Lemon and Thyme Chicken Thigh Tray Bake

This lemon and thyme chicken tray bake is delicious, requires minimal effort and works perfectly as a weeknight dinner. 

What makes this recipe great

When making this chicken tray bake with lemon and thyme the oven does most of the work for you, as you prep the ingredients and add them to the tray at two different points. Meaning you can chill out and watch Netflix, as your delicious meal comes together. 

I find with a chicken and potato tray bake, you need vibrant veggies, herbs and some acidity to bring the recipe to life. That’s why with the addition of roasted lemon, thyme and the mediterranean combo of tomato and red onion, we get the best outcome.

Other chicken dinners/recipes you might love…

• Marry Me Chicken Recipe (In under 30 minutes!)

• Chicken Pho (Vietnamese Inspired Noodle Soup)

• One Pot Chicken & Rice

Ingredients

Chicken thighs
Oven baked chicken thighs are amazing for two reasons. The crispy skin that forms when roasted over a longer period of time and the succulent meat that becomes intensely flavoured due to it’s fat content and being on the bone. 

Lemon & Thyme
It wouldn’t be a lemon chicken tray bake without a good quantity of lemons. I use two whole lemons in this recipe, sliced into 1 cm rounds. When these lemon rounds are roasted, overtime they almost caramelize and sweeten, meaning you can even eat the skin! I’ve chosen thyme for this recipe, as I love it when it’s paired with lemon. You could alternatively use parsley or basil, served fresh at the end if you prefer. 

New Potatoes 
I use new potatoes to reduce prep time and also as I love their texture and skin-to-potato ratio. We coat them in oil and garlic and roast them for 1 hour and 15 minutes, which make for the crispiest potatoes. 

Garlic 
6 cloves of garlic – don’t be skeptical, this tray bake recipe needs it. It serves 5 people and I follow the general rule of thumb for 1 clove per portion.  Plus a bonus clove. 

Tomato & Red Onion
The tomato and red onion add a mediterranean chicken tray bake vibe, which brightens the dish massively. 

See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.

Is this a healthy chicken tray bake recipe?

I’d say so! This recipe is balanced in many ways. Elements of a healthy tray bake:

• High in protein: chicken thighs are a great source of protein.
• Balance of carbs, fats and protein: carbs from the potatoes and veggies, fats from the olive oil and chicken thighs and protein again from the chicken thighs. 
• Range of micronutrients: we get this from the lemon, tomatoes, onion and olive oil.

If you wanted to reduce the calories, you could make this a chicken breast tray bake as this would reduce the fat content. However, chicken breast often dries out in the oven. 

If you do decide to use chicken breast though, add the chicken at a later stage (maybe along with the tomatoes and onion) as they only take around 30 minutes to make in the oven. 

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 180° C

1. Wash the new potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl.  Add the minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix together, before placing on baking tray (Image 1).
2. Now remove the excess skin on the chicken thighs and add to the same bowl.  Add some olive oil, salt and mix together (Image 2).

3. Add the chicken thighs to the tray with the potatoes and pop in the oven for 30 minutes (Image 3).

4. Prep the veggies by quartering the red onions and tomatoes and slice the lemons into rounds. Add them to the baking tray with part cooked potatoes and chicken. Rub the thyme between your hands over the tray so the herb breaks off the stem and scatters over the tray bake. Shake and pop back in the oven for another 45 minutes (Image 4).

5. Remove from the oven and plate up! Season with salt and pepper and an extra squeeze of lemon (Image 5).

For chicken lovers, here’s some recipes to give you inspiration; Wagamama’s Chicken Ramen (Chilli Chicken), Chicken Fajita Salad Bowl and Peanut Butter Ramen with Chicken

FAQs

Other tasty recipes for you to try; The BEST Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, Chicken Pot Pie with a stuffing crust and Pesto Quorn Chicken

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Lemon and Thyme Chicken Thigh Tray Bake

by Mimi Harrison

Print

3.88 from 86 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

£1.38

mains

British

Freezable

Servings: 5

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MetricUS Standard

This chicken thigh and potato tray bake is infused with lemon and thyme. A perfect dinner tray bake with only around 10 minutes of prep time.

Ingredients

Preheat oven 180° C

• ▢ 1 kg chicken thighs (£3.30)
• ▢ 1 bunch fresh thyme, removed from tough stems (£0.55)
• ▢ 2 lemons, sliced into 1cm rounds (£0.50)
• ▢ 2 red onions, sliced into thick wedges (£0.30)
• ▢ 6 tomatoes, sliced into thick wedges (£0.85)
• ▢ 1 kg new potatoes (£1.00)
• ▢ 6 cloves of garlic (£0.39)

Cupboard Essentials

• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ Salt & Pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

• Wash the new potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl.  To that, add the minced garlic, half of the olive oil, salt & pepper. Mix to combine and add to a large baking tray.
• To the same bowl, add prepped chicken thighs & remaining olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to evenly distribute. Add the chicken to the tray with the potatoes and pop in the oven for 30 minutes.
• After this time, add the vegetables and thyme to the baking tray. Use tongs to get the veggies coated in the oils released from the chicken. Shake and pop back in the oven for another 45 minutes. Season with an extra round of salt.
• Remove from the oven & plate up! Season with pepper & optional chilli flakes if you like a little kick.

Notes

• Make sure they are evenly spaced and not overcrowded. Overcrowding can lead to uneven cooking and steaming rather than roasting. Also, scatter lemon slices and fresh thyme sprigs around the chicken to infuse the dish with their aromas.
• Keep an eye on the chicken's progress, as cooking times can vary depending on your oven and the size of the thighs. Ensure they are cooked through, without overcooking as we don’t want dry chicken!
• Allow the chicken thighs to rest for a few minutes after removing them from the oven. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring a juicy and tender texture when you cut into the chicken. It also gives you time to garnish with fresh thyme leaves before serving.

Nutrition

Servings: 5 servings

Fat: 36g

Calories: 625kcal

Carbohydrates: 38g

Protein: 38g