Culinary whiz Caroline Chambers is an expert in crafting weeknight meals that don't compromise on flavor — after all, she is the author of What to Do When You Don't Feel Like Cooking, the top cooking newsletter on Substack. She's built a repertoire of doable, lip-smacking meals that can fit seamlessly into any household's weekly rotation. So when she throws together a sheet-pan meal that takes only 30 minutes, we're all ears.
In Chambers's new book, What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking: Make it Fast, she debuts her sheet-pan lemon-oregano chicken and squash. "Sometimes it’s the dead of summer — also known as high grilling season — but you simply do not feel like grilling," Chambers writes. "There’s a strong dividing line between 'hot enough to grill' and 'too hot to grill.' When yellow squash and zucchini are abundant, but you cannot bear to stand near a flame, this sheet pan chicken dinner is the move."
Fans of Mediterranean flavors will love the balance of tangy brine, earthy herbs, and luxurious feta. "It’s important to note that the bread isn’t an afterthought," Chambers notes. "Using it to scoop up the softened veg, creamy cheese, and briny olives (and to wipe the plate clean) is arguably the best part."
Sheet Pan Summery Lemon Oregano Chicken and Squash
Author: Caroline Chambers
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Calories: 650
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 medium yellow squash
- 1 large lemon
- 1 jar (5- to 6-ounce) pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano, drained (about 1 cup)
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning
- Kosher salt
- 6 oregano sprigs
- 1 large loaf focaccia or other chewy bread
- Big pinch of flaky sea salt
- 4 ounces goat, brine-packed feta, or ricotta salata cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Trim off any white fat from the chicken thighs. Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Thinly slice the lemon. Tear or slice the olives in half.
- Place the chicken, zucchini, squash, lemon slices, and olives on a baking sheet and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the Greek seasoning, 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, and oregano sprigs to coat well. Spread the chicken, zucchini, squash, lemon slices, and olives into an even layer, overlapping them as little as possible. Meanwhile, thinly slice the scallions.
- Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 25 minutes. If they’re lacking color, broil for a few minutes at the very end to brown things up a bit.
- Meanwhile, place the focaccia on a separate baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the flaky salt. During the final 5 minutes of cooking the chicken thighs, place the pan in the oven to warm the focaccia through (but don’t broil it).
- Crumble the cheese over the chicken and veggies, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with some pepper. Serve your summer medley straight from the baking sheet, with big hunks of sliced or torn focaccia for sopping up all the juices.
Riff: Use dried Italian seasoning in place of Greek seasoning, and serve with pesto!
Recipe reprinted with permission from What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking: Make it Fast by Caroline Chambers © 2026. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photography by Erin Scott.
