Mediterranean Chicken Bake

This is one of my ultimate time saving meals that also doubles as a great lunchbox main. My Mediterranean Chicken Bake is prep to plate in 30 minutes and I strongly recommend you make a double batch for a few days of quick and simple lunches.

Last week we added to our family an adorable puppy – Bonnie. My teen also started at a new school so I now have two kids at two different schools. So between chasing after this tiny creature who feels like a cross between a new born (minus a nappy) and a toddler, and spending more time each day driving my kids about, meals like this one that require minimal effort have been my saviour. Plus, the kids are loving it in their lunchbox in my grain-free wraps (recipe in the Well Nourished Lunchbox ebook).

Health benefits

Chicken thighs are packed with protein and essential nutrients, while the sweet potato adds a healthy dose of fibre and antioxidants like beta-carotene. The red capsicum offers a boost of vitamin C, and the olive oil provides healthy fats.

Ingredients

You’ll need boneless skinless chicken thighs, red capsicums (bell peppers), sweet potato, red onion, olive oil, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and lemon zest. For the lemony mayo, mix whole egg mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, honey, and seasoning. These simple ingredients come together for a flavour-packed bake.

How to make Mediterranean Chicken Bake

Preheat your oven to 180℃/350℉ and prepare a baking dish or sheet pan. Slice the chicken, sweet potato, capsicum, and onion, then toss them with a couple tablespoon of olive oil, oregano, smoked paprika, lemon zest, and seasoning. Spread everything in a single layer on the tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Mix the mayo ingredients together and serve with the chicken bake.

Serving suggestions and how to store

Serve this Mediterranean Chicken Bake in lettuce cups, tortillas, or wraps for a lighter meal, or over rice, quinoa, or couscous for something more filling. Leftovers are great in a salad or wrap for school lunches (or mum or dad lunches). Store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy cold or reheat in a low oven.

Vary this Mediterranean Chicken Bake to suit your needs

For an onion-free version, swap out the red onion for baby fennel. If you’re avoiding garlic, try using cumin and cayenne instead. For a fructose-friendly option, use rice malt syrup in place of honey. Vegetarians can substitute the chicken with mushrooms and nuts, while vegans can also use cashew cream instead of mayo. Also feel free to add in other vegetables (zucchini or cauliflower would be nice) or ingredients (kalamata olives or feta cheese would work well too). You can sub the thigh with chicken breast, just watch it closely as it is a lot less forgiving and can over cook (unlike thigh meat).

Save time and sanity packing school lunches

Do you spend a heap of time searching the internet for recipes which you lovingly cook, only to find your kids fuss and don’t enjoy what you’ve made?

The ‘Well Nourished Lunchbox’ ebook is here to help…and it’s SO much more than just another recipe book!

As Natasha wrote on facebook…

‘I feel like I am always looking for new recipes and ideas and I spend an inordinate amount of time doing so. I just said to my husband that this ebook is the only lunchbox resource I will need for the rest of my kids’ school lives!’ 

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit any specific dietary requirements (including making this dish vegetarian or vegan).

Mediterranean Chicken Bake (with lemony mayonnaise)

Prep 10 minutes minutes

Cook 20 minutes minutes

Total 30 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

This Mediterranean Chicken Bake is a one-tray wonder, full of vibrant colours and bold flavours. With chicken thighs, sweet potato, capsicum and a hint of smoky paprika, it's a delicious, wholesome meal perfect for weeknights. Serve it with a refreshing lemony mayo for an extra zing.

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Ingredients

• 500 g chicken thighs
• 2 red capsicum/s (large)
• 1 sweet potato/s (kumara)
• 1 red onion/s
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil -extra virgin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 lemon/s -zest
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper -to taste

Lemony mayo

• 115 g whole egg mayonnaise (½ cup)
• 1 clove/s garlic -minced
• ½ lemon/s – juice
• 1 tsp honey
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper -to taste

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 180℃/350℉ (fan-forced).
• Finely slice the chicken, capsicums, sweet potato and red onion. Place on a large baking tray and drizzle over the olive oil. Add the oregano, smoked paprika, lemon zest, sea salt and pepper.
• Toss together until the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated and arrange in a single layer on the tray.
• Place the tray into the oven and bake for 20-25 mins until browned and the chicken is cooked through.
• Now make the lemony mayo by mixing all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Serve

• For a light meal, serve in a lettuce cup, tortilla or wrap with the lemony mayo and leafy greens
• Or tossed through mixed greens (dressed with olive oil and lemon juice) for a delicious salad. I also like to add in olives and cherry tomatoes.
• For a bulked up meal, it’s lovely over rice, quinoa or cous cous.
• Leftovers are fabulous in a wrap or as a salad for lunch.

Make-ahead

• Re-heat in a low oven until just hot.

Store

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Variations

Onion-free

Replace the red onion with baby fennel.

Garlic-free

Replace the garlic with a pinch of cumin and cayenne.

Fructose friendly

Replace the honey with rice malt syrup.

Egg-free

Replace the mayo with natural yoghurt or Cashew Nut Cream.

Vegetarian

Replace the chicken with 300g of brown or field mushrooms. Plus 1 cup of cashew nuts or almonds (throw on the tray for the last 10 minutes of baking). 

Vegan

See vegetarian variation. Replace the honey with rice malt syrup and and the mayo with cashew cream. 

 

I hope you and your family love this recipe. Help me to reach more people with simple, nourishing whole foods. Leave a comment, rate this recipe or share it on socials.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Author: Georgia Harding

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