Let this easy Greek Chicken Tray Bake recipe take the pressure (and clean up time!) off of weeknight cooking. The chicken marinates while you prepare the vegetables, everything goes into the oven together and BOOM! you've got yourself a delicious one pan meal!
If you love one pan meals like my Baked Harissa Chicken, Teriyaki Salmon Tray Bake, One Pan Chicken and Artichoke Bake, and Tex-Mex Chicken Bake you are going to love this recipe.
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Why you will love this recipe
- First thing's first - it's delicious! I'm sure it will soon become a family favorite.
- It uses minimal dishes making clean up fast and easy.
- You can switch up ingredients to suit your own needs.
- It's fast enough for busy weeknights but also can impress dinner guests without having to slave in the kitchen.
- It's full of protein, healthy fats, and nutritious veggies!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Please refer to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Chicken thighs - any cut of chicken will work for this recipe. Boneless chicken breasts will only take 20-25 minutes to cook so bake the vegetables for 10 minutes before adding the breasts to the tray. Check for doneness with a quick-read meat thermometer.
- Vegetables - I chose a classic Greek combo of vegetables for this dish but you can switch them up to your heart's desire. Keep in mind cooking times may vary.
- Kalamata olives - pitted, whole olives are my go-to but you could use olives with the pit or sliced. I don't recommend regular black olives as they lack enough flavor for this dish. Olives can be omitted if they aren't your thing. Or replace with less traditional green olives.
- Feta cheese can be left out to make this recipe dairy-free. Goat's cheese would also make a good substitute.
- Fresh parsley - this is an optional ingredient but adds a burst of freshness to the finished dish.
How to make this recipe
Please see full instructions in the recipe card below.
First, prepare the marinade and remove ⅓ of a cup to use for the vegetables. Add the chicken to the remaining marinade and stir to coat. Let the chicken marinate while you prepare the other ingredients or up to 24 hours, covered and in the fridge. The longer you marinate the chicken the more flavorful it will become.
Next, prepare all the vegetables and place on a baking sheet. Cut pieces into large sizes to accommodate for a longer baking time. Pour the remaining marinade over top and mix to coat everything well.
Nestle the chicken pieces into the vegetables then bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add olives and feta cheese. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft and chicken reaches 165F (74C) using a meat thermometer.
Expert Tips
- Baking at a higher temperature allows the chicken skin to brown and crisp.
- You can line your baking tray with parchment or foil but it's not necessary with this recipe. The vegetables produce a lot of juice so nothing should stick.
- Adding the olives and cheese closer to the end ensures they don't dry out.
- Marinating the chicken for a few hours or overnight will produce more flavor but it can be done for as little time as it takes to prepare the other vegetables when you don't have the time.
- Use a quality quick-read meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked properly. My favorite thermometer is a Thermapen One by Thermoworks.
- Cutting vegetables into larger pieces and the baby potatoes in half allows everything to bake for the same amount of time.
Frequently asked questions
Chicken breasts can be used in this recipe. If using boneless breasts, place the vegetables in the oven first and bake for 10 minutes before adding the chicken to the pan. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 165F (74C)
Chicken thighs can be cooked in a variety of ways. Unlike breast meat, chicken thighs will become more tender the longer they cook. This makes them great for slow cooking or braising but they are equally delicious with a quicker pan-fried or oven-baked method.
Yes boneless thighs will work perfectly however, like chicken breasts, they take less time so bake the vegetables for 10 minutes first before adding the chicken to the tray.
What to serve with Greek Chicken Tray Bake
This dish is perfect on it's own but here are some suggestions:
- Extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Tzatziki sauce
- Your favorite rice or grain
- Crusty bread, or pita bread
- Pasta
- Cauliflower rice
- Green salad
How to store leftovers
Chicken can be stored for up to 3 days and vegetables for 5 days.
Freezing instructions - Chicken thighs can be frozen, in a sealed bag or container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a 350F oven, covered in foil, for 30 minutes, or the microwave. I don't recommend freezing the vegetables as they will become soggy after defrosting.
Extra leftover vegetables are delicious added cold to a salad!
More One-Pot Chicken Dinners
Tried this recipe? I would love it if you could leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and/or a comment below. You can also follow me on social media here on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Want to say thank you?📖 Recipe
Greek Chicken Tray Bake
Ingredients
Greek marinade
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice of, about 4 tbsp.
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 3 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
For the chicken and vegetables
- 6 chicken thighs, whole
- 2 bell peppers, any colour, cored and sliced
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
- 6 cocktail tomatoes, cut in half. Leave whole if using smaller tomatoes.
- 3 small zucchini, cut into ½ -inch thick slices
- 10 baby potatoes, cut in half
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 140 g Feta cheese, cut into cubes or broken in to chunks
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
- In a small bowl, mix together marinade ingredients. Remove ⅓ of a cup and set aside. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl, pour over remaining marinade, and mix to coat. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients or refrigerate if letting it sit longer than 20 minutes.
- Prepare the vegetables and arrange evenly on a baking tray or in a large baking dish. Drizzle with the rest of the marinade and toss to coat.
- Remove chicken from marinade and arrange on top of the vegetables. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add kalamata olives and feta cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley (optional) and serve.
Chelsey Reid-Thompson says
This was delicious and easy to make! Thank you
Jackie Tridico says
This was amazing ! Thank you Andrea ! We had it for 2 days !
Andrea says
Hi Jackie! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Leftovers are the best! Thanks for commenting
Bonnie Shore says
Love this meal! Question (already asked by another reader):what to do with that ⅓ cup marinade put aside? You answered that you had corrected the recipe, but I don’t see where…can you spell it out for me here? Thanks!
Andrea says
Hi Bonnie! It's in Step 3. The rest of the marinade gets drizzled over the vegetables before baking. Hope that helps!
Valerie W says
Andrea, this recipe is amazing! I had to pry myself away from the serving spoon as I could have eaten this entire tray! Thank you for all of your fantastic recipes, I feel to ‘gourmet’ each time I make one of them!
Andrea says
I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe Valerie! Thanks so much for the lovely comment 🤗
Barbara Gow says
So easy, and delicious too.
Thank you Andrea.
Deb says
I have never used bone in thighs and this was incredible. The flavour was amazing! Thank you Andrea
Lorna says
First time making this dish and will go on my list of favourites! The marinade was awesome and I loved the veggies with the olives and feta. You did it again Andrea! I used to hate cooking but your recipes are so easy and the options you provide make your site my ‘go to’. 😀
Andrea says
This makes my day! Best compliment is when I hear I've inspired someone to cook who normally doesn't like it! Thank you so much Lorna!
Suzanne says
When I need a quick weeknight dinner your website is my “go-to”! It never fails to provide me with great options. The Greek Chicken Tray Bake was excellent. Modified some of the vegetables to match what I had in the fridge and both my husband and I loved it. Looking forward to leftovers. Definitely will make this again.
Andrea says
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe Suzanne! Thanks for commenting!
Arlene B says
Hi Andrea, I made this last night for dinner and it is magnificent. So tasty. When it came out of the oven I divided it up into six servings and my hubby and I each ate one serving. But it was so good we split another serving between the two of us. lol. Oink Oink. We're looking forward to having the leftovers again tonight. Total yum.
Andrea says
I'm so happy you both enjoyed it Arlene! Thanks for commenting
Judy Greason says
I made this before going away and froze the leftovers, veggies and all. Delish before and after freezing. Thanks for another stellar dish!
Andrea says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it Judy!
MaryAnn R says
Wow! Absolutely full of flavour and I love the ease of one dish. Love the photos, step by step and options for substitutions.👍 Yet another MPK recipe keeper! Thank you, Andrea
Andrea says
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe Mary Ann! Thanks so much for your comment!
Cindy B says
This was a delicious meal and the leftovers were even better the next evening! Thank you for this wonderful and easy meal. Will definitely be making this again.
Andrea says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it Cindy! Thanks so much for commenting!
Theresa McGrath-Wooley says
Amazing Andrea!! So delicious! I added extra chicken so I could take the next night off cooking! It was enough for 2 meals and lunches. Thank goodness because we LOVED it! ♥️♥️♥️
Jen C says
Dinner last night...and it was fabulous. My hubby pulled it together while I drove the carpool. Easy to prep and make and was absolutely delicious. You keep knocking it out of the park, Andrea. Keep it up. Might be getting rid of all of my cookbooks!
Andrea says
What a wonderful compliment! Thank you so much and I'm so happy you are enjoying the recipes Jen!
Jennifer Mendoza says
This recipe is the bomb!!!! Loved it! Thank you Andrea!
Rhondda says
Made this for Sunday night dinner.
I omitted the onions and olives as my husband won’t eat any dishes with them in it. Added extra red pepper and zucchini and he loved it.
Defiantly going to be on my frequent rotation for go to meals
Linda Dalton says
Made this tonight and we loved it! Didn’t have olives and it was still delicious! Will make again for guests with olives. Soooo easy and flavourful!
Linda
B-D says
Hello,
There are potatoes in the ingredient list but when do you put them in?
Andrea says
Hi there! They go on the tray with the rest of the vegetables. I just edited the step to make it more clear. Thanks for pointing that out!
Kerri says
Just made this and it was amazing, my husband loved it too. He even wants to take leftovers for his lunch
Thanks for sharing
Sharon says
Made this last night. So easy and delicious! Looking forward to leftovers tonight!
Deb says
WOW! So flavourful and easy to pull together! Can’t wait to make it again!!!
Leslie says
Just a quick question, Andrea. What do we do with the 1/3 cup of marinade that was set aside? I read the recipe twice and I must be missing the details. I look forward to making this recipe this week! 😊
Andrea says
Oops! I just added the instruction to the recipe. It's in step 3. The rest of the marinade is added to the veggies. Thanks for catching that! No matter how many times I proof read a recipe 🙄😂