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This past week while standing around on a photo shoot, my coworkers and I noticed that our conversations somehow kept circling back to food (as often seems to happen!). I was getting ready to go grocery shopping that night, so asked if anyone had any blog-worthy chicken recipes to recommend. My friend, Jen, immediately lit up and told us about this hummus-crusted chicken recipe she had recently tried and loved.
Um, “hummus-crusted”??? Sign me up!
Somehow the idea of using hummus as a sauce in baking had never occurred to me. But as soon as she mentioned it, the recipe moved to the top of my list. So this weekend, I picked up some chicken and my favorite hummus (thought about going homemade, but I was in the mood for quick and easy). And then in order to make it a one-pot meal, I also picked up a bunch of veggies to bake up alongside the chicken. And then in less than 10 minutes of prep time, roughly chopped the veggies and added them and the chicken breasts to a big baking dish, slathered the chicken with hummus and some lemon juices, sprinkled on a little sumac (or you can use smoked paprika), and popped it in the oven. About a half hour later, I learned what “hummus-crusted” is all about.
Pure deliciousness, people.
I took the dish to a friend’s house for dinner on Saturday night, and we couldn’t stop talking about how amazingly flavorful and yummy this dish was! The hummus was the total rockstar of the dish — it indeed developed a light crust on the chicken, and then some of the extra oozed onto the veggies to give them a little extra sauce to go with the light lemony flavor. You could easily add some extra herbs, or balsamic, or even a little white wine to go with this. And of course, you could customize it by using your favorite flavors of hummus. But honestly, I loved the simple version with classic chickpea hummus. And holy moly — you can’t beat a one-pot meal with less than 10 minutes of prep time!
Highly recommend that you give this one a try. Thanks, Jen!!
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare one large baking dish or two smaller baking dishes with cooking spray.
Pat the chicken dry. Season the chicken breasts with generous pinches of salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, squash and onion with olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.
If using one baking dish, place all of the vegetables on the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Lay the four chicken breasts evenly on top, then cover each chicken breast with the hummus so that the entire breast is covered. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the chicken and vegetables. Then sprinkle the pan with smoked paprika or sumac. Thinly slice the remaining lemon, and place the slices in between the chicken and vegetables if desired.
**If using two pans, use one for the chicken and one for the vegetables.**
Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve immediately.
This was DELISH!! I used 2 chicken breasts, cut in half with yellow squash and onions on the bottom. I did not use lemon juice.. it was so moist and yummy!! Thank you! :)
Yum Yum Yum! Made this last night for dinner- prep time was less then 15 min (I added mushrooms which were awesome) and then 25min bake time for an ABSOLUTELY delish dinner that is full of flavor!!Thank you for posting this recipe! This will now be added to my work night meal lists instead of eating out for dinner :)
Can’t have lemon or hummus right now due to acid-reflux dietary restrictions, but as soon as I’m able to eat them again, this will be the first thing I make. Sounds fantastic!
I cooked the chicken over asparagus tonight and it was delicious! My family loved it and it was a huge hit! Such an easy recipe that you can change based on your family’s tastes–or whats in the fridge! Definitely will be making this again!
I think I am in love. I have not tried this as of yet, but I have never cooked with hummus because I thought it couldn’t be done. I spread that stuff on everything I can. I will be trying this very soon with my favorite roasted red pepper hummus or roasted garlic. But I’m sure either one will turn out great!!
I’m making this meal tonight … the only modification is I’m adding mushrooms to squash and zucchini. Can’t wait to see how yummy it is, as I’ve just recently started eating hummus. I’ve definitely been missing out on a good thing. Thanks for sharing!
This looks and sounds like such a wonderful recipe that I cannot wait to try. However, I am new to the whole cooking game and was wondering what type of dish can I use in the oven at degrees over 400? So far I have not cooked anything above 375. I just don’t want anything to explode on me…
Did NOT look like the photo, but it was delicious! I had to put aluminum foil over it the last ten minutes or it would have been way too darkly crusted. I used “garlic lovers” hummus this time and am looking forward to trying other flavors. Worked great on chicken thighs – just added ten minutes and loosely covered with alum foil for the last ten minutes.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! 2 things I will do different next time, cook the veggies seperately as they were mushy and not use as much hummus. Maybe even 1/2 cup would be enough.
I tried this recipe tonight. I wish I could say I loved it. I WANTED to love it, but it was just too lemony, too bitter, too disappointing all around! It’s not something I will try again …
Oh my! I’m currently going dairy free because I’m breastfeeding and think my son is sensitive. Someone pointed me in the direction of this recipe and let me say it is AMAZING! This is a keeper. Thank you!!
I’ve made a similar version with spicy garlic hummus and a little basalmic vinegar and it was wonderful! I also used mushrooms with it which were great!
I have made this 5 or 6 times now and my whole family loves it!!! Thank you so much for this easy and amazing recipe. The only thing I change is that I cook it at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes.
I tried to make this tonight and was so excited about it…but mine didn’t turn out. The hummus didn’t get crusty, it just stayed mushy on the chicken and mostly slid off of it into the pan. If I had cooked it any longer the chicken would have been overdone. Made for a weird mix of textures. Did I use too much or too little or what? The veggies were great at least.
Oh man — strange! If the hummus was on too thick, it might not have gotten very crusty. Also be sure that the chicken is patted dry before you add the hummus. Otherwise, different brands of hummus have more oil than others. Could have been that. Hope it turns out better for you next time!
I loved this dinner! It’s so elegant. I cooked the squashes for about10 mins. I added a side of black olives and some finely chopped bell pepper. Thank you!
Just wanted to say this recipe has become a staple in our home!! Love how easy it is to prepare, and you can pretty much use any veggies you have in the fridge. I especially love it with some spicy 3-pepper hummus for a little extra kick, and add some sweet chili sauce on the side to dip in the veggies. Also, I cook it at 375 for at least 40 min. or else my chicken breasts won’t fully cook (but everyone’s oven is a bit different)!
I made this recipe this afternoon – TWICE, BECAUSE IT WAS SO GOOD. (The oven was still on and I still had uncooked chicken and squash)
Your statement above is so true: “The hummus was the total rockstar of the dish — it indeed developed a light crust on the chicken, and then some of the extra oozed onto the veggies to give them a little extra sauce to go with the light lemony flavor”
I couldn’t believe how delicious it turned out. Moist and juicy in only 30 minutes.
A couple of notes about how I cooked the recipe:
1. I used a big package of summer baby squash from Costco. For the first recipe I used only about what would have equaled the amount of squash you mentioned in the recipe. For the second recipe I used the rest of the package because I wanted more squash to result (I only had two chicken breasts left.)
2. I used a Vidalia Chop Wizard (the “chop” blade) to cut up the onion and summer squash. With the baby squash you can just put the whole squash on the grate and swing down – it chops the whole squash into large dice. I actually like the texture the diced squash and onion makes. It picks up the lemon juice and hummus juice so well.
3. I used “Tribe Zesty Spice and Garlic” hummus. One container = 1 cup. Lovely flavor.
Absolutely stunningly delicious recipe! Thank you. A real easy stand-by dish for me now.
This was ridiculously good. We ate it so fast! We did it with organic Hope hummus original recipe…but we now want to try it with all of the Hope hummus flavors.
Also used organic frozen veggies. The frozen veggies made kind of a sauce in the pan and we put the veggies and the sauce over rice. Went really nicely with our organic chicken!
Delicious! I used homemade roasted garlic hummus, and used cauliflower instead of squash with some more roasted garlic! Mmmm…nice hearty meal that is still light!
I made this dish and it was delicious! However, I altered it by adding some balsamic vinegar to the veggies when I was tossing them. Then added them at the bottom of the baking dish and placed the chicken ontop. FANTASTIC!
This was DELISH!! I used 2 chicken breasts, cut in half with yellow squash and onions on the bottom. I did not use lemon juice.. it was so moist and yummy!! Thank you! :)
Yum Yum Yum! Made this last night for dinner- prep time was less then 15 min (I added mushrooms which were awesome) and then 25min bake time for an ABSOLUTELY delish dinner that is full of flavor!!Thank you for posting this recipe! This will now be added to my work night meal lists instead of eating out for dinner :)
This was so,so good!!! I used red pepper hummus because that is what I ad on hand and added some grape tomatoes I needed to use up. Very flavorful!
My roommate made this for dinner after we saw the recipe on Pintrest last week. It was yummy and would be fun to try with different flavors of hummus.
Can’t have lemon or hummus right now due to acid-reflux dietary restrictions, but as soon as I’m able to eat them again, this will be the first thing I make. Sounds fantastic!
I cooked the chicken over asparagus tonight and it was delicious! My family loved it and it was a huge hit! Such an easy recipe that you can change based on your family’s tastes–or whats in the fridge! Definitely will be making this again!
I used broccoli … no other veggies in the house. Yum!
Sorry for an unexpected stupid question. Do you measure your temperature in °F or °K??
I’m making this tonight! Only difference is I am going to cut the chicken open and stuff some hummus inside the chicken breast. Yum!
I think I am in love. I have not tried this as of yet, but I have never cooked with hummus because I thought it couldn’t be done. I spread that stuff on everything I can. I will be trying this very soon with my favorite roasted red pepper hummus or roasted garlic. But I’m sure either one will turn out great!!
I’m making this meal tonight … the only modification is I’m adding mushrooms to squash and zucchini. Can’t wait to see how yummy it is, as I’ve just recently started eating hummus. I’ve definitely been missing out on a good thing. Thanks for sharing!
This looks so amazing. I love hummus! I can’t wait to try it on chicken.
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I have made it twice in the last 2 weeks. And I have told many people about it. Absolutely delicious!!
This looks and sounds like such a wonderful recipe that I cannot wait to try. However, I am new to the whole cooking game and was wondering what type of dish can I use in the oven at degrees over 400? So far I have not cooked anything above 375. I just don’t want anything to explode on me…
Making this tomorrow night but I’m adding rice. Look’s delicious, can’t wait to try it!
I just made this and it was incredible! We used garlic-coriander hummus and now this recipe is one of our new favorites!
This recipe is incredible! And it’s so easy to prepare! Took maybe less than 7 minutes
If I use flavored hummus do I need the sumac or smoked paprika?
Ok, so I tried this today…. But the humus slid off the chicken while in the oven… What did I do wrong? Or how do I keep it on the chicken next time?
Did you pat the chicken dry?
Yes, that will help the hummus stick to the chicken.
Just cooked this and LOVED it!
In the oven now. Smells so good.
WOW!!! This tastes terrific!!
I pinned this several months ago and, while making my menu for the week, remembered it.
I used a sun-dried tomato flavored hummus and added jarred sun-dried tomatoes also. My whole family loved both the chicken and the vegetables!
Made this for my family tonight and they loved it! It was juicy and very flavorful! Thanks for the recipe
Delicious look. Wow
Did NOT look like the photo, but it was delicious! I had to put aluminum foil over it the last ten minutes or it would have been way too darkly crusted. I used “garlic lovers” hummus this time and am looking forward to trying other flavors. Worked great on chicken thighs – just added ten minutes and loosely covered with alum foil for the last ten minutes.
This looks so insanely good! So going to try this!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! 2 things I will do different next time, cook the veggies seperately as they were mushy and not use as much hummus. Maybe even 1/2 cup would be enough.
I tried this recipe tonight. I wish I could say I loved it. I WANTED to love it, but it was just too lemony, too bitter, too disappointing all around! It’s not something I will try again …
Outstanding!!! Hubby had doubles and my baby ate a full adult portion!!!
Delicious!!!
Oh my! I’m currently going dairy free because I’m breastfeeding and think my son is sensitive. Someone pointed me in the direction of this recipe and let me say it is AMAZING! This is a keeper. Thank you!!
I’ve made a similar version with spicy garlic hummus and a little basalmic vinegar and it was wonderful! I also used mushrooms with it which were great!
I have made this 5 or 6 times now and my whole family loves it!!! Thank you so much for this easy and amazing recipe. The only thing I change is that I cook it at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes.
I tried to make this tonight and was so excited about it…but mine didn’t turn out. The hummus didn’t get crusty, it just stayed mushy on the chicken and mostly slid off of it into the pan. If I had cooked it any longer the chicken would have been overdone. Made for a weird mix of textures. Did I use too much or too little or what? The veggies were great at least.
Hi Haley,
Oh man — strange! If the hummus was on too thick, it might not have gotten very crusty. Also be sure that the chicken is patted dry before you add the hummus. Otherwise, different brands of hummus have more oil than others. Could have been that. Hope it turns out better for you next time!
~Ali
In the oven!!! After reading comments, I used less hummus. Looks and smells delicious!
Really loved this recipe! Served mine with a Mediterranean quinoa salad and it was a hit!
I loved this dinner! It’s so elegant. I cooked the squashes for about10 mins. I added a side of black olives and some finely chopped bell pepper. Thank you!
Just wanted to say this recipe has become a staple in our home!! Love how easy it is to prepare, and you can pretty much use any veggies you have in the fridge. I especially love it with some spicy 3-pepper hummus for a little extra kick, and add some sweet chili sauce on the side to dip in the veggies. Also, I cook it at 375 for at least 40 min. or else my chicken breasts won’t fully cook (but everyone’s oven is a bit different)!
I made this recipe this afternoon – TWICE, BECAUSE IT WAS SO GOOD. (The oven was still on and I still had uncooked chicken and squash)
Your statement above is so true: “The hummus was the total rockstar of the dish — it indeed developed a light crust on the chicken, and then some of the extra oozed onto the veggies to give them a little extra sauce to go with the light lemony flavor”
I couldn’t believe how delicious it turned out. Moist and juicy in only 30 minutes.
A couple of notes about how I cooked the recipe:
1. I used a big package of summer baby squash from Costco. For the first recipe I used only about what would have equaled the amount of squash you mentioned in the recipe. For the second recipe I used the rest of the package because I wanted more squash to result (I only had two chicken breasts left.)
2. I used a Vidalia Chop Wizard (the “chop” blade) to cut up the onion and summer squash. With the baby squash you can just put the whole squash on the grate and swing down – it chops the whole squash into large dice. I actually like the texture the diced squash and onion makes. It picks up the lemon juice and hummus juice so well.
3. I used “Tribe Zesty Spice and Garlic” hummus. One container = 1 cup. Lovely flavor.
Absolutely stunningly delicious recipe! Thank you. A real easy stand-by dish for me now.
Tried this last night and it was wonderful!!!!
Have cooked this twice and it is delicious
This dish sounds delicious!!! I never thought of using humus inn a baked chicken recipe but I’ll be sure to do so soon.
This was ridiculously good. We ate it so fast! We did it with organic Hope hummus original recipe…but we now want to try it with all of the Hope hummus flavors.
Also used organic frozen veggies. The frozen veggies made kind of a sauce in the pan and we put the veggies and the sauce over rice. Went really nicely with our organic chicken!
Thank you so much!!!!
What an awesome idea!! So excited to try this!
Delicious! My kids even liked it :)
I made this last night and it was delicious! The boyfriend loved it as well (except the veggies, but I’m working on it!). Thanks for the idea!
Thanks for this awesome and simple recipe. The chicken was so moist (some of the best I’ve had baked) and flavorful.
Phenomenal!! I used sabra roasted red bell pepper hummus…delicious!
Delicious! I used homemade roasted garlic hummus, and used cauliflower instead of squash with some more roasted garlic! Mmmm…nice hearty meal that is still light!
This recipe wasn’t for me. It came out like it should but it was a texture problem for me.
I made this dish and it was delicious! However, I altered it by adding some balsamic vinegar to the veggies when I was tossing them. Then added them at the bottom of the baking dish and placed the chicken ontop. FANTASTIC!