Looking for a simple and delicious dinner recipe that’s ready in under an hour? Look no further than Rick Stein’s Garlic Chicken Traybake from his Simple Suppers cookbook. This dish is packed with flavor and easy to make, making it perfect for a busy weeknight.
The recipe calls for crispy chicken thighs, tender vegetables like courgettes, fennel, and potatoes, all bathed in a flavorful garlic sauce. I opted to skip the lemon juice in the recipe and used a little more oil instead, but you can certainly follow Rick’s original recipe if you prefer.
I found this recipe to be surprisingly easy and fast to prepare. I preheated my oven to 200C Fan and then got started on prepping the ingredients. The chicken thighs were browned in a frying pan before being arranged in a roasting tin with the vegetables. The garlic, thyme, and olive oil mixture was then poured over the chicken and vegetables, and the whole thing was baked for 35-40 minutes until the chicken was golden and crispy and the vegetables were tender.
The result was a truly delicious traybake that was perfect for a family meal. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, the vegetables were cooked to perfection, and the garlic sauce added a wonderful depth of flavor to the dish. I even found that it was better than Mary Berry’s chicken traybake!
This recipe serves six to eight people, but you can easily halve the ingredients if you’re cooking for a smaller group. It’s definitely a dish that you can add to your weekly meal rotation.
Here’s a breakdown of the recipe:
Ingredients:
* 4 tablespoons olive oil
* 12 chicken thighs (skin on, bone in)
* Juice of 1-2 lemons (optional)
* 5 garlic cloves, chopped
* Small bunch of thyme, leaves stripped
* 3 courgettes, cut into thick slices
* 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced
* 8 new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into thick slices
* Sea salt and black pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200C Fan.
2. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add a small amount of olive oil. Fry the chicken thighs in batches until the skin is golden brown.
3. While the chicken is browning, mix the garlic, thyme, and remaining olive oil in a bowl. Add lemon juice if using.
4. Arrange the courgettes, fennel, and potatoes in a large roasting tin and pour over two-thirds of the garlic oil mixture. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper.
5. Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables, skin-side up, and pour over the remaining garlic oil mixture. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken skin is crispy and the vegetables are tender.
Tips:
* If you’re using the full amount of ingredients, make sure not to overcrowd the roasting tin. If necessary, use two tins.
* You can substitute the chicken thighs with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just be sure to reduce the cooking time.
* This traybake is great served with a side of crusty bread or a simple salad.
Enjoy this delicious and easy garlic chicken traybake for a satisfying and flavorful weeknight meal!
