Maple Soy Chicken and Sweet Potato Traybake
Chicken thighs and sweet potato roast together on one tray, then get brushed with a sticky maple soy glaze that caramelizes at the edges. A high-protein, not spicy dinner straight from the oven.
- Total
- 64 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 44 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Caramelizing
- Savory
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C. Cut the sweet potato into 2 cm cubes and peel and thinly slice the garlic. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towel.
~10 min
Pat the chicken thighs very dry before they go in: surface moisture steams the skin and keeps it pale instead of browned.
-
Spread the sweet potato cubes and sliced garlic on a large rimmed baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with the salt and black pepper, and toss to coat. Push the vegetables to the edges to make room in the centre.
~5 min
Crowding the tray would trap steam, so spreading the vegetables in a single layer lets them roast and brown instead of steaming.
Roasting Use a single layer and high heat so surfaces brown rather than steam. Watch for deep golden edges and tender sweet potato; crowding or low heat gives pale, soggy results.
-
Place the chicken thighs skin side up in the centre of the tray. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast until the chicken is browned and reaches 74°C at the thickest part and the sweet potato is tender when pierced with a knife, 35 to 40 minutes.
~40 min
Roasting at high heat browns the skin through Maillard reactions, while 74°C ensures the chicken is safely cooked without drying out.
Roasting Use a single layer and high heat so surfaces brown rather than steam. Watch for deep golden edges and tender sweet potato; crowding or low heat gives pale, soggy results.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the tray roasts, stir the soy sauce and maple syrup together in a small bowl until smooth.
~2 min
-
Brush the soy sauce and maple syrup glaze over the chicken and sweet potato. Scatter the spinach over the tray and return it to the oven until the spinach is just wilted and the glaze is sticky, 3 to 4 minutes.
~4 min
The maple syrup sugars caramelize quickly at high heat, so a brief final roast makes the glaze sticky without burning it.
If the glaze starts to darken too fast, slide the tray to a lower oven shelf; maple syrup burns quickly once it reduces.
Roasting Use a single layer and high heat so surfaces brown rather than steam. Watch for deep golden edges and tender sweet potato; crowding or low heat gives pale, soggy results.
Caramelizing Brush the glaze on only at the end and roast briefly until sticky. Pull it out as soon as it darkens, because maple syrup goes from caramelized to burnt in seconds.
-
Let the tray stand for 5 minutes so the juices settle, then spoon the pan glaze over the chicken and sweet potato before serving.
~5 min
Resting lets the juices redistribute through the meat so they stay in the chicken instead of running out when cut.