Sheet Pan Chicken with Pineapple Salsa is cubed chicken breasts nestled and baked with cabbage and served topped with pineapple salsa and avocado cream sauce. This is one of the BEST sheet pan dinners I have ever made! Beyond satisfying and so beautiful. For another one-pan chicken recipe, try my Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas.
Sheet Pan Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
Sheet pan meals are such wonderful recipes to make. They are easy to put together and it is an easy clean-up! Technically, this recipe does include two extra containers for the avocado cream sauce and pineapple salsa. But, you could make those two things ahead of time so they are ready to go when you make the chicken. The cream sauce is from my Pan-Seared Cod with Avocado Cream Sauce recipe, which you will have to try, too!
Sheet Pan Chicken Ingredients
There are three parts to this recipe, which could have been called Sheet Pan Chicken with Pineapple Salsa and Avocado Cream Sauce, but that is quite the mouthful. Plus, your mouth will be full of all the delicious flavors in this recipe, anyway.
Avocados: Avocados are a fruit that many consider a superfood. It is high in healthy fats, very nutritious, and has a nice flavor and texture. I will let you know how to pick out a ripe avocado below.
Pineapple: For the salsa, you could use fresh or canned (drained) pineapple.
Chicken: Cut up boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. (Just like my chicken bites) You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Cabbage: You can shred a head of cabbage, any color, or a combination of, which I will explain how below. Or, you could use a pre-shredded bag of cabbage.
How to Shred Cabbage
Using a head of cabbage and shredding it on your own can save you some money when compared to buying pre-shredded bags of cabbage. In addition, it’s going to be the freshest way to go. Don’t be intimated by the process; it’s easy and it doesn’t really take that long!
- Remove loose leaves.
- Half or quarter the cabbage.
- Remove the stem/core.
- Thinly slice the cabbage.
- Use it immediately for the best results. (If you are not using it right away, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.)
Please note: After the cabbage is baked with the chicken, it still has a little crunch to it (which we all liked). However, if you want less crunchy cabbage, simply cook it for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the sheet pan.
Can I Make Sheet Pan Chicken with Pineapple Salsa Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can get a head start with this sheet pan chicken recipe. It will save some time if you make the avocado cream sauce and pineapple salsa the day before. Simply store both in the refrigerator, covered. When storing the cream sauce, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap that is touching the top of the sauce. This will help prevent the avocado from browning.
Can I Make this with Whole Chicken Breasts?
Yes, you can season chicken breasts and place them whole on the sheet pan with the cabbage. However, you will probably have to adjust the cooking time based on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts.
Sheet Pan Chicken with Pineapple Salsa Tacos!
A great idea for this recipe is to add the baked sheet-pan chicken and cabbage to a flour tortilla. Then, top with the avocado cream sauce and pineapple salsa to bring your Taco Tuesdays to a whole new level!
Sheet Pan Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
Avocado Cream Sauce
- 1 large avocado
- ½ medium lime, juiced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 medium jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced (approximately ½ cup)
- 1½ teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup (115g) sour cream
Pineapple Salsa
- 1 cup (181g) pineapple, fresh or canned, finely diced
- 1 cup (180g) Roma tomatoes, finely diced (2 tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup (40g) red onion, finely diced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (approximately ¼ cup)
- 4 tablespoons lime juice, about 2 limes, or use bottled lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Sheet Pan Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 head cabbage, shredded (about 10 cups, any color)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup (113g) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
Avocado Cream Sauce
- To a blender, add avocado, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and sour cream. Blend until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.
Pineapple Salsa
- In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt. Chill until ready to serve.
Sheet Pan Chicken
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, add chicken and olive oil. Toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and sugar. Sprinkle over chicken. Toss to combine.
- To the prepared baking sheet, add cabbage, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Nestle the chicken on top of the cabbage and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the dish. Place the chicken back into the oven to bake for an additional 5, or until the cheese has melted and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Serve the chicken topped with pineapple salsa and avocado cream sauce.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
Made this recently. It was soooo good! Great flavor by itself or on wraps. Loved the avocado dressing. Will make again!
This is soooooooo good! Easily prepped early. Make it and impressed your dinner guests! : )
I made this last night exactly according to the recipe and it was DELICIOUS!! Definitely a keeper recipe!! @iamhomesteader
This recipe looks delicious! I am thinking of making this tonight using pre-prepared chicken, onions and pepper strips that has been preseasoned with fajita spices (from my Mexican market). I was wondering how much this recipe makes? I see it calls for 10 Cups of shredded cabbage. With the 2 lbs chicken and additional ingredients, this seems like it will serve a crowd! What is the finished amount of this dish?
The recipe is listed as six servings.
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was absolutely delicious. The recipe was easy to follow, and it will be added to our regular rotation
So delicious and easy to put together. Plan to make it when we have guests. Made the salsa and avocado sauce ahead of time and they actually gained more flavor. Thanks for sharing!
This was delicious and refreshing
Would you happen to know the nutritional information for this recipe?
Hi, your recipes are delicious sounding. I have a problem with the Avocado Sauce for the top of the chicken. My son can’t eat Avocado. Do you have any ideas how I could make this without Avocado?
You can omit it. There is a lot of flavor with the pineapple salsa and will still make it a delicious dish!
This looks good. I am always looking for easy, light and fresh tasting meals. Question – do you think it would be good as a lunch meal prep? Would the avocado salsa n Ed to be modified to make it last for several days worth of meals?
Hi! I think I would avoid the salsa and sauce addition until ready to eat. You can absolutely make the chicken & cabbage and then portion off, then just add the toppings right before eating. 🙂