A simple one-tray chicken dinner with soft, flavour-soaked potatoes – ready in 30 minutes.
There are plenty of nights where I love cooking. And then there are the nights where I just want to put something in the oven, shut the door, and get on with everything else that needs doing. This Chicken Souvlaki Tray Bake recipe was created for those nights.
It uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs – which, if you’re anything like me, are probably already in your supermarket trolley most weeks. They’re affordable, forgiving and hard to overcook, which makes them perfect for a fast tray bake (sheet-pan dinner) like this. Here, they’re coated in all those classic Greek-inspired flavours I love – lemon, garlic, oregano – and roasted over thinly sliced potatoes.
As it cooks, the red onion softens and caramelises, the capsicum (bell pepper) turns sweet, and the chicken stays juicy while the potatoes sit underneath everything, soaking up all those lemony, garlicky tray juices. You won’t see crispy potatoes here – they’re meant to be soft, creamy and full of flavour from cooking under the chicken. And it all comes together in 30 minutes, which feels like a little lifeline when you need to get dinner on the table quickly.
I like to serve this with a scatter of feta, a big dollop of tzatziki and a squeeze of lemon. Everything melts into those potatoes and suddenly it feels a bit special, even though it took very little effort and is completely doable on a weeknight. Leftovers keep for up to 3 days, although truthfully, unless I make a double batch, I rarely have any!
Can I use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs?
Yes, but I recommend adjusting the method slightly so everything cooks properly. Because chicken breast cooks faster than thigh, I like to give the potatoes a head start. Roast the sliced potatoes, onion and capsicum (bell pepper) – tossed with 1 tablespoon of the marinade as per the recipe – for 10–12 minutes first.
While they’re in the oven, slice 3–4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts horizontally to create thinner steaks (about 2–3 cm/3/4–11/4 inches thick) and coat them in the remaining marinade. After the vegetables have had their head start, remove the tray, place the chicken on top, then return to the oven for a further 15–18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Turn the oven to high grill (broiler) for 2 minutes to caramelise the edges of the chicken and vegetables.
That said, I still prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this tray bake because they’re more forgiving and stay juicier at high heat.
Why aren’t the potatoes crispy?
This Chicken Souvlaki Tray Bake recipe is designed to have soft, flavour-soaked potatoes rather than crispy roast potatoes. Because they cook underneath the marinated chicken, they absorb all the lemon, garlic and pan juices, which keeps them tender and full of flavour.
If you prefer crispy potatoes, you can roast them separately. Preheat the oven to 240°C (475°F) (220°C/425°F) fan-forced. Toss the sliced potatoes with 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil and a generous pinch of sea salt flakes, then spread them in a single layer on a large metal tray (avoid overcrowding so they crisp rather than steam). Place the potatoes in the oven first and roast for 10–15 minutes to give them a head start.
After that, place the tray of marinated chicken and vegetables into the oven as per the recipe. Reduce the heat to 220°C (425°F) (200°C/400°F) fan-forced. Continue roasting both trays for a further 20–25 minutes, turning the potatoes halfway, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are golden and crisp around the edges.
Serving them this way gives you crispy potatoes with the same Greek-inspired flavours, just without the soft, tray-baked texture.
What can I serve with Chicken Souvlaki Tray Bake?
I usually keep it simple and serve it with toasted pita bread, tzatziki and a scattering of feta. A fresh Greek-style salad with cucumber, tomato and olives works beautifully alongside it too.
If you want to stretch it further, you could add:
- Steamed rice
- A simple cucumber and dill salad
- Hummus or garlic dip
- Warm flatbreads for assembling wraps
It also works really well served “bowl-style” with rice, salad and Greek yoghurt on top.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes! Use two trays and rotate them halfway through cooking. Leftovers keep well – see the leftover instructions below.
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Chicken Souvlaki Tray Bake
This Chicken Souvlaki Tray Bake is a quick, one-pan dinner made with juicy boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced potatoes and classic Greek-inspired flavours like lemon, garlic and oregano. Everything roasts together in 30 minutes, creating soft, creamy potatoes that soak up all the tray juices. It’s fresh, satisfying and completely doable on a busy weeknight.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
Marinade
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1½ tsp sea salt flakes
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus extra to serve
Chicken & Veggies
- 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) brushed or sebago (russet) potatoes, sliced into thin wedges roughly 5 mm/1/4 inch thick (see note 1)
- 1 red onion, cut into thick wedges
- 200 g (7 oz) marinated capsicums (bell peppers), drained and sliced
- 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (approx. 6) (see FAQ section if you want to use chicken breast)
To Serve
- 100 g (31/2 oz) feta, sliced
- Fresh dill sprigs (optional)
- Toasted pita
- Tzatziki, store-bought or homemade
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven – Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) (200°C/400°F fan-forced).
- Prepare the marinade – In a jug, combine all the marinade ingredients and set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables – Place the potato, onion and capsicum in a large metal baking dish. Add 1 tablespoon of the marinade and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer.
- Marinate the chicken – Add the remaining marinade to the chicken and toss to coat well. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables in a single layer.
- Roast – Roast for 28 minutes (in the top third of the oven) or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Turn the oven to high grill (broiler) and cook for a further 2 minutes to lightly char and crisp the edges.
- Finish – Scatter with feta and herbs. Drizzle with extra olive oil and finish with cracked black pepper.
- Serve – Serve with toasted pita, tzatziki and lemon wedges.
Notes
Note 1 – Slice the potatoes evenly (about 5 mm/1/4 inch thick) so they cook at the same time as the chicken. If they’re thicker, they may need an extra 5–10 minutes.
The potatoes in this recipe are intentionally soft and tender rather than crispy. Because they cook underneath the chicken, they absorb the marinade and tray juices, which keeps them creamy and full of flavour. If you’re after crispy roast potatoes, I recommend roasting them separately (see FAQs above). Use a large metal tray for best heat distribution and avoid overcrowding so everything roasts rather than steams.
Make Ahead
The chicken can be marinated and refrigerated for up to 24 hours in an airtight container, otherwise the entire meal can be made ahead of time – see leftovers below.
Leftovers
The chicken and potatoes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1–2 minutes, or until heated through. Reheat in the oven at 200°C (400°F) (180°C/350°F fan-forced) for 10–15 minutes, or until heated through.
Recipe source
Thank you to Jessica Brook for your help developing this recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes (includes slicing vegetables and marinating chicken; allow extra time if marinating in advance)
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven, Tray Bake
- Cuisine: Greek-inspired
