Chicken and Sweet Potato Traybake (Printable)

One-pan piri-piri chicken with sweet potatoes and vibrant vegetables, ready in 55 minutes for easy weeknight dinners.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
02 - 2 tablespoons piri-piri seasoning or paste
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Vegetables

07 - 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
08 - 1 large red onion, cut into thick wedges
09 - 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
10 - 1 yellow bell pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
11 - 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
12 - 5.3 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Garnish

13 - Fresh coriander or parsley, chopped, optional
14 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F with fan setting or Gas Mark 6.
02 - In a large bowl, toss chicken thighs with piri-piri seasoning, olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange sweet potatoes, red onion, and both bell peppers on a large baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, scatter sliced garlic over vegetables, toss to combine, and spread in a single layer.
04 - Nestle seasoned chicken thighs among vegetables with skin-side up.
05 - Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
06 - Add cherry tomatoes to tray and return to oven for 10 minutes until chicken juices run clear and vegetables are golden and tender.
07 - Garnish with fresh coriander or parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything roasts together on one tray, which means minimal washing up and maximum flavor mingling in the oven.
  • The piri-piri seasoning gives you that restaurant-style punch without any complicated marinades or prep work.
  • You get three of your five-a-day built right in, so dinner feels virtuous even when youre too tired to think.
  • Bone-in chicken thighs stay juicy and forgiving, even if you lose track of time by ten minutes.
02 -
  • Do not add the cherry tomatoes at the start or they will collapse into mush, wait until the last ten minutes so they burst and stay juicy.
  • Make sure your vegetables are cut to a similar size so they roast evenly, uneven chunks mean some pieces burn while others stay hard.
  • Use a large enough tray to spread everything in a single layer, overcrowding causes steaming instead of roasting and you will lose that caramelized edge.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken skin dry with kitchen paper before seasoning, this helps it crisp up properly in the oven.
  • Let the tray rest for five minutes after roasting so the juices settle and the flavors deepen before you serve.
  • If your oven runs cool, finish the chicken under the grill for two minutes to get that final golden crunch on the skin.
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