A Simple Summer Chicken Traybake – The Perfect Easy Dorset Family Dinner

When the weather is warm, the last thing I want to do is spend hours standing over a hot stove. Summer is for lingering in the garden a little longer, enjoying the evening sunshine, and making the most of fresh seasonal produce.

At this time of year, I always find myself reaching for recipes that are simple, full of flavour and, perhaps most importantly, don't leave the kitchen looking like a whirlwind has swept through it!

This easy summer chicken traybake has become one of our favourite midweek meals. Everything cooks together in one roasting tin, allowing the vegetables to soak up all the delicious flavours from the chicken. It's colourful, healthy and wonderfully easy to prepare.

Serve it with warm crusty bread to mop up the juices or a crisp green salad, and you have a meal that tastes like summer.

Easy Summer Chicken Traybake

Serves: 4Preparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 45–50 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs (bone-in and skin-on for extra flavour)

• 500g baby new potatoes, halved

• 2 courgettes, sliced into chunky rounds

• 1 red pepper, cut into chunks

• 1 yellow pepper, cut into chunks

• 250g cherry tomatoes

• 1 red onion, cut into wedges

• 3 cloves garlic, left whole

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of half a lemon

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• A handful of fresh basil or parsley to serve

Method

Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

Place the potatoes, courgettes, peppers, onion, garlic and cherry tomatoes into a large roasting tin.

Drizzle over the olive oil and lemon juice before sprinkling with the oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss everything together so the vegetables are evenly coated.

Nestle the chicken thighs amongst the vegetables, skin-side up.

Roast for around 45 to 50 minutes, turning the vegetables halfway through, until the chicken is golden and cooked through and the potatoes are tender.

Scatter over the fresh basil or parsley just before serving.

That's all there is to it.

Make It Your Own

One of the lovely things about a traybake is how adaptable it is.

If your garden is overflowing with courgettes, add an extra one. A handful of green beans or chunks of aubergine work beautifully too. If you've picked fresh herbs from the garden, swap the dried herbs for rosemary, thyme or oregano.

It's the sort of meal that changes with the seasons and whatever happens to be growing.

The Perfect Summer Pudding

If you have room afterwards, keep dessert wonderfully simple.

Fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries served with thick Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of Dorset honey make a light, refreshing finish to the meal.

It's proof that the best summer food often needs very little fuss.

A Meal to Enjoy Outdoors

Whenever the weather allows, I like to carry this tray straight out into the garden and serve it at the table outside.

The birds are singing, the flowers are gently swaying in the evening breeze, and everything somehow tastes just a little bit better eaten in the fresh air.

These are the moments I treasure most. Simple food, made with fresh ingredients, shared with the people we love.

After all, summer dining isn't about creating elaborate meals. It's about slowing down, making life a little easier, and enjoying everything this beautiful season has to offer.