Chicken and Sweet Potato Traybake (Printable)

One-pan piri-piri chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and colorful vegetables. Bold flavors in 55 minutes.

# 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
14 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (180°C fan).
02 - In a large bowl, toss chicken thighs with piri-piri seasoning, olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange sweet potatoes, red onion, and both bell peppers on a large baking tray. Drizzle lightly 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 facing up.
05 - Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
06 - Add halved cherry tomatoes to the tray and return to oven for 10 additional minutes until chicken juices run clear and vegetables are golden and tender.
07 - Remove from oven, garnish with chopped fresh coriander or parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything roasts together on one tray, so you can actually sit down while dinner cooks instead of hovering over multiple pots.
  • The piri-piri spice soaks into the sweet potatoes and peppers, giving every bite that addictive smoky kick without any extra effort.
  • It looks ridiculously impressive when you pull it out of the oven, like you spent hours on it, but you were really just chopping vegetables for fifteen minutes.
  • You genuinely get three servings of vegetables per person, which feels like a small victory on busy weeknights.
02 -
  • Don't add the cherry tomatoes at the start or they'll break down into mush, wait until the last 10 minutes so they burst but keep their shape.
  • Make sure your vegetables are cut to similar sizes so everything cooks evenly, I learned this after ending up with charred peppers and rock-hard sweet potato chunks.
  • If your tray is too crowded, the vegetables will steam instead of roast, so use a large tray or split everything between two.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken skin dry with paper towels before seasoning, it makes all the difference for getting that crispy, golden finish.
  • Toss the vegetables halfway through roasting if you remember, it helps them brown evenly, though I often forget and it still turns out great.
  • Use a meat thermometer if you're unsure, the thickest part of the thigh should reach 75°C to be safely cooked through.
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