Easy and satisfying, this chicken tray bake has a Spanish twist
Here I’ve given chicken thighs a Spanish twist by tossing them in a tray with chorizo, red and yellow peppers, paprika and potatoes. It’s a low-effort, high-impact dish.
When I have the time and desire, I love pottering in the kitchen, adding layers of flavour and texture to a dish. Some recipes demand that kind of attention and care. But the reality is that I can’t cook like this all the time, especially midweek. So I’m always looking to find simple ways to feed my family just as well on busy weeknights as I do on leisurely weekends, all while keeping the joy in cooking alive. For me, the perfect solution is one-tray cooking.
This recipe features my favourite ingredient: chicken thighs. You can’t beat them for their versatility, affordability, and forgiving nature; it’s hard to overcook a thigh. Here I’ve given them a Spanish twist by tossing them in a tray with chorizo, red and yellow peppers, paprika and potatoes. It’s a low-effort, high-impact dish. I prefer using thighs with the bone in and skin on for that all-important crispy skin. You can use skinless, boneless thighs, but they will give slightly different (but still delicious) results. I would also toss them midway through cooking. Serve it with a green salad and some crusty bread.
I use a 35cm x 22cm x 10cm tray with a capacity of 3.5L, but the size isn’t crucial; the main thing is that the meat in both these recipes is in one layer.
Try also my lamb chop tray bake recipe.
Chicken & chorizo tray bake
Ingredients
- 500g potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces
- 4-6 chicken cutlets, skin on, bone in
- 1 red capsicum
- 1 yellow capsicum
- 1 red onion
- 1 chorizo
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt flakes
- 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan-forced). Cut the onion in half, then cut each half into 5 pieces. Halve and deseed each capsicum and cut each half into 4 pieces lengthways. Roughly chop or squeeze out your chorizo into bite-sized nuggets.
- Add all ingredients to a large tray: the potatoes, capsicums, onion, chorizo, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, rosemary, olive oil, and vinegar. Toss everything together with your hands to coat it well, then settle everything back into the tray, making sure to place the chicken, skin side up, on top of everything. Tuck in any chorizo and red onion under the thighs as these tend to burn quickly.
- Place the tray in the oven and cook for 50 minutes to one hour or until the chicken is crisp and cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Serve with a lightly dressed green salad. Serves 4