Chicken leg traybake

Dinner today, lunch tomorrow – this all-in-one roast dinner will supercharge your veggies like never before.

One of the great parts of preparing a thrifty chicken traybake like this is its adaptability: you can change up the vegetables, throw in some different herbs, and play around with the flavour combinations depending on availability and seasonality.

The only thing that doesn’t change is roasting the chicken legs on the bone and with the skin on so the vegetables soak up all the chicken juices below.

It’s an absolute game-changer and creates the best kind of chicken seasoning that brings this colourful traybake to life.

How To Make My Chicken Leg Traybake

Tips & Notes To Know

  • Use a roasting or cooling rack to elevate the chicken: As the legs roast, you want those juices to drip down, basting the vegetables below. Place a wire rack over a roasting tin or baking dish and spread the veggies out in a single layer underneath.
  • Don’t overcrowd the tray: The vegetables need to roast, not steam, so leave space between the ingredients. Use two trays if needs be and rotate them so the chicken fat seasons both sets of vegetables.
  • Batch cook and meal plan: Roast extra legs and use for wraps, salads, soups or grain bowls for lunches throughout the week. The leftover chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Chicken leg traybake

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, cut into small chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken legs, skin on
1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp runny honey
8 radishes
1/2 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into large chunks
1/2 green pepper, deseeded and cut into large chunks
1/2 tsp dried oregano
12 tomatoes on the vine

Instructions

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200C. Coat the sweet potato in half the olive oil and some seasoning and spread out on a baking tray.

Step 2
Rub the chicken legs with the smoked paprika, the rest of the oil and some salt and pepper. Arrange on a rack which is just larger than the baking tray and place on top so the juices drip down on the potatoes below. Roast for 20 minutes.

Step 3
Remove the tray from the oven and drizzle the chicken legs with honey. Nestle the radishes and peppers in alongside the sweet potatoes and give everything a good shake. Roast for another 10 minutes before adding the vine tomatoes and oregano to the baking tray. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the chicken legs are cooked through. 

Step 4
Place the chicken legs on top of the vegetables and serve the traybake at the table with a side of salad.

Tag me on Instagram at @Chef_Catling.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Know If The Chicken Is Cooked Through And Safe To Eat?

The juices should be pale gold and clear. If there are traces of blood, return the chicken legs to the oven for another 5 minutes before checking again.

If you have a digital thermometer to hand, simply stick the probe into the thickest part of the chicken leg. The internal temperature should be at least 79ºC (175ºF). This handy guide will help.

Chicken or turkeyInternal temperature
Breast73ºC / 165ºF
Thigh79ºC / 175ºF
Drumstick79ºC / 175ºF
Wing79ºC / 175ºF
Whole bird73ºC / 165ºF (at breast)
79ºC / 175ºF (at thigh)

Related posts

Whole pumpkin stuffed with mixed grains and chestnuts

Artichoke risotto with baby parsnips

Butternut squash, hazelnut and sage risotto