Name: Chicken, sweetcorn and tomato traybake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 500g new potatoes, halved; 2 red onions, each cut into 6 wedges; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked; 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 1.2kg); 3 sweetcorn cobs, husks and silks removed; 300g cherry tomatoes on the vine; 40g unsalted butter, softened; 1 garlic clove, crushed; Small bunch of basil (about 20g), leaves finely chopped; 1 unwaxed lemon, zest finely grated, then cut into wedges; Pinch of flaky sea salt; Large roasting tin, about 30x40cm

Chicken, sweetcorn and tomato traybake

An easy weeknight dinner for four, this chicken and sweetcorn traybake recipe roasts paprika-rubbed thighs, new potatoes and cherry tomatoes in one tin.

Gluten-free

Serves4

Hands-on20 min

Oven55 min

DifficultyEasy

Cut into thick wheels and roasted beside the chicken, fresh corn on the cob turns nutty and golden at the tips as the kernels catch the juices from the meat. British sweetcorn and ripe tomatoes overlap in September, which makes this the month to put them in the oven together.

Why it’s so good: Smoked paprika colours the chicken skin a deep russet as it crisps, and a garlicky basil and lemon butter melts into the tin at the end, making a quick sauce for the corn.

Make it easy: Mix the basil butter the night before and chill it, then take it out of the fridge as the chicken goes in so it softens in time.

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Put the potatoes and onion wedges in a large roasting tin, about 30x40cm, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat, then spread out in an even layer.

In a small bowl, mix the smoked paprika, crushed garlic and thyme leaves with 2 tsp of the remaining oil and a good pinch of salt. Rub all over the chicken thighs, then sit them skin-side up among the potatoes, leaving the skin uncovered so it crisps. Roast for 25 minutes until the skin is starting to colour.

Meanwhile, lay each sweetcorn cob on a board and cut it crossways into 4 thick rounds with a large, heavy knife (see tips). Toss the rounds with the last 1 tsp of oil and a pinch of salt.

For the basil butter, mash the softened butter with the garlic, basil, lemon zest and flaky sea salt in a small bowl until evenly flecked with green. Leave at room temperature.

Take the tin out of the oven and turn the potatoes and onions in the juices. Tuck the sweetcorn rounds into the gaps, laying them on their sides so the kernels touch the tin, then roast for 15 minutes until the corn is starting to colour.

Add the tomatoes, still on the vine, and roast for a final 12-15 minutes until the chicken skin is crisp and deep golden, the potatoes are tender, the sweetcorn is golden at the tips and the tomatoes are starting to burst. The chicken should be steaming hot all the way through, with no pink meat near the bone and juices that run clear.

Leave to rest in the tin for 5 minutes. Dot the basil butter over the sweetcorn, potatoes and chicken so it melts into the pan juices, then serve straight from the tin with the lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Per serving (Serves 4)

Calories

740kcals

Fat

41g (13g saturated)

Protein

45g

Carbohydrates

48g (11g sugars)

Fibre

Salt

1.3g

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

Raw sweetcorn cobs are tough to cut, so use your heaviest knife on a board that will not slip and press down firmly rather than chopping. If a cob will not give, snap it in half by hand first, then halve each piece.

If your tin is smaller than 30x40cm, divide everything between two tins and swap their shelves when the sweetcorn goes in, so the vegetables roast rather than steam. To serve 8, double the quantities and use two large tins in the same way.

No basil? Chives or flat-leaf parsley work in the butter instead. The recipe is gluten-free, but check the label on the smoked paprika if cooking for anyone who needs to avoid gluten.

The Food Standards Agency advises putting cooked food in the fridge within one to two hours and eating leftovers within 48 hours. Strip the chicken from the bones and reheat it until steaming hot, and cut the kernels from the cobs to toss through salad leaves with any leftover potatoes and tomatoes.

Chicken, sweetcorn and tomato traybake

Method

Nutrition

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

Rate & review

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Chicken, sweetcorn and tomato traybake

Method

Nutrition

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

Rate & review

More inspiration

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Midweek meal recipes

September seasonal recipes

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