Weeknight dinners are not the time to go all-out gourmet. They typically get thrown together at the end of a long day, so a quick, tasty, and healthy recipe is ideal. This flavor-packed BBQ chicken and green beans recipe saves time and effort by starting with a pre-made sauce and roasting beans in the oven during the last 20 minutes cooking the chicken. Complete your plates with some pre-cooked frozen brown rice to add some filling complex-carbs to the menu.
These recipes can work with any vegetable or meat—swap chicken for tofu for a vegetarian twist. To save time in future meals, make some extra sauce to use later in the week, reheat leftovers for a second night, or put extra chicken on a salad or wrap for a tasty lunch.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 4 servings
Asian BBQ Chicken
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
3/4 cup Thai chili sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
8 skin-on chicken drumsticks
Sesame Roasted Green Beans
1 pound of fresh green beans trimmed
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
Sesame seeds (for garnish)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Drizzle olive oil on a foiled roasting pan and place drumsticks on pan. Roast for 30 minutes.
3. While chicken is roasting, combine BBQ sauce, Thai chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and ground ginger in a saucepan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until hot. Set aside.
4. On a second foiled pan place green beans. Drizzle sesame oil, garlic powder, and salt. Toss beans to coat. Set aside.
5. When chicken has baked for 30 minutes, remove from oven briefly to coat drumsticks with sauce, then return to oven for ten additional minutes. Place beans in oven below chicken.
6. After ten minutes of roasting, remove chicken and beans from oven, brush more sauce on chicken, toss beans, and return to oven for another 10 minutes. Remove both chicken and green beans when chicken is cooked through and beans are slightly shriveled with brown spots.
Note: Oven temperatures may vary. Chicken is cooked when the inside is no longer pink and juices run clear.
7. Sprinkle sesame seeds on green beans and serve with steamed brown rice.
Rebecca Scritchfield is a registered dietitian/nutritionist and founder of Capitol Nutrition Group in Washington, DC.
