This delicious chicken breast traybake is the ultimate in easy peasy cooking. Simply roast the chicken breasts in the oven together with sweet potatoes, red onions and sweet peppers – all in the same pan! Big on flavour, low on effort, ready in just 30 minutes and only 1 pan to wash… oh and it’s pretty healthy too – what’s not to like?
Traybakes are the best!
If you’ve followed me for any length of time you’ll know I LOVE traybakes! They are just so easy peasy… simply throw a bunch of stuff into a pan, shove it in the oven… and then sit back and relax while oven does all the hard work!
Better still, there’s something quasi magical about oven roasting food… it just makes everything taste even better! And that’s especially true with this delicious (and VERY easy) Chicken Breast Traybake… Chicken tastes better roasted, peppers taste better roasted, sweet potatoes taste better roasted… you get the idea!
Seriously low effort
It might be BIG on flavour, but this Easy Chicken Breast Traybake is VERY low on effort! All you need to do is place chopped sweet potatoes, peppers and onions in a roasting pan, drizzle over some olive oil, and scatter with smoked paprika, thyme, salt and pepper.
Then, give the veggies a head start in the oven while you prep the chicken breasts with more olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper. Finally, add the chicken to the pan and roast until the chicken is just cooked and the veggies are roasted to delicious perfection!
(Full step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below.)
What to serve with Chicken Breast Traybake
This Easy Chicken Breast Traybake really is a meal in its own right… but I like to add a simple green salad on the side. Alternatively, you could serve this simple traybake with a some steamed green veg and/or some crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices!
What to drink with Chicken Breast Traybake
This is such a wine friendly meal! This combination of flavours works well with many wines, but my favourite option is a bold and fruity Sauvignon Blanc from somewhere like New Zealand, South Africa or Chile.
Other good options include a lightly oaked Chardonnay, a Grenache (AKA Garnacha) based rosé or a fruity red, such as a Chilean Merlot or a Grenache blend from the South of France.
What to do with leftover Chicken Breast 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 10-15 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through. You may want to cover the roasting tray with foil to stop the chicken breast(s) from getting too dry.
Alternatively, reheat the leftovers in the microwave, until piping hot all the way through.
Can you freeze Chicken Breast 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:
- One Pan Oven Baked Chicken and Rice
- Peri Peri Chicken Traybake
- Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Mexican Chicken Traybake
- Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf
- Lamb Kofte Meatball Traybake
Lamb Kofte Meatball Traybake
Easy Chicken Breast Traybake
Ingredients
- 500 g sweet potato cut into 1cm cubes (no need to peel!)
- 3 (bell) 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)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 small sprigs of thyme plus extra for garnish (optional)
- 4 teaspoons smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 skinless chicken breasts roughly 150g / 5oz each
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
- Meanwhile, 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 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables, scatter over 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika and the thyme, then sprinkle over a little salt and pepper. 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 pan in the oven and roast the vegetables for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika and some more salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir to combine, then place the chicken breasts in the bowl and turn them in the oil/paprika mixture until they are well coated.
- When the 10 minutes are up, remove the pan from the oven, and give the veggies a good stir, then rearrange the veggies back into a single layer. Place the 4 chicken breast fillets in amongst the veggies, so the chicken breasts are touching the pan (and not on top of the veggies).
- Place the pan back in the oven and roast for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken breasts are completely cooked all the way through (see Note 1.)
- Garnish with more sprigs of thyme (optional) and serve with a green side salad.
Notes
- If you are at all unsure whether the chicken is cooked or not, cut through the thickest part of the biggest chicken breast and check there is no pink. If you find any pink, uncooked chicken, return the whole pan to the oven for 2-3 minutes and check again.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Beth says
Could you use salmon instead of chicken for this recipe? Thanks.
Eb Gargano says
Absolutely… in fact that exact recipe is coming soon! In the meantime, you just need to adjust the timings of this recipe a little… 15 mins first for the veggies, then add the salmon and cook for a further 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Caroline says
Loved how easy and very tasty this dish was that prompted (MOTH) man of the house to have 2nd helpings of the veggies!!
Looking forward to working with the meal planner 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Aw, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for this lovely review and especially the 5* rating 😀
Tom Murphy says
I made this last week and it was delicious and very easy to make.
This week I tried it with lamb chops. I used the marinade on the chops but grilled them.
Thanks for the recipe. Good site 👍
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thank you so much for this lovely feedback! That’s so great to hear 😀
Michelle says
I’m just about to make this for a neighbour, when she is reheating it how long will it take in the oven please?
Eb Gargano says
To reheat, I recommend cooking in an oven pre-heated to 180C (160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F) for 10-15 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through. You may want to cover the roasting tray with foil to stop the chicken breast(s) from getting too dry. For future reference, I do usually give re-heating instructions in my recipe posts, right above the recipe card itself. It’s usually called something like ‘What to do with leftovers’ but the instructions are the same whether it’s leftovers or just made ahead of time. Hope that helps! Eb 🙂
Kim says
Flavour was good! I hammered mine with a rolling pin for more even cook. Was really juicy! However, I do recommend to change your note about how to check if the chicken is cooked. If the breast is in fact pink when cutting it, and it goes back in the oven, you’ve now let all the juices out and will have a more dry chicken. Always use thermometer to check temp!
Eb Gargano says
Great to hear you liked the flavour! I do agree that a thermometer is the ‘gold standard’ for measuring the internal temperature in meat. However, my website is aimed at ordinary home cooks who don’t necessarily have all the gadgets and equipment, like meat thermometers. My website also often appeals to nervous cooks who would like the reassurance of visually checking the meat to see that it is cooked. I have on many occasions done it this way myself and, on the odd occasion when it has needed an extra minute or two in the oven, it really hasn’t drastically affected the ‘juiciness’ of the chicken. And, in the absence of a meat thermometer, I think we can all agree that slightly less juicy chicken is better than risking food poisoning!