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Home » All Recipes » Easy Entertaining » Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf

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Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf

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This Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake yields lovely tender meat, deliciously crispy chicken skin and wonderful flavours from the garlic, lemon and oregano – complimented beautifully by a simple Saffron Rice Pilaf. Serve on a large platter for a real wow factor.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf

 

Let the oven do the hard work…

I love recipes like this Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake, where everything is chucked into a tray and the oven does all the hard work. All you need to do is place chicken thighs and/or legs in a large oven tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over some salt, pepper and oregano. Squeeze a little lemon juice over each piece of chicken, then nestle the lemon quarters and garlic cloves in amongst the chicken. Put the chicken in the oven for 40 minutes to roast, meanwhile make the super simple Saffron Rice Pilaf. Finally, serve everything on a large platter.

Collage showing 6 process shots for Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf

 

Saffron rice pilaf

Saffron Rice Pilaf is the perfect accompaniment to this Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake. The rice is cooked in stock, with a pinch of saffron and a little more oregano. Using stock, herbs and spices takes very little time, but elevates the rice way above humble boiled rice.

However, you can absolutely serve this traybake with plain white rice, if you prefer. Alternatively, it also works very well with crusty white bread to mop up those delicious lemony juices.

Add a simple side salad to complete the meal!

Saffron Rice Pilaf in a pan

 

Ideal for dinner parties

This is a really lovely dinner party dish – served on a big platter, it really has the wow factor and yet this recipe is also quick and simple enough to be a midweek meal.

 

What to drink with lemony chicken?

Lemony chicken pairs well with crisp dry whites such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

Overhead shot of Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf

 

Can you reheat this?

Yes, you can. Put any leftovers into an airtight container and place in the fridge, where they will keep for 24 hours. To reheat, tip the rice out into an oven dish and top with the chicken. Cover with foil, then place in an oven preheated to 180C (160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F) and cook for 15 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.

Please take care when reheating food, especially rice, and always follow food safety guidelines.

 

Can you freeze this?

Yes, you can. But again, take care and follow food safety guidelines. Put the cooked and cooled chicken and rice into an airtight container and place in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above. 

Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf on a large platter

 

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

  • Easy Spanish Chicken Traybake
  • Peri Peri Chicken Traybake
  • Mexican Chicken Traybake
  • Sticky Chicken Traybake
  • Easy Sausage Traybake

 

Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf
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Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf

This Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake yields lovely tender meat, deliciously crispy chicken skin and wonderful flavours from the garlic, lemon and oregano – complimented beautifully by a simple Saffron Rice Pilaf. Serve on a large platter for a real wow factor.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Course Main Course
Cuisine British, Fusion
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 823kcal
Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake:

  • 8 chicken thighs and/or legs skin on, bone in
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 lemon cut into quarters lengthways
  • 8 garlic cloves unpeeled but gently bashed

Saffron Rice Pilaf:

  • 400 ml chicken stock (from a cube is fine – I use Kallo Organic Chicken Stock Cubes)
  • Pinch saffron
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 25 g butter
  • 200 g basmati rice
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste

To Serve:

  • 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
  • Simple side salad (optional)

Instructions

Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake

  • Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark7 / 425F.
  • Place the chicken on a large oven tray. Drizzle the chicken with the olive oil and sprinkle over some salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons of oregano.
  • Squeeze a little lemon juice over each piece of chicken (try to half squeeze each quarter so there is still some juice left in each piece of lemon). Turn the chicken in the oil and lemon juice to make sure it is well coated, then make sure all the chicken pieces are sitting skin upwards.
  • Nestle the partly squeezed lemon quarters and slightly bashed garlic cloves amongst the chicken and then put the tray in the oven for 40 minutes.
  • Put your feet up for 15 minutes (with or without a glass of wine - your call). Then make the rice.

Saffron Rice Pilaf:

  • Dissolve your chicken stock cube in 400ml boiling water and add a pinch of saffron to the stock.
  • Melt the butter over a low heat, then add the sliced onion. Gently cook the onion, with a lid on, until it is soft but not coloured. This should take about 5 minutes.
  • Add the basmati rice and gently turn the rice in the buttery onions. Pour in the saffron infused stock and add 1 teaspoon of oregano and black pepper to taste. Bring to the boil. Pop on the lid and turn the heat down low. Cook for about 8 minutes, until all the stock has been absorbed by the rice and the rice is just cooked. (See Note 1.)
  • Turn the heat off. Fluff up the rice and pop the lid back on for a further 5 minutes.

To Serve:

  • Tip the rice out onto a large serving platter, then arrange the chicken pieces and lemon quarters on top, and scatter with the finely chopped parsley. Serve with a simple salad and a glass of crisp, dry white wine.

Notes

  1. Please note: some rice brands take longer to cook than others. Check the packet and adapt cooking times if necessary. I used Tilda Basmati Rice.
  2. Suitable for freezing.
  3. Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Facts
Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf
Amount Per Serving
Calories 823 Calories from Fat 441
% Daily Value*
Fat 49g75%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g
Monounsaturated Fat 22g
Cholesterol 225mg75%
Sodium 358mg16%
Potassium 731mg21%
Carbohydrates 52g17%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 42g84%
Vitamin A 526IU11%
Vitamin C 21mg25%
Calcium 86mg9%
Iron 3mg17%
* % Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet
Tried this recipe?I'd love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comments below.

 

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10 Comments

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Comments

  1. Nomita | Ebabee says

    22nd September 2015 at 12:23 pm

    This sounds good – I too love dishes that you just throw together in a pan and leave to cook especially for mid-week meals. The flavours are right up my street too – especially lemon and garlic.

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      22nd September 2015 at 2:32 pm

      I totally agree, Nomita – lemon and garlic go sooo well with chicken. Thanks for your kind comments.

      Reply
  2. Alison says

    22nd September 2015 at 1:28 pm

    I love meals that can be left to do their thing in the oven as well. This looks lovely and tasty

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      22nd September 2015 at 2:35 pm

      Me too, Alison! I am obsessed with this kind of faff-free cooking at the moment. And the bonus is all the flavours mingle together and you get an amazing-tasting dish, all for hardly any effort! Win-win!! Thanks for commenting.

      Reply
  3. Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says

    22nd September 2015 at 4:22 pm

    I love tray bakes, this one looks and sounds delicious x #TastyTuesdays

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      22nd September 2015 at 7:10 pm

      Thanks, Kirsty. I totally agree – traybakes are fab! x

      Reply
  4. Dave says

    26th September 2015 at 7:26 pm

    Really enjoyed this! The saffron makes the rice delicious 🙂

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      27th September 2015 at 5:23 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it! I totally agree about the saffron, it really does transform the rice.

      Reply
  5. Honest mum says

    28th September 2015 at 2:20 pm

    We love a tray bake here and lemon and garlic with chicken is divine. Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays x

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      28th September 2015 at 3:41 pm

      Thanks, Vicki. I totally agree – I love lemon and garlic with chicken. Such a perfect combination!

      Reply

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Hi and welcome to Easy Peasy Foodie! I’m Eb – a professional blogger, busy mum and passionate foodie and it is my mission in life to make cooking EASIER and MORE DELICIOUS! READ MORE

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104 shares