Baked Chicken and Cauliflower
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Each bite of this chicken and cauliflower casserole is mouth wateringly good! It’s made with tender, juicy chicken pieces, roast potatoes and cauliflower, and a creamy raita-inspired sauce. This flavorful recipe is an easy way to enjoy a healthy comfort food for dinner. It’s so good, even kids love this easy weeknight recipe!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy one-pan recipe – There’s nothing better than a one-pan recipe; it makes cleanup so much easier!
- Family-Friendly – This chicken and cauliflower dish is my healthier take on comfort food, yet it’s still tasty enough that the entire family will love it!
- High in protein – Adding a Greek yoghurt sauce to this cauliflower chicken helps add even more protein!
- Flavorful – Fresh herbs, curry powder, and a mixture of spices make this sheet pan chicken and roasted cauliflower recipe finger-licking good!
- Packed with veg – I’ve included broccoli, cauliflower, and cucumber in this recipe, so it’s full of nutrients.
Need inspiration for some more tray bake recipes? Try my ; Salmon Tray bake with Asparagus, Sausage Tray Bake with Vegetables and Halloumi Tray Bake with Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs – Using chicken thighs for this chicken and cauliflower dish helps create a juicier piece of meat. If you prefer, you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts.
New Potatoes – I love using new potatoes for this chicken cauliflower dish, as they taste sweeter than other varieties. Yukon Gold potatoes are also a great option for roasting.
Greek yoghurt – This ingredient is the secret to keeping this chicken cauliflower recipe high in protein. You can use any kind you’d like (full fat, nonfat, etc.); just be sure it’s unflavored/unsweetened.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
Here are a few ways you can really make this chicken and cauliflower dish your own! For one, you can use a different cut of chicken. Instead of chicken thighs, you can include chicken breasts. If you’re out of broccoli, you can double up on cauliflower or add other veggies. Another way to boost the veggies is to add spinach. Be sure to only add it to cauliflower and chicken recipes like this one in the last five minutes so it doesn’t wilt too much.
Try mixing up the seasoning with this recipe. For example, the chicken and veg will pair well with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, etc. Turn this into Mediterranean-inspired chicken or make it more Asian-inspired with different seasonings. To save time, you can also use frozen veggies instead of fresh. Frozen cauliflower and broccoli work well in this recipe.
If you don’t want to bake this recipe, you can also make it in the slow cooker. Simply toss in the ingredients in the slow cooker (minus the raita-inspired sauce) and cook on high for four hours or low for about eight hours. Then, serve with the Greek yoghurt sauce and enjoy.
If you love cauliflower, try these tasty recipes : Crispy Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, Creamy Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup and Rigatoni Fiorentina
How to make baked chicken and cauliflower
Preheat the oven to 374°(190°C)
Prep the chicken thighs by slicing off any excess skin on the base.
- Then slice the cauliflower into florets (Image 1).
- Add the potatoes & cauliflower florets into the baking tray (Image 2).
3. Top with the chicken thighs, then in a small bowl, mix together the seasoning (olive oil, curry powder, turmeric and Cayenne pepper). Using a brush, cover the chicken thigh skins with the seasoning mix and drizzle the seasoning over the cauliflower florets.
Season generously with salt and pepper and use your hands to ensure everything in the tray is evenly coated & then cover with foil. Pop in the oven with the timer set to 45 minutes (Image 3).
4. Meanwhile, prepare the raita inspired sauce. Combine the pot of Greek yogurt, the juice of a lime, chopped mint and grated cucumber into a large mixing bowl and season with salt (Image 4).
5. After the 45 minute timer has gone off, remove from the oven and take off the foil (Image 5).
6. Add the tenderstem broccoli to the tray. Pop back in the oven for another 30 minutes (Image 6).
7. Remove from the oven after 30 minutes (Image 7).
8. Serve with the delicious raita and lime wedges and enjoy! (Image 8).
When you’re ready to eat, serve up with a dollop of the raita, a sprinkle of fresh mint and optional chilli flakes to serve.
Serve a bowl of soup as a starter. Try my; Creamy Parsnip Soup, Carrot and Coriander Soup and Celeriac Soup
Tips for the best result
- Use your hands to ensure all of the spices and oil coat the chicken and cauliflower evenly. I recommend tossing this chicken and cauliflower dish with seasoning and oil using your hands before putting it into the oven. This way, you can be sure all sides are covered with the spices and oil. Just be sure to wash your hands well after this step to get rid of bacteria.
- Place the chicken on top so that the rendered chicken fat falls onto the potatoes and cauliflower, adding flavour and crispiness. This tip is the secret to creating the best recipe. The fat will render out as the chicken bakes and land on the veg beneath. This step will add a ton of flavour to the veggies.
- Season generously with salt and pepper. The best way to ensure your dish is flavourful is to generously season it with salt and pepper. Once the recipe comes out of the oven, you can test it to see if it needs more.
For some more high protein and filling meals, try serving these yummy chicken recipes; The Best Chicken Meal Prep (over 50g protein!) and Lebanese Inspired Chicken Pilaf
Make Ahead Instructions
There are a few ways you can turn this chicken and cauliflower dish into a make-ahead recipe. For one, you can chop the potatoes and other veggies the night before and keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. You can also make the Greek yoghurt sauce the night before and keep it in the fridge.
Cut down on prep time the day of by prepping the chicken and letting it marinate in the seasoning overnight. This will also yield a more flavourful recipe the next day.
Serving Suggestions
This easy chicken and cauliflower recipe is delicious with a side salad or soup. For a cosier version, consider serving crusty bread or dinner rolls on the side.
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
Leftover chicken and cauliflower last for a while in the fridge! Allow the leftovers to cool fully, then pack them in airtight containers. Use the chicken and veg up within four days. The raita sauce should stay good in the fridge for up to five days as well.
Can you freeze this recipe?
Yes, you can freeze the leftover baked chicken recipe. Be sure to keep the chicken and veggies separate when freezing so they keep their texture. The raita sauce will also freeze well. Be sure to use both up within a month.
When you want to reheat this recipe, allow all elements to defrost in the fridge overnight. Then, you can either microwave the chicken and veg until warm. Or, toss them back in the oven at 374°F (190°C) and bake for about 15 minutes or until heated. The sauce should just need a good stir once thawed.
See these articles to help you with re heating your favourite recipes: The Best Way to Reheat Chicken Wings in the Airfryer, The Best Way To Reheat Salmon and How to Reheat Rotisserie Chicken
FAQs
I recommend soaking it for a few minutes before cooking, only to help get rid of the debris and any bugs that may be hiding in there. Simply soak it for 10 minutes in cold water. This step is not necessary, but will help ensure you’re using clean veg for this chicken and cauliflower dish.
I prefer roasting cauliflower, as it gets a slight crispiness. But, it’s also delicious steamed or boiled.
If you tried this Baked Chicken and Cauliflower recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Baked Chicken and Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (£3.30)
- 1 large cauliflower, sliced into florets (£1.10)
- 1 kg new potatoes, washed (£1.09)
- 500 g Greek yogurt (£0.35)
- ½ cucumber (£0.60)
- 160 g tenderstem broccoli, trimmed (£0.95)
- Handful mint, chopped & de-stemmed (£0.52)
- 2 limes (£0.50)
Cupboard Essentials
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & Pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 374°(190°C)
- Prep the chicken thighs by slicing off any excess skin on the base. Add the potatoes & cauliflower florets into the tray, then top with the chicken thighs. In a small bowl, mix together the seasoning (olive oil, curry powder, turmeric and cayenne pepper). Using a brush, cover the chicken thigh skins with the seasoning mix and drizzle the seasoning over the cauliflower florets.
- Then season generously with salt and pepper and use your hands to ensure everything in the tray is evenly coated & then cover with foil. Pop in the oven with the timer set to 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the raita inspired sauce. Combine the pot of Greek yogurt, the juice of a lime, chopped mint and grated cucumber into a large mixing bowl and season with salt.
- After the 45 minute timer has gone off, remove the foil, add the tenderstem broccoli and pop back in the oven for another 30 minutes.
- When you’re ready to eat, serve up with a dollop of the raita, a sprinkle of fresh mint and optional chilli flakes to serve.
Notes
- Use your hands to coat the chicken and cauliflower evenly with spices and oil before baking.
- Position the chicken on the top to allow rendered fat to flavour potatoes and cauliflower.
- Generously season with salt and pepper for flavourful results.
Nutrition
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