This Chicken Tray Bake is quite possibly the easiest dinner you can make. Just add everything to the roasting pan and pop in the oven for 20 mins.
When creating this chicken bake recipe, I wanted to create something quick and easy, healthy but really delicious and filling, and I think I’ve nailed the brief! This chicken bake uses Italian flavours (with a surprise pop of miso for some extra depth) to make a simple, nourishing and warming weeknight meal.
Why is this Chicken Tray Bake so Easy?
The best thing (apart from the taste) about this chicken tray bake recipe is that all the “cooking” (should I say, chopping), is done in the first few minutes, so once you pop it in the oven you can sit back, relax, and open that bottle of wine.
We get it all ready in just five easy steps.
Is this Chicken Tray Bake healthy?
Yes! This is a really healthy dinner because it is:
- Low in added sugar and saturated fat
- Uses a variety of colourful vegetables and leafy greens
- Filling and high in protein from the chicken
The flavours come from chicken stock, miso paste, italian herbs and spices, olives, parmesan cheese and a little bit of butter and brown sugar.
What is in this Easy Chicken Tray Bake?
- Polenta with chicken stock, butter and miso paste
- Vegetables - mushrooms, garlic, cavolo nero (Tuscan kale) or sub. with regular kale, olives, cherry tomatoes and parsley
- Chicken - chicken tenderloins or chicken breast, flavoured with garlic powder, brown sugar, paprika and oregano.
See recipe card for quantities.
How long should I bake chicken breast in the oven?
Usually you need between 20-30 minutes or large, boneless, skinless breasts in a 180 C oven. In this recipe we're slicing the chicken breast in half, lengthwise, so it cooks more quickly, and heating the oven to 200 C. You only need 20 minutes for this recipe.
How to make Chicken Tray Bake
1. Preheat the oven to 200 C and get out a large roasting tray.
2. Quarter mushrooms. Peel and chop garlic. Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make tenderloin shapes.
- 300g mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic
- 500g chicken breast (or tenderloins)
3. In a large roasting tray evenly pour polenta, pour in chicken stock, and dot with miso and butter. Give it a little swirl to distribute the miso and butter.
- 1.5 cups polenta
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon white miso paste
- 2 tablespoon butter
4. Place chicken breasts evenly in the tray, then scatter over garlic, oregano, garlic powder, paprika and brown sugar. Tear up cavolo nero. Scatter over mushrooms and olives. Pour over the canned tomatoes. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
- 500g chicken breast (or tenderloins)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 80g cavolo nero (tuscan kale or sub kale)
- 300g mushrooms
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 400g canned cherry tomatoes
5. To serve, tear parsley over the roasting dish, finely grate parmesan and dish up scoopfuls of this sumptuous bake directly at the table.
For little ones you can slice their chicken for them and if they are not a fan of olives or mushrooms you can serve them polenta and tomatoes.
- ½ bunch parsley
- 40g block parmesan
Substitutions
- Vegetarian - To make this dish vegetarian, swap the chicken for a lovely Italian cheese like slices of mozzarella, or you could add chickpeas, or you could do both! Switch the stock from Chicken to Vegetable stock.
- Gluten Free -This dish is gluten free already.
- Dairy Free - Instead of butter, add olive oil to the polenta.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- To serve - slice up little people’s chicken, and if they are not a fan of mushrooms or olives you can serve them a portion without these.
Equipment
You will need an oven and a large roasting tray.
Top tip
Make sure you nestle the cavolo nero under the tomatoes before you put it in the oven. This will keep it lovely and juicy.
Recipe
Chicken, Mushroom and Olive Tray Bake
Equipment
- Oven
- Large roasting tray
Ingredients
- 300 g mushrooms Swiss brown if available, otherwise button
- 3 cloves garlic
- 500 g chicken breast or tenderloins
- 1.5 cups polenta
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon white miso paste
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 80 g cavolo nero tuscan kale or sub kale
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 can cherry tomatoes 400g
- ½ bunch parsley
- 40 g parmesan cheese block
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 C and get out a large roasting tray.
- Quarter mushrooms. Peel and chop garlic. Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make tenderloin shapes.300 g mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic, 500 g chicken breast
- In a large roasting tray evenly pour polenta, pour in chicken stock, and dot with miso and butter. Give it a little swirl to distribute the miso and butter.1.5 cups polenta, 3 cups chicken stock, 2 tablespoon white miso paste, 2 tablespoon butter
- Place chicken breasts evenly in the tray, then scatter over garlic, oregano, garlic powder, paprika and brown sugar. Tear up cavolo nero. Scatter over mushrooms and olives. Pour over the canned tomatoes. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.300 g mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic, 500 g chicken breast, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 80 g cavolo nero, ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, 1 can cherry tomatoes
- To serve, tear parsley over the roasting dish, finely grate parmesan and dish up scoopfuls of this sumptuous bake directly at the table.For little ones you can slice their chicken for them and if they are not a fan of olives or mushrooms you can serve them polenta and tomatoes.½ bunch parsley, 40 g parmesan cheese block
Leave a Reply