Spring chicken tray bake recipe

An easy one pot tray bake of tender succulent chicken thighs with zesty lemon and fresh spring veg.

There is so much spring hopefulness about this dish. Fresh new season greens, Mediterranean herbs and the spark of yellow citrus. It's easy to prepare as well - everything goes in one pot together. If you're on a low carb diet, the chicken and greens make a full, filling meal on their own. However, if you are serving to the family or guests, we like to add potatoes too. We've used chicken thighs here for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they are tastier than chicken breast, and bake with a better texture. You should find they are so tender after cooking they will just pull apart, with hardly any need for a knife. Secondly, they're cheaper, making this delicious dish really affordable. If you prefer you can use the skinned and boned variety, which are still cheaper than chicken breasts.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 small skin-on chicken thighs
• 150ml chicken stock
• 6 spring onions
• 100g Tenderstem broccoli
• 100g sugar snaps
• 1 lemon, quartered
• small handful oregano
• 500g new potatoes, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Heat the oil in a flameproof and ovenproof dish on the hob until hot. Carefully add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden and crisp.
2. Remove from the hob and carefully pour over the stock and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken from the oven and add the vegetables and lemon quarters to the pan, making sure to coat them in the stock, and season well. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are just tender. Scatter with oregano and serve with new potatoes.

Top tips for making spring chicken tray bake

If you don't have a hob and ovenproof dish to cook this traybake in, you can brown the chicken in a non-stick frying pan before transferring it to an overproof dish. Ensure that you transfer any juices and crispy bits as well, for the best flavour.

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