This classic lemon chicken tray bake is a real crowd pleaser. Using chicken thighs makes this flavoursome tray bake cheap and delicious all at the same time. It makes an easy roast dinner alternative if you’re having a lazy day. This recipe serves 4 people and will take around 2hrs and 15 mins to prepare and cook – it’s well worth the wait and best to make in advance too so the chicken has plenty of time to marinate and absorb the flavours of the lemon and soya sauce before cooking. This dish is a great alternative to your usual Sunday roast dinner plus its an all-in-one, one-pot which means you save on washing up too.
Ingredients
- For the
- marinade:
- 8
- , boneless and skin on
- 4tbsp soy sauce
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1tbsp sugar
- For the
- lemon chicken tray bake:
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1tbs rosemary, very finely chopped
- 50g breadcrumbs.
- 400g maris piper potatoes
- 2 red onions, quartered
- Squeezed lemon halves from 1 lemon (keep the juice)
- 1 head garlic, halved horizontally
- Black pepper, to season
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Flat leaf parsley, to serve
- You'll also need:
- A roasting tray
Method
In a large bowl, marinate the chicken thighs in the soy sauce, juice and zest of 1 lemon and sugar for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F fan/Gas Mark 6.
In a large frying pan heat some oil over a medium heat and fry the diced onion and garlic for around 5 mins until softened, then add in the rosemary and breadcrumbs.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off the excess, reserve the marinade for basting. Open out the thighs with a sharp knife and stuff with the breadcrumb stuffing, use a cocktail stick to secure them.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and parboil the potatoes for 5 mins, then drain and add these to a roasting tray along with the chicken, the red onions, the squeezed lemon halves and the halved head of garlic then season with black pepper.
Drizzle over some olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 1hr, 20 mins.
Before the end of cooking, scatter over any remaining breadcrumbs, and return to the oven until golden.
Garnish with some flat leaf parsley and squeeze over the juice from the roasted lemons and serve.
Top tip for making Lemon chicken tray bake
Chicken thighs are nice and cheap but you could also chicken breasts in this recipe if you like.
