Chicken Bakes come in all shapes and sizes, but I'll bet you this is one of the best you'll try. This dinner was inspired by Turkish eggs (Cilbir), so we bake our vegetables and chicken covered in coriander, cumin, paprika and cinnamon, then drizzle over mint yoghurt and sumptuous burnt paprika butter.
Who knew "Dump and Bake" chicken could look so good? This recipe is seriously simple and really delicious. I was inspired to make this after having some delicious Turkish Eggs at Ozone Coffee Roasters in London - the paprika butter is sensational with the mint yoghurt.
Chicken Bake Ingredients
- Baked Veggies - Cauliflower, broccoli, garlic, brown onion, sweet potato, carrots
- Chicken - thigh fillets, ground coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, olive oil, chicken stock
- Mint Sauce - Mint, Greek yoghurt, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper
- Burnt butter smoked paprika sauce - Salted butter, smoked paprika, salt and pepper
How to make this Chicken Bake
1. Preheat your oven to 220 C and get out a large roasting pan.
2. Chop cauliflower and broccoli into florets, peel and roughly chop garlic, peel and chop onion into wedges, peel and chop sweet potato, peel and chop carrot. Add everything to the tray.
- ½ cauliflower head
- 1 small broccoli head
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 brown onion
- ½ sweet potato
- 2 carrots
3. Dice chicken into 2cm pieces, then add to the tray.
- 500g chicken thigh fillets
4. Sprinkle over ground coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt pepper (opt.) and chicken stock, olive oil, toss, and pop in the oven for 25 minutes.
TIP: Use a tray big enough that the chicken stock is to the base of your pan, otherwise your veggies will boil instead of roast.
- 1.5 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
5. Rinse your mint and pat dry, then pick leaves and finely chop half. Peel garlic.
- ½ bunch mint
- 1 clove garlic
6. Place Greek yoghurt in a bowl and finely grate garlic into it. Juice lemon into the bowl. Add chopped mint, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well.
Little ones might prefer plain Greek yoghurt, so add this to their plate now.
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1 clove garlic
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ¼ bunch mint chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
7. Meanwhile, place a small saucepan on high heat and add your butter. Once it starts sizzling, add paprika, sizzle for a few moments more then take off the heat and pour into a small container.
- 40g salted butter
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
8. To serve, divide chicken tray bake amongst plates, then top with dollops of mint yoghurt sauce and drizzle over brown butter, and top with remaining mint leaves.
Little ones may prefer you to split up their veggies and chicken, and to eat it just with Greek Yoghurt instead of the mint yoghurt, and to skip paprika butter.
- Reserved ¼ bunch mint leaves
Top Tip for the Burnt Paprika Butter
When you heat the butter you just want to bring it to sizzling, then once you add the paprika it should foam. Keep it on the heat just a little longer (a minute or two) before taking it off. You don't want it to burn too much.
Substitutions
- Vegetarian - Because this dish uses lots of hearty vegetables you can either skip the chicken completely, or you could add chickpeas, fried eggs or fried halloumi for a protein-rich meal.
- Gluten Free - already GF
- Dairy Free - Instead of Greek Yoghurt use your preferred DF yoghurt - I like an almond yoghurt for this recipe. Use olive oil instead of butter in your paprika butter, and add a little salt.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Salt and pepper - hold salt and pepper until the end and season adult's plates.
- Mint Yoghurt - Little ones may prefer plain Greek Yoghurt instead of garlic yoghurt.
- To serve - Little ones may prefer you to split up their veggies and chicken and to skip paprika butter.
Equipment
You will need an oven, a roasting pan, a stovetop and a saucepan.
If you liked this, here are some more Chicken Bake Recipes
I mean, who doesn't love a dump and bake? Perfect for weeknights when you really want something that doesn't take up too much mental effort. Here are some of our other favourites.
Recipe
Dump and Bake Chicken with Mint Yoghurt and Burnt Butter
Equipment
- Oven
- Roasting pan
- Stovetop
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- ½ cauliflower head
- ½ broccoli head small
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 brown onion
- ½ sweet potato
- 2 carrots
- 500 g chicken thigh fillets
- 1.5 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ bunch mint
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- ½ lemon (juice)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 40 g salted butter
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220 C and get out a large roasting pan.
- Chop cauliflower and broccoli into florets, peel and roughly chop garlic, peel and chop onion into wedges, peel and chop sweet potato, peel and chop carrot. Add everything to the tray.½ cauliflower head, ½ broccoli head, 3 cloves garlic, 1 brown onion, ½ sweet potato, 2 carrots
- Dice chicken into 2cm pieces, then add to the tray.500 g chicken thigh fillets
- Sprinkle over ground coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt pepper (opt.) and chicken stock, olive oil, toss, and pop in the oven for 25 minutes.1.5 tablespoon ground coriander, 2 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt and pepper, 3 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup chicken stock
- Rinse your mint and pat dry, then pick leaves and finely chop half. Peel garlic.½ bunch mint, 1 clove garlic
- Peel garlic. Place Greek yoghurt in a bowl and finely grate garlic into it. Juice lemon into the bowl. Add chopped mint, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well.Little ones might prefer plain Greek yoghurt, so add this to their plate now.1 cup Greek yoghurt, ½ lemon (juice), 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper
- Meanwhile, place a small saucepan on high heat and add your butter. Once it starts sizzling, add paprika, sizzle for a few moments more then take off the heat and pour into a small container.40 g salted butter, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- To serve, divide chicken tray bake amongst plates, then top with dollops of mint yoghurt sauce and drizzle over brown butter, and top with remaining mint leaves. Little ones may prefer you to split up their veggies and chicken, and to eat it just with Greek Yoghurt instead of the mint yoghurt, and to skip paprika butter.
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