Indian-Spiced Chicken and Potato Traybake
by Nigella. Featured in AT MY TABLEIntroduction
It’s no secret that I love a chicken traybake — or sheet pan dinner, if you prefer — as those of you have made my Chicken Traybake with Bitter Orange and Fennel, Chicken and Pea Traybake, and One Pan Sage and Onion Chicken and Sausage know only too well. But this is another absolute favourite in my house, and I’m thrilled it has now found a home on the website.
There is just something incontestably relaxing about bunging everything in a roasting tin and thence into the oven where it can cook merrily away without any input from you. And there is much less washing up at the end, too.
Easy as this recipe is, I do require you to peel the potatoes. Now, I’m not one for peeling potatoes if I can get away with it generally, but here you want the cubes of potato not to crisp up in the oven but to drink in the spiced lime and chicken juices as they cook, becoming soft and soused.
And should you have any chicken leftover, you can make one of my favourite sandwiches: for one chicken thigh (take the meat off the bone and then shred or chop it), you mix together a tablespoonful of mayo, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon each of garam masala and mango chutney; stir your shredded chicken into this and clamp between two pieces of bread.
Finally, although you can make the pink-pickled onions just before you assemble the traybake, I like to do it a few hours in advance or even the night before. And to make these, simply cut a small red onion (or half a larger one) into fine half moons, cover with lime juice, and leave to steep, removing them from the lime juice to serve.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
It’s no secret that I love a chicken traybake — or sheet pan dinner, if you prefer — as those of you have made my Chicken Traybake with Bitter Orange and Fennel, Chicken and Pea Traybake, and One Pan Sage and Onion Chicken and Sausage know only too well. But this is another absolute favourite in my house, and I’m thrilled it has now found a home on the website.
There is just something incontestably relaxing about bunging everything in a roasting tin and thence into the oven where it can cook merrily away without any input from you. And there is much less washing up at the end, too.
Easy as this recipe is, I do require you to peel the potatoes. Now, I’m not one for peeling potatoes if I can get away with it generally, but here you want the cubes of potato not to crisp up in the oven but to drink in the spiced lime and chicken juices as they cook, becoming soft and soused.
And should you have any chicken leftover, you can make one of my favourite sandwiches: for one chicken thigh (take the meat off the bone and then shred or chop it), you mix together a tablespoonful of mayo, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon each of garam masala and mango chutney; stir your shredded chicken into this and clamp between two pieces of bread.
Finally, although you can make the pink-pickled onions just before you assemble the traybake, I like to do it a few hours in advance or even the night before. And to make these, simply cut a small red onion (or half a larger one) into fine half moons, cover with lime juice, and leave to steep, removing them from the lime juice to serve.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 6
- 1½ kilograms potatoes (peeled and cut into approx. 2cm/1in cubes)
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons nigella seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
- 4 cloves of garlic (peeled and minced)
- 2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes plus more for sprinkling
- 12 chicken thighs with skin on and bone in
- 2 x 15ml tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil or regular olive oil
To serve
- fresh coriander
For the quick-pickled onions
- ½ red onion
- fresh lime juice
- 3¼ pounds potatoes (peeled and cut into approx. 2cm/1in cubes)
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons nigella seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
- 4 cloves of garlic (peeled and minced)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more for sprinkling
- 12 chicken thighs with skin on and bone in
- 2 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil or regular olive oil
To serve
- cilantro
For the quick-pickled onions
- ½ red onion
- fresh lime juice
Method
- Make the pink-pickled onions, as directed in the intro.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/425°F. Put the cut potatoes into a large, shallowish roasting tin (mine measures 37 x 34cm / 15 x 14in) and sprinkle with the spices, followed by the lime zest and juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt and 4 tablespoons of cold water.
- Tumble the chicken into the tin, and toss everything well together then turn the chicken skin-side up on top of the potatoes. Drizzle the skin with the oil and sprinkle over a little salt, then cook in the oven for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken cooked through, its skin golden and crisp. Serve scattered with chopped coriander and, if wished, the quick-pickled onions.
- Make the pink-pickled onions, as directed in the intro.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/425°F. Put the cut potatoes into a large, shallowish roasting tin (mine measures 37 x 34cm / 15 x 14in) and sprinkle with the spices, followed by the lime zest and juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt and 4 tablespoons of cold water.
- Tumble the chicken into the tin, and toss everything well together then turn the chicken skin-side up on top of the potatoes. Drizzle the skin with the oil and sprinkle over a little salt, then cook in the oven for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken cooked through, its skin golden and crisp. Serve scattered with chopped coriander and, if wished, the quick-pickled onions.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
It is not advisable to make ahead but you can refrigerate leftover chicken, within 2 hours of cooking, in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Eat cold.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
It is not advisable to make ahead but you can refrigerate leftover chicken, within 2 hours of cooking, in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Eat cold.
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Show more commentsThis magnificent dish yields a high reward for very little effort. The Indian flavors are lively and resonant, the chicken turns out beautifully tender and the presentation is stunning (the gold from the turmeric, the bright green cilantro and those hot pink pickled onions). Yes, you have to peel the potatoes, but it doesn’t take long and the rest of the prep is just putting things on a tray. My guests were completely impressed. This will definitely be one of my regulars!
As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. Even if it that meant for Saturday breakfast solo. I made it in a 20cm Le Creuset baking sheet. Very good. Would definitely go over on the potatoes. For the chicken, a tip I got from India Knight’s substack is to leave unwrapped it in the fridge overnight. This makes the chicken skin super tasty.
Fantastic recipe. So pleased I gave it a go. I would recommend peeling the potatoes for maximum flavour, they end up deliciously spicy (though not hot) and zingy.
Wonderful recipe! Finally tried it tonight. Hugely flavoursome and very easy. I followed the ingredients exactly but there were three things I did slightly differently: 1) I put the spice seeds into a mini grinder and ground it into powder before proceeding; 2) Mine were done in 45mins, both potatoes and chicken; 3) I did not peel the potatoes. There is enough cut surfaces to absorb the flavour.
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I had to use the ingredients that I had, so used lemon instead of lime. I will definitely be cooking this again so will try lime next time.
This was absolutely delicious! I wasn’t sure when I started how this recipe would turn out it its very easy. Minimum effort, maximum taste. I only had skinless, boneless chicken thighs in freezer and had to use them so put them on the baking tray after about 15 minutes of the potatoes cooking. I had a floury variety of potato so everything cooked much quicker than the hour set out in the recipe and I also turned my fan oven down to 180C. I put the thighs in some curry paste for a few minutes before cooking which enhanced the flavour, will definitely make again and I will add some baby spinach leaves for a few minutes before the end of the cooking time.