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Mediterranean Chicken Bake

This one dish Mediterranean chicken bake is perfect for a healthy ‘lazy’ meal. Juicy chicken thighs, cherry tomatoes, onion, and potato all bathed in a harmonious flavourful marinade and sauce. Let this dish take you on a Mediterranean inspired journey, escape through food!

Even though cooking is my passion, there are always going to be days where I really do not feel like putting in the effort. And that is ok, after all my whole inspiration for this food blog is to provide easy and delicious recipes. This Mediterranean chicken bake is a great way to take healthy ingredients, chop and chuck them in a dish, and pop it in the oven. With minimal preparation this allows you to enjoy a gorgeous meal, as well as a relaxing evening.

Key Ingredients

Marinade

Garlic adds an aromatic note to the marinade. I grate the fresh cloves in so they blend in with the sauce better. Garlic adds a subtle layer of depth to the flavour, but definitely has an impact.
Honey brings a nice sweetness to the chicken. It is also great to ensure the marinade sticks to the chicken thighs, locking in the flavours of the sauce.
Olive oil helps to balance out the acidity of the lime juice. Olive oil also plays a role in making sure the moisture is locked into the meat.
Lime juice adds a bit of oomph and freshness to the marinade. It also helps to tenderise the chicken thighs while preparing the other ingredients.
Wholegrain mustard brings a nice slight vinegar flavour to the sauce. It created a balanced flavour with the sweet honey and acidic lime juice, as well as a nice earthy tone.
Seasonings are composed of paprika, onion powder, mixed herbs, and chicken powder. Paprika provides a subtle smokiness, onion powder brings in some extra umami, mixed herbs add to the earthy tones, and chicken powder brings a saltiness and extra oomph. All of these together mean the marinade has a great base flavour with depth.

Bake

Chicken thighs are my preferred cut of chicken. They’re juicer and more tender than chicken breasts, as they are a fattier piece of meat. Chicken thighs both infuse with the flavours of the marinade, but also add to the flavour with the fat that gets cooked out.
Onions get chopped into quarters with the Mediterranean chicken bake. The onions are laid underneath the chicken, so they release their aromatics into the chicken, while also soaking up the juices cooked out of the chicken.
Potatoes bring some carbs into the dish. This is why the Mediterranean chicken bake can be a full meal without needing to be served with anything – although I like it on top of rice. The potatoes are coated in the leftover marinade for the chicken, giving them a delicious flavour.
Cherry tomatoes bring a pop of freshness and colour to the Mediterranean chicken bake. These are added about half way through cooking, so they do not burn or turn to mush. I use cherry tomatoes because they are a bit sweeter, and less watery, than standard tomatoes.
Chicken stock is used to prevent burning when baking, and to enhance flavour. The chicken stock sits at the bottom of the baking dish, this helps the chicken retain its moisture in the oven.

How to make this delicious Mediterranean chicken bake

Make the marinade.

In a large bowl mix together the garlic, honey, olive oil, lime juice, wholegrain mustard, paprika, onion powder, chicken powder, and mixed herbs. Be sure that everything is combined to form the marinade.

Marinate the chicken.

Place the chicken thighs into the large bowl with the marinade. Toss the chicken thighs to ensure they are coated all over. Set the chicken aside to marinate whilst preparing the other ingredients.

Preparation.

Preheat your oven to 180C. Peel and cut the onion into smaller chunks or quarters. Then peel and chop the potatoes into wedges. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, remove any stems if you got them on the vine.

Assemble the Mediterranean chicken bake.

Add the potatoes and onion into your baking dish first. Then lay the chicken thighs on top. Pour any remaining marinade over the dishes contents.

Baking process.

Place the tray into your oven and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, add the halved cherry tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil. Place back into the oven and bake for a further 30 minutes. You want the chicken to have a nice golden colour, and the potatoes are cooked, but keep an eye on everything so it does not burn.

Serve.

Remove the Mediterranean chicken bake from the oven, serve over rice or on its own, and enjoy!

Storage

If you have leftovers then this Mediterranean chicken bake makes for a great meal in the next few days. Let the dish cool to a lukewarm temperature, then place in an airtight container. Keep in the fridge, and it should last up to 3 days. When reheating, I recommend placing it back into a tray and into the oven for 15-20 minutes. This is because the vegetables will most likely have started to go soggy in the fridge, so back into the oven should give them a nice texture again.

What to serve Mediterranean chicken bake with

This is definitely a recipe that you could enjoy on its own, especially if you want to stick to only one dish. If you were wanting to bulk up the Mediterranean chicken bake, I would recommend serving it with some white rice. Although, using packet rice (that’s what I did here) is another way around keeping it to only one dish…

More chicken recipes:

Alrighty, you should now know everything you need to make this delicious Mediterranean chicken bake. So come on, grab those ingredients and that baking dish, let’s get to enjoying this divine Mediterranean style culinary experience.