Sheet Pan Honey Lemon Chicken with Asparagus

 

8-10 chicken tenders or 4 chicken breasts, sliced horizontally

salt and black pepper to taste

3 T.  coconut aminos , can also sub with gluten-free tamari or low-sodium soy sauce

3 T.  fresh lemon juice 1 lemon

1/3 cup honey

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil OR macadamia nut oil

1/2 T.  finely chopped cilantro , can leave out if you’re not a fan of cilantro

Seasonings:

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. chili powder leave out if sensitive to spice

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

For the Vegetables:

1 cup broccoli florets

1 lb bunch of asparagus , trimmed

 

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray a large sturdy baking sheet with cooking spray or for easier clean-up, line with parchment paper or heavy duty foil. Place the chicken on prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, sweetener, sesame oil, and cilantro together. Drizzle 1/3 of the sauce over the chicken.  Bake for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the seasonings in a small bowl and set aside. After 10 minutes, remove baking pan from the oven, flip the chicken and place the asparagus and broccoli a long the sides of the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables with seasonings and drizzle sauce over the vegetables and some more on the chicken (reserve 1 tsp. for the end). Return the oven back to the pan and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or once the chicken is cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 165ºF. (You may want to remove the vegetables first (so they don’t overcook) if the chicken is not cooked through yet, depending on your level of preference.)  Drizzle the chicken with additional sauce and turn the oven to broil for -2 minutes, until the chicken has a nice brown color (watch closely so the chicken does not burn). Sprinkle with chopped parsley and sesame seeds, if desired and serve hot.