dressing. I love making this one-pan recipe on weeknights because I know the whole family loves it! Just add a side of rice.
Zesty One-Pan Catalina Chicken
Today’s one-pan Catalina chicken with broccoli is a family favorite. Using my make-ahead Catalina dressing means that the prep time for this dish is barely 5 minutes, so it’s been my go-to meal when I need something quick and delicious for years. After so many requests for a Catalina chicken recipe upon sharing that dressing, I’m happy to say I have one!
This chicken recipe takes 25 minutes to cook and a few minutes to get the ingredients ready (even faster if you grab a bag of pre-cut broccoli florets from the store!).
Ingredients You’ll Need for This Chicken Recipe
- Chicken: I make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Thighs and even bone-in chicken are also great options, just keep in mind that these cuts will take slightly longer to cook.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, dried thyme, plus salt and pepper. Otherwise, I’ll use my DIY chicken seasoning when I have it in the pantry.
- Olive Oil: For sautéeing. Or use avocado oil or another neutral-flavored cooking oil.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is best, but you can add ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder in place of each clove.
- Broccoli: Chopped into florets, or purchased pre-cut from the grocery store.
- Catalina Salad Dressing: This sweet-tangy, vibrant dressing adds flavor to the chicken. You can use my homemade recipe or pick up a bottle from your favorite dressing brand.
- Soy Sauce: Try using low-sodium soy sauce to keep salt levels to a minimum.
- Crushed Red Peppers: You can leave these out if you’re sensitive to spice.
- Cashews: Chopped cashews for crunch. Peanuts would also work well here.
2 Tips for Big Flavor
- Use up the sauce. For maximum flavor, don’t forget to spoon the extra dressing/sauce over the cooked chicken and broccoli just before serving.
- Marinate the chicken. Optionally, for a bit more flavor, marinate the chicken in Catalina dressing for 15 minutes before cooking.
How to Serve Catalina Chicken
Catalina chicken is pretty saucy. I like to serve it with the broccoli over a bed of jasmine rice or pasta, like garlic butter noodles or tortellini alfredo, to soak up the sauce.
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Season the chicken. Combine garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl, and rub the chicken breasts with the seasoning mixture.
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Cook the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and minced garlic to the skillet; cook for 7 to 8 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir around occasionally. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
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Steam the broccoli. Add water and broccoli to the skillet; cover and cook for 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender.
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Make the sauce. Remove the lid and stir in Catalina salad dressing, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper.
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Put it all together. Add the prepared chicken back to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until heated through and bubbling. Remove from heat.
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Serve. Plate the chicken and broccoli, spoon some sauce over it, sprinkle with cashews, and serve. Optionally, you can serve this over rice.
Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 505mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1.5mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Catalina Chicken
A skillet with a lid makes it easy to steam the broccoli. Otherwise, any large, deep skillet will do the job.
- Cook the chicken. Start by rubbing the chicken with a mix of garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Then, cook the chicken in a large skillet with hot oil and garlic, about 7 minutes per side, until done. Afterward, remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Steam the broccoli. Next, add the broccoli to the same skillet with a splash of water. Place a lid on the skillet and simmer the broccoli for 3 minutes, so it’s crisp-tender.
- Put it all together. Stir the Catalina dressing, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes into the broccoli. Then, nestle the chicken back into the pan. Cook for a few minutes until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce is bubbling.
- Serve. Plate up your Catalina chicken and broccoli, drizzle on the extra sauce, and top with a sprinkle of cashews. Enjoy!
Check That the Chicken Is Cooked
Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. At this point, take it off the heat. The chicken can rest while you prepare the broccoli and sauce, where it’ll finish cooking and redistribute the juices.
Can I Meal Prep This Chicken?
Yes! You can portion the Catalina chicken and broccoli into meal prep containers (along with cooked rice or noodles if you’d like). Store the chicken airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days, and it’s ready to reheat in the microwave.
