Tomato, lentil, and chicken bake
Not Keto · 4 servings · US measures · 10 min active per base batch per four-serving batch
Total time: 40 min
Chicken and lentils baked in tomato sauce.
No mid-cook action; probe several spots before serving.
The listed pan and basket capacity, cook times, and thermometer endpoint are for four servings.
Ingredients are scaled; keep food thickness, spacing, settings and safe endpoints fixed. Timings assume the four-serving batch and specified shortcuts. More food can require additional batches.
These recipes include household adaptations and recipes adapted from the linked publishers. The adaptations have not been kitchen-tested. Nutrition provenance and source limitations are listed with each recipe; missing nutrition stays unreported.
Read left to right. Each merged cell acts on the ingredient rows feeding into it. Parallel branches stay separate until plating.
| Preheat oven to 425°F (bake). Use a shallow 13×9-inch metal baking dish, foil and an instant-read thermometer. | |||
| Use fully cooked, refrigerated chicken chopped no larger than ¾ inch; raw chicken, dry lentils and frozen chicken blocks are not substitutes. Drain and rinse canned lentils; retain tomato juice; roughly chop spinach. | |||
| Keep the mixed bake no more than 1 inch deep; split into shallow dishes if needed. | |||
480g Canned cooked lentilsdrained and rinsed · Drained weight; canned yield varies. · About 2 × 15 oz (425 g) cans, assuming ~240 g drained per can; check actual yield. | Mix in shallow metal baking dish. | Fold in fully cooked chicken; spread and gently press to an even layer ≤1 inch deep. Then: Cover tightly with foil; bake at 425°F about 20–25 min, until center and several chicken pieces reach 165°F; continue if needed. | Finish baked mixture with lemon and feta. Then: Plate finished meal: divide the moist bake equally among selected portions. |
|---|---|---|---|
411g Canned diced tomatoeswith juice, room temperature · do not drain. · Buy 1 × 14.5 oz (411 g) cans; measure out the required weight. | |||
142g Baby spinachroughly chopped | |||
14g Olive oilas purchased · Mix into the bake. | |||
2g Smoked paprika | |||
2g Ground cumin | |||
2g Garlic powder | |||
½ tsp Dried oregano | |||
2g Fine saltUse the proportional split described in the method. | |||
to taste Black pepper | |||
340g Fully cooked chicken breastplain, refrigerated, chopped no larger than ¾ inch · Already fully cooked; raw chicken is not a substitute. | |||
15g Lemon juiceunsweetened | |||
60g Crumbled fetaas sold · Cheese label and rennet vary. | |||
Ingredients
- 340g Fully cooked chicken breastplain, refrigerated, chopped no larger than ¾ inch · Already fully cooked; raw chicken is not a substitute.
- 480g Canned cooked lentilsdrained and rinsed · Drained weight; canned yield varies. · About 2 × 15 oz (425 g) cans, assuming ~240 g drained per can; check actual yield.
- 411g Canned diced tomatoeswith juice, room temperature · do not drain. · Buy 1 × 14.5 oz (411 g) cans; measure out the required weight.
- 142g Baby spinachroughly chopped
- 14g Olive oilas purchased · Mix into the bake.
- 2g Smoked paprika
- 2g Ground cumin
- 2g Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Dried oregano
- 2g Fine saltUse the proportional split described in the method.
- to taste Black pepper
- 15g Lemon juiceunsweetened
- 60g Crumbled fetaas sold · Cheese label and rennet vary.
Before you start
- Oven at 425°F on bake
- 13×9-inch shallow metal baking dish
- Foil cover
- Instant-read thermometer
Prepare cold sides first. Keep raw-poultry tools separate; use clean serving utensils. Probe more than one thick piece. A timer is not a doneness test.
Cook
- Prepare
Heat the oven to 425°F. In a 13×9-inch shallow metal baking dish, mix lentils, tomatoes, spinach, oil, spices, and salt. Fold in cooked chicken. Spread and gently press to an even layer no more than 1 inch deep; split into two shallow dishes if needed.
- Cook
Cover tightly with foil. Bake about 20–25 minutes. Check the center and several chicken pieces for 165°F; continue if needed.
- Finish
Finish with lemon and feta, then divide into the selected number of equal adult portions. This is a moist bake.
Where your attention goes
- Preheat and mix · 10–12 min
Mix in shallow dish; keep depth no more than 1 inch, split dishes if needed. Cover tightly.
- Bake · 20–25 min
Check center and several chicken pieces for 165°F.
- Finish · 2 min
Add lemon and feta; divide equally.
Stages can overlap. Do not add every row as separate elapsed time. Safe endpoints and actual appliance behavior override the estimate.
Why this works
A tight foil cover and tomato liquid keep precooked chicken moist while lentils heat through.
- Covered tomato liquid protects cooked chicken from drying.
- This is moist, not a crisp tray bake.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 380 kcal; protein: 41.4 g; total carbs: 30.8 g; fiber: 12.6 g; net carbs: 18.2 g
Per adult: base includes measured sauces, seeds and sides. Family nutrition adds one selected starch portion. US net carbs = total carbohydrate − fiber. Labels and food variation matter; no guarantee of ketosis.
- Vitamin K
- 180 mcg · 150% DV
- Niacin (B3)
- 14 mg · 88% DV
- Thiamin (B1)
- 0.9 mg · 76% DV
- Folate
- 304 mcg DFE · 76% DV
- Vitamin B6
- 1 mg · 59% DV
- Selenium
- 30 mcg · 55% DV
- Copper
- 0.5 mg · 51% DV
- Manganese
- 1 mg · 45% DV
- Phosphorus
- 502 mg · 40% DV
- Iron
- 7.1 mg · 39% DV
- Riboflavin (B2)
- 0.4 mg · 34% DV
- Cholesterol
- 86 mg · 29% DV
- Vitamin C
- 26 mg · 29% DV
- Zinc
- 3.2 mg · 29% DV
- Magnesium
- 113 mg · 27% DV
- Vitamin A
- 225 mcg RAE · 25% DV
- Sodium
- 529 mg · 23% DV
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg · 23% DV
- Choline
- 128 mg · 23% DV
- Potassium
- 1097 mg · 23% DV
- Saturated fat
- 3.5 g · 17% DV
- Vitamin E
- 2.4 mg · 16% DV
- Total fat
- 11 g · 14% DV
- Calcium
- 187 mg · 14% DV
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg · 1% DV
Listed allergens: milk. Check purchased labels and cross-contact.
First-cook checks
- Do not substitute raw chicken, dry lentils, or frozen chicken blocks.
- First cook should log depth, starting temperatures, and time to 165°F.
- Check every packaged ingredient label for additional allergens; this data is not an allergy guarantee.
Leftovers
Refrigerate in shallow containers within two hours, or one hour above 90°F. Use within 3–4 days or freeze; reheat to 165°F. Keep cold greens and yogurt separate.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central source data
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/download-datasets/ - FoodSafety.gov safe minimum temperatures
https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures - ABC chicken-lentil tray pairing
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-02/easy-chicken-and-lentil-tray-bake/104313206
These recipes include household adaptations and recipes adapted from the linked publishers. The adaptations have not been kitchen-tested. Nutrition provenance and source limitations are listed with each recipe; missing nutrition stays unreported.