Garlic Thyme Chicken and Asparagus Traybake
Chicken breast roasted with potatoes, garlic and thyme until golden at the edges, with asparagus added near the end so it stays tender. A simple one-pan dinner with plenty of protein.
- Total
- 65 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 45 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Resting meat
- Savory
- Oven
- One pan
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C. Cut the potatoes into 2 cm cubes. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus and cut the spears into 4 cm lengths. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Zest the lemon into a small bowl, then cut the lemon in half.
~15 min
Cutting potatoes into uniform 2 cm cubes ensures they cook evenly and brown at the same rate.
-
Put the potatoes on the sheet pan, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with 0.25 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper. Toss to coat and spread in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, until the edges start to brown.
~20 min
A single layer lets heat circulate around each potato, so they roast and brown instead of steaming.
Roasting Roast in a single layer with space between pieces so heat circulates and edges brown; crowding steams food and prevents caramelization.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the potatoes roast, rub the chicken breasts with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, 0.25 tsp salt, the thyme and half the sliced garlic.
~5 min
Slicing the garlic rather than crushing it keeps it from burning in the hot oven; it turns sweet and golden against the potatoes.
-
Push the potatoes to the edges of the pan and set the chicken in the centre. Scatter the remaining garlic over the potatoes. Roast for 15 minutes.
~15 min
Pushing potatoes to the edges gives the chicken direct pan contact for better browning and keeps potatoes from crowding it.
Roasting Roast in a single layer with space between pieces so heat circulates and edges brown; crowding steams food and prevents caramelization.
-
Turn the chicken, add the asparagus to the pan and squeeze over the juice of half the lemon. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until the asparagus is tender and the chicken reaches 74°C in the thickest part.
~10 min
Adding asparagus near the end prevents it from overcooking, while turning the chicken ensures even cooking on both sides.
If the asparagus spears are thick, add them 2 minutes earlier so they cook through without the chicken drying out.
Roasting Roast in a single layer with space between pieces so heat circulates and edges brown; crowding steams food and prevents caramelization.
-
Rest the pan for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the lemon zest and the remaining 0.25 tsp salt, then serve with the other lemon half cut into wedges.
~5 min
Resting allows the chicken's juices to redistribute so they don't run out when sliced.
Resting meat Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing so juices redistribute; cutting immediately lets them run out and dries the meat.