This easy chicken ratatouille is a quick, one-pot version of the classic French recipe! It’s packed with fresh garden vegetables sautéed with juicy seared chicken bites and savory Mediterranean herbs. Throw it in the pan and enjoy a delicious summer meal in 30 minutes or less!
I love remaking the classics, from chicken cassoulet to traditional bouillabaisse. This protein-packed version of traditional ratatouille is a longstanding favorite!
As kids, my mom would make us chicken ratatouille at least twice a week during the summer. Now, as I’m a mom myself, I understand why. This feel-good chicken and veggie dish is a meal in one, ready in 25 minutes with simple, fresh ingredients. The longest step is chopping the veggies, but luckily, my kids help with that! You’re going to love how easy this ratatouille is to make and how delicious it tastes.
Why This One Pot Chicken Ratatouille Is a Family Favorite
- A meal in one. Chicken ratatouille is a lot like my easy chicken and vegetables skillet. It’s the best way to pack a whole lot of summer vegetables, protein, and deliciousness onto a plate. It’s a meal in one, just add a side of rice.
- One skillet. And one chopping board. That’s all you need. No mess, easy clean-up, and a satisfying meal. WINNING!
- Fresh ingredients. Right before all the dicing and chopping happens, we raid Baba’s (Grandma’s) garden for the goods: Zucchini, peppers, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and parsley. All of those deliciously ripe, late summer veggies go straight into this chicken ratatouille.
What Is Ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a French dish of stewed late harvest vegetables, traditionally tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and zucchini. My family’s recipe adds chicken as an easy way to make it a whole meal. I make this weeknight chicken ratatouille in the style of a hash or stir-fry, so it’s quick and ready in one pan.
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe
My family was lucky enough to have a big garden full of vegetables in the summertime, including the veggies needed to make this easy chicken dish. I always snuck a few cucumbers for a cucumber onion salad while I was in there!
I’ve included notes on my chicken ratatouille ingredients here. Scroll down to the recipe card below the post for the printable list and recipe details.
- Olive Oil – For sautéeing. You can use any cooking oil you’d like. Butter is another option for a richer flavor.
- Chicken – I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts as they’re easy to dice into cubes. You could make this recipe with chicken sausage or even another protein, like steak. Keep in mind that different proteins need different cooking times.
- Onion – Classic ratatouille includes onion and carrots. For this recipe, I skip the carrots but keep the thinly sliced yellow onions. Shallots also work nicely.
- Zucchini – When picking zucchini, opt for firm, bright green ones (even better if they’re from the garden). You could also use yellow zucchini, another type of summer squash.
- Eggplant – Choose firm, deep purple eggplant without any mushy spots or blemishes.
- Bell Pepper – I use a combination of yellow and green bell pepper, but any color combo works.
- Garlic – I recommend freshly minced garlic, but you can substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic paste or garlic powder per fresh clove in a pinch.
- Tomatoes – Sliced. Choose a ripe, firm tomato variety, like Roma tomato, that holds up when cooked. You could also use cherry tomatoes.
- Fresh Herbs – Chopped basil and parsley for garnish.
Tips and Variations
- Chop the ingredients to be the same size. Do your best to chop your chicken and vegetables for ratatouille into the same-size pieces for even cooking.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Cubed chicken breast cooks quickly. You’ll only need to sear it for 2-3 minutes before adding the vegetables to the pan. If you cook the chicken fully first, it’ll be overcooked by the time the vegetables are done.
- Swap the veggies. One of the great things about this recipe is that it’s easy to swap the ingredients depending on what your family prefers. Not a fan of tomatoes? Kids who won’t touch eggplant? Skip them, or substitute vegetables like potatoes, broccoli, green beans, and mushrooms instead.
- Get creative with herbs. Swap basil for thyme, rosemary, or cilantro. If you’re using dried herbs instead of fresh, you’ll need approximately 3x the amount.
What to Serve With Chicken Ratatouille
Serve this chicken ratatouille with white rice or bright, zesty lemon rice for a light yet filling summer dinner. It’s how we always served it, almost always with Baba’s Macedonian dinner rolls (kifli) on the side.
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- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 3 zucchini, (about 1 pound), sliced into half moons
- 1 eggplant, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tomatoes, sliced
- 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
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Cook the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to skillet and cook until browned on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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Add veggies. Add onion, zucchini, eggplant, and peppers; season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Continue to cook over medium-high heat for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until fork-tender.
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Add the remaining ingredients. Add tomatoes, basil, and parsley and cook for about 3 more minutes, or until heated through. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
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Enjoy! Serve on its own or over brown rice, quinoa, etc.
Serving: 6ounces | Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 1025mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1215IU | Vitamin C: 88mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg
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 Ratatouille With Chicken
Don’t be surprised when the whole family begs for this easy dinner on repeat! I find myself cooking it often because it’s practically effortless. These are the steps:
- Brown the chicken. Heat oil in a skillet while you season your cubed chicken with salt and pepper. Then, sauté the chicken until it’s browned on all sides. The cubes usually cook quickly, in only 2-3 minutes.
- Add the veggies. Next, add your chopped onion, zucchini, eggplant, and peppers. I like to add another generous pinch each of salt and pepper here, too.
- Cook. Stir the mixture together and cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
- Add tomatoes. Lastly, stir in the tomatoes and herbs. Let that heat through, then serve!
Storage and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Place the chicken and vegetables in airtight containers to refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. Warm the leftover ratatouille in a skillet over low heat until it’s warmed through.
- Freeze. You can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. Bear in mind that the vegetables may become a bit watery when they’re thawed and reheated.
