This Chicken Drumstick Traybake is so easy to make! Just throw chicken drumsticks, sweet potatoes, peppers and red onions into a pan with some seasonings, then sit back while the oven does all the hard work. Just 10 minutes hands on time and only one tray to wash up!
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Make a traybake with chicken drumsticks!
As you may well have gathered, if you have been following me for a while, I am a little obsessed with traybakes – especially chicken traybakes!
I have a Chicken Breast Traybake, a Chicken Thigh Traybake… and now a Chicken Drumstick Traybake!
The thing I love about traybakes is how they take only 10 minutes to throw together and then you can just sit back and let the oven work it’s magic and roast the chicken and veggies to perfection.
Not only are traybakes quick, easy and delicious… but there’s also only one tray to wash up at the end – genius!
How to make Chicken Drumstick Traybake
This Chicken Drumstick Traybake could not be easier!
Simply place chopped sweet potatoes, peppers and onions in a large oven tray, together with 8 chicken drumsticks (12 if they are little ones).
Add a little olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and Cajun seasoning (see below for alternative seasoning options), then roast for 35 minutes.
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
Love chicken traybakes as much as me?
Then you’ll love these:
- Easy Chicken Breast Traybake
- Easy Chicken Thigh Traybake
- Chicken and Potato Traybake with Lemon and Garlic
- Cajun Chicken Traybake
- Greek Chicken Traybake
Greek Chicken Traybake
What to serve with Chicken Drumstick Traybake
This easy chicken traybake really is a meal in its own right, so there is no need to add any side dishes. But I always like to serve it with a simple green side salad.
Alternatively you could serve it with some green vegetables and/or some crusty French bread or garlic bread.
What to drink with Chicken Drumstick Traybake
Hands down the best wine match for me here is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. But other good options include Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Grüner Veltliner.
If you prefer red, go for something fruity and medium bodied – like a Merlot or a Grenache / Garnacha. A fruity rosé would also work well with this chicken traybake.
What is the best seasoning for Chicken Traybake?
I have tried out lots of seasoning options while developing this recipe and, hands down my favourite is Cape Herb & Spice Rub Louisiana Cajun Seasoning.
For me the balance of flavour, spice and salt is just perfect. (And my kids agree – they now put this on EVERYTHING!!!)
It gives a mild to medium level of heat (depending on how much you use!) – but one thing to be aware of, this rub contains quite a bit of salt – the perfect amount IMHO, but it might be a bit much for some people.
If you don’t want to use Cajun seasoning, here are some other options:
- Smoked paprika
- Caribbean Jerk
- Portuguese Peri Peri
- Texan Steakhouse
- Smokehouse BBQ
- Greek-style Lemon and Herb
- Mediterranean Seasoning
Make it your own!
This Easy Chicken Drumstick Traybake is so easy to adapt to your own personal tastes or to whatever you happen to have in your cupboards / fridge. For example, you could:
- Use chicken thighs instead of, or as well as chicken drumsticks
- Use chicken breasts instead of chicken drumsticks (only add the chicken breast for the last 15-20 minutes so you don’t overcook them)
- Add chorizo, as per this recipe: Cajun Chicken Traybake
- Use new potatoes instead of sweet potatoes
- Use different colour peppers and/or onions
- Add different veggies such as aubergines, cauliflower, or butternut squash
- Use a different spice rub, such as Caribbean Jerk, Portuguese Peri Peri, Texan Steakhouse or Smokehouse BBQ.
(Did you adapt this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comment section below.)
What to do with leftover Chicken Drumstick Traybake?
This really is a meal that tastes better on the day you make it, but if you do find yourself with leftovers, they will keep well in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can either eat the leftovers cold (this makes an envy-inducing packed lunch!) or place them in a roasting tray, in an oven heated to 180C (160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F) for 15-20 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through. You may want to cover the roasting tray with foil to stop the veggies from burning – but remove 5 minutes before the end to re-crisp up the chicken skin.
Alternatively, reheat the leftovers in the microwave, until piping hot all the way through.
Can you freeze Chicken Drumstick Traybake?
As I mentioned above, this really is a meal that tastes better on the day you make it. But if you want to freeze it, you can. Simply put any leftovers in a lidded container and place in the freezer where they will keep for up to 1 month.
Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Chicken Fajita Rice Bake
- Easy Meatball Pasta Bake
- Lamb Kofte Meatball Traybake
- Easy Salmon Traybake
- Easy Sausage Traybake
Easy Salmon Traybake
Easy Chicken Drumstick Traybake
Ingredients
- 400 g sweet potato cut into 1cm cubes (no need to peel!)
- 3 peppers chopped into large pieces – roughly 2cm x 2cm (any colour – I like to do 1 yellow, 1 orange and 1 red)
- 2 small red onions peeled and cut into wedges (cut each onion into 6-8 wedges)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (see Note 1)
- 6 small sprigs of thyme plus extra for garnish (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste (see Note 2)
- 1 kg chicken drumsticks skin on and bone in (see Note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
- Place 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, plus a little salt and pepper (see Note 2) in a large bowl. Stir to combine, then place the chicken drumsticks in the bowl and turn them in the oil/seasoning mixture until they are well coated.
- Place the chopped sweet potatoes, peppers and onions in a very large roasting pan / sheet pan. The pan should be big enough to ensure all the veggies are in a single layer with a bit of room. (If the pan is too small the veggies won’t roast properly!)
- Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables, scatter over the remaining 2 teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning and all of the thyme, then sprinkle over a little salt and pepper (see Note 2). Turn the veggies to ensure they are evenly coated (I find it easiest to do this with my hands, but you can use a large spoon if you prefer.) Then rearrange the veggies back into a single layer.
- Place the chicken drumsticks on top of the vegetables, then place the roasting pan into your preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes.
- After the 20 minutes is up, remove the pan from the oven and remove all the chicken drumsticks to a plate. Give the vegetables a good stir and then rearrange the veggies back into a single layer.
- Place the chicken drumsticks back on top, then return the pan to the oven. Roast for a further 15 minutes.
- Garnish with more sprigs of thyme (optional) and serve with a green side salad.
Notes
- I like to use Cajun seasoning, but you can use any seasoning you like here. See above for alternative suggestions. Alternatively you can simply use smoked paprika. If you choose to use Cajun seasoning, I highly recommend Cape Herb & Spice Louisiana Cajun Rub
- Check first to see if your Cajun seasoning contains salt. If so, don’t add any additional salt or the dish will be too salty.
- 1kg drumsticks will typically be 8-12 drumsticks, depending on size. If you want everyone to have the same number of drumsticks, you may wish to scale slightly up or down, depending on appetites.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
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