Barbecue Chicken and Potato Sheet-Pan Traybake
Chicken breast and potatoes roast together on one tray until the edges caramelize, then get finished with crisp bacon, melted cheddar and a sticky barbecue glaze. A high-protein, no-fuss dinner straight from the oven.
- Total
- 74 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 54 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Resting meat
- Savory
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
~12 min
-
Cut the potatoes into 2 cm cubes. Pat the chicken breast dry and season both sides with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
~8 min
Drying the chicken surface prevents steam and lets the skin or surface brown rather than poach in its own moisture.
-
Toss the potatoes on the tray with 1.5 tbsp olive oil, the remaining 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Spread them in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes, until the edges start to brown.
~20 min
A single layer with space lets hot air circulate so potatoes roast and caramelize instead of steaming.
If the potatoes are browning faster than the chicken, move them to the outer edges of the tray and keep the chicken in the center.
Roasting Keep pieces in a single layer with space between them so hot air circulates; crowding steams food and prevents caramelized edges.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the potatoes roast, cut the bacon into 2 cm pieces and grate the cheddar.
~5 min
-
Push the potatoes to the sides of the tray and set the chicken breast in the center. Brush the chicken with 2 tbsp barbecue sauce, scatter the bacon over the potatoes and roast for 15 minutes.
~15 min
Pushing potatoes aside keeps the chicken in the hottest center zone while bacon fat renders onto the potatoes.
Pat the chicken dry and leave space between the pieces so the surface browns instead of steaming.
Roasting Keep pieces in a single layer with space between them so hot air circulates; crowding steams food and prevents caramelized edges.
-
Brush the chicken with the remaining 2 tbsp barbecue sauce and roast 8 to 10 minutes more, until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part and the potatoes are tender and caramelized at the edges.
~10 min
The second glaze layer builds a sticky, caramelized barbecue coating without burning during the long roast.
Roasting Keep pieces in a single layer with space between them so hot air circulates; crowding steams food and prevents caramelized edges.
-
Scatter the cheddar over the potatoes and return the tray to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese melts and the bacon is crisp.
~4 min
Residual oven heat melts the cheddar and crisps the bacon without overcooking the already-done chicken.
-
Rest the tray 5 minutes before slicing the chicken and serving with the potatoes and bacon.
~5 min
Resting lets juices redistribute through the chicken so slicing does not lose moisture to the tray.
Resting meat Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing so juices redistribute; cutting immediately lets them run out and dry the meat.