Romesco Chicken Tray Bake

Romesco is a delicious sauce that originates from the Catalonia region of Spain. The roasted peppers and paprika give it a vibrant red color and smoky taste, while the garlic and toasted almonds add richness.

Romesco is very popular in Catalonia. You’ll find romesco served on pretty much every menu at local restaurants in Barcelona and throughout the region. It’s typically paired with meat, vegetables (especially calçots, the delicious BBQ’d onions) and fish dishes.

If you want to know how to make your very own homemade romesco sauce, check out my romesco sauce recipe!  

Yes, it is! Every ingredient in this recipe is low carb. This chicken traybake recipe is perfect for anyone looking for a keto-friendly dish that’s full of flavour and easy to prepare.

Yes, you can. Although the recipe calls for drumsticks, or legs, you can of course use chicken thighs.

In fact, you can use both drumsticks and thighs in this dish. Go half and half, with 4 of each, or opt for your preferred ratio.

It takes about 40 minutes to bake it in the oven at 180°C / fan 160°C /  355°F / gas mark 4.

You can bake it higher and faster, but for me these temperatures and timings produce the best tasting chicken.

It’s recommended that it’s cooked until it reaches at least 74ºC / 165ºF. If in doubt, use a meat thermometer.

It’s all about the marinade, baby! It’s easy to overcook it and end up with a chewy, tasteless bit of meat, with about as much flavour as an old boot.

Not with this recipe! With this one, you can’t go wrong. The delicious sauce seeps deep into the meat, to keep it tender and juicy all throughout the cooking process.

Better yet, the flavours of the marinade infuses the chicken to create a taste that’s out of this world!

So, as long as you stick to the temperatures and the timings below and make sure it’s covered in that luscious sauce, you’ll end up with delicious succulent chicken.

It’s the same with dry chicken. The key to avoiding that rubbery texture is to keep it from drying out. That means plenty of liquid, which the marinade provides in this dish.

It’s best to cook it close to room temperature. That’s because the change in temperature when it goes in the oven will affect the overall texture.

Take it out of the fridge 30 mins to 1 hour before you place your chicken traybake in the oven.

While it’s best to serve this immediately, you can definitely make it ahead of time, up to 2 days before serving it. 

You can heat up the chicken traybake in the oven at 180°C / fan 160°C /  355°F / gas mark 4 for 10 minutes.

Aside from the simplicity, one of the great things about traybakes is how adaptable they are. You can be as creative as you want, switching up the ingredients to make something that suits your tastes to a tee.

Add red onion

If you want to bring a touch of sweetness to this delicious chicken traybake, roughly chop some white or red onions and throw them into the mix. 

Herbs and spice and all things nice

You could also play with different herbs and spices. This recipe calls for flat leaf parsley, but of course there are so many herbs you could use with or instead of parsley.

Something like thyme, oregano or rosemary would work really well with this recipe.

Spice-wise, you could turn up the heat and use a hot paprika. You could also add some ground mustard seeds for earthy heat, or add some chilli flakes or chopped fresh chilli for some tongue tingling heat.

Go nuts!

Romesco often mixes two different types of nuts, so feel free to throw some toasted chopped hazelnuts in alongside your toasted almonds. 

Authentic peppers

If you can find Spanish ñora peppers, they will add a touch of smoky authenticity to your romesco chicken traybake.

Fresh tomatoes

If you fancy a little more of a tomatoey taste, chop up some fresh tomatoes and add them to the dish. You’ll get that delicious roast tomato richness that will make romesco sauce so special. 

Vinegar versatility

Finally, let’s talk vinegar. It’s an essential element to this chicken traybake, bringing some much needed tang.

For me, sherry vinegar gives it that incredible Spanish authenticity, but you can swap it out for a different kind. Go for red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or balsamic, depending on your tastes.

If you want to bring a whole new level of rich flavor, add some pancetta or bacon bits. This will take your quick and easy chicken traybake to a new level of delicious! 

If you can’t wolf the lot down in one sitting, this recipe can easily be stored away for another day.

Simply spoon the contents into an airtight storage container and place it in the fridge. It will keep for 2–3 days.

If you want to store it longer than that, you can also store it in the freezer. Freezing is easy – once your chicken traybake has completely cooled, transfer it into an airtight freezer-safe container. Place in the freezer and use within 4 months.

To defrost frozen chicken traybake, thaw it overnight in the fridge. Then, reheat it in the oven (180°C / fan 160°C /  355°F / gas mark 4 for 10–15 minutes) or in a pot on the hob, heating on a medium heat while stirring continuously.

One great way to eat these leftovers is to dice up the chicken and serve everything up cold mixed into a salad (Mediterranean salad or salad olivieh would be perfect) . The flavours only get better with time and your salad will be supercharged!

Try serving it cold in a sandwich, wrap or a quesadilla. You can add it to a stir fry for a delicious midweek meal (try this edamame stir fry). 

You could even use this leftover turkey casserole recipe as inspiration to make a delicious, super easy midweek casserole to please the whole family.