- Prep10 min
- Cook25 min
Greek garlic chicken tray bake: chicken, zucchini, potato, kale and broccolini on one tray, with a lemon and garlic butter smeared over the chicken. That’s the whole dish in one breath. Ten minutes of chopping, then the oven takes over, with three quick trips to the oven door.
If chopping is eating your spoons, buy the veg pre-cut and the kale in a bag. Same tray, same butter, fewer jobs. Dinner for two, with lemon wedges on the side.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄 Low Spoons
- Hands-on time: about 10 minutes of prep, plus three trips to the oven (at the 10, 18 and 23 minute marks)
- Main effort: cutting the zucchini and potato, and tearing the kale
- Chopping: a fair bit: zucchini, potato, broccolini, garlic and lemon. Pre-cut veg skips most of it
- Standing and attention: about 10 minutes at the bench, then you can sit down. Set a timer for the oven moments
- Washing up: one tray, two bowls, a fork, a knife and a board
Quick spoon check
- Low-spoon version: pre-cut zucchini and potato (same sizes as the recipe), bagged kale, jarred garlic
- As written: the full recipe below
There’s no no-spoons version of this one. It needs raw chicken and an oven.
Kerry’s notes
Garlicky, lemony and done on one tray. That’s my kind of dinner. (This one used to be called Kotopoulos Skorthato on the site. It’s roughly “garlic chicken” in Greek.)
The butter does the heavy lifting. Mash it with garlic, mint, lemon zest and a little keto honey substitute, smear it over the chicken, then tip any leftover butter over the veg. Nothing to marinate, nothing to wait for.
Yes, there’s a potato in a low-carb tray bake. It’s the lower-carb kind, and Leigh will want to tell you exactly how much lower, so I’ve put the kettle on first. Her keto vs low carb guide has the lot.
Massaging the kale sounds fussy, but it breaks down the fibres so the leaves crisp up instead of chewing like cardboard. Do it in the bowl the veg came out of and you’ve saved a dish.
Fancy more lemon and chicken? Try the Avgolemono next. Cooking for one? Eat one serve tonight and keep the other for lunch.
What’s that ingredient?
Spud Lite potatoes
- What it is: a potato variety sold as the lower-carb spud, grown in Australia. Read the Foodwatch product snapshot if you want the background, or ask Leigh. She’ll have opinions.
- How to keep it: like any potato, in a cool, dark cupboard
- Easiest swap: any other potato, cut into the same 2 cm cubes. The method stays the same, but the timing hasn’t been tested with other varieties, and the carbs will be different
Natures Hollow Keto Honey Substitute
- What it is: a sugar-free, honey-style syrup. One teaspoon in the butter adds a touch of sweetness against the lemon and garlic
- How to keep it: in the pantry, and check the label for storage once opened
- Easiest swap: 1 teaspoon of ordinary honey
Why this recipe works
- The zucchini and potato get a 10-minute head start, so they’re softening while the chicken is still in the butter.
- The kale goes on for the last 5 minutes, so it crisps on top instead of steaming under everything else.
- One bowl of butter carries the flavour: garlic, mint, lemon zest and a little sweetness.
- The bowl that held the veg is reused for the kale, so that’s one dish fewer.
- Lemon wedges at the end let you adjust the sharpness on your own plate.
Ingredients at a glance
- Chicken breast or thighs: the main protein, coated in flavoured butter.
- Zucchini: soft, mild chunks that soak up the juices.
- Spud Lite potato: the base of the tray, roasted in 2 cm cubes.
- Broccolini: roasts alongside the chicken for the last 13 minutes.
- Kale: scattered on at the end to crisp.
- Garlic: crushed into the butter.
- Lemon: zest and juice in the butter, wedges to serve.
- Dried mint: gives the butter its Greek-style flavour.
- Butter: carries the garlic, mint and lemon onto the chicken.
- Olive oil: coats the veg and kale.
- Natures Hollow Keto Honey Substitute: a little sweetness to balance the lemon.
No Spoon Swaps
- Pre-cut zucchini and potato: keep the same sizes (3 cm and 2 cm). No knife work. It costs a little more, and the pieces may be less fresh.
- Bagged kale: check whether the stems are already out. If they are, you can skip that job.
- Jarred garlic: fresh garlic gives a slightly stronger flavour, but jarred saves the crushing and works well here.
- Bottled lemon juice: fine for the 2 teaspoons of juice. You’ll still need a lemon for the zest and the wedges, or leave the zest out and expect a milder lemon flavour.
Substitutions and allergens
- Chicken: breast or thighs both work. They differ in thickness, so check the 75°C cue.
- Potato: any potato, cut to 2 cm. The timing is untested.
- Keto honey substitute: 1 teaspoon of honey.
Allergen notes
- Milk: the butter.
- Labels: check the honey substitute and any jarred garlic, because brands vary.
Equipment and easier alternatives
- If standing to chop is hard, set up at the table: sit down with a board, the bowl and a sharp knife, and carry the tray over once it’s ready.
- A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of the chicken, but it isn’t needed.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours. Eat within 3 days.
- Freezer: not tested.
- Reheating: until steaming hot all the way through, once only.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use chicken thighs in this garlic chicken tray bake?
Yes. The recipe works with breast or thighs. They’re different thicknesses, so check the thickest part reads 75°C and the juices run clear.
Do I have to massage the kale?
Massaging breaks down the fibres, so the kale softens and crisps. If you skip it, expect chewier kale.
Can I make it in the air fryer?
This recipe has only been tested in the oven, so there are no air fryer times here.
What does Kotopoulos Skorthato mean?
It’s the name this recipe went by before, roughly “garlic chicken” in Greek.
How do I know the chicken is cooked?
It reaches 75°C at the thickest part and the juices run clear. Rest it for 5 minutes before serving.
Greek Garlic Chicken Tray Bake (Opa, Dinner's Done)
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Baking paper
- Large bowl
- Medium bowl
- Fork
- Zester or fine grater
- Sharp Knife
- Frying Pan (or BBQ)
- Meat thermometer (optional)
Ingredients
Tray
- 300 g chicken breast or thighs
- 100 g zucchini
- 100 g Spud Lite potato
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 100 g kale
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
Lemon garlic butter
- 20 g butter
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp dried mint
- 1 lemon (zest of half and 2 tsp juice for the butter, the rest cut into wedges to serve)
- 1 tsp Natures Hollow Keto Honey Substitute
Instructions
Get set up
- Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Set the butter on the bench to soften.
Roast the veg
- Cut the zucchini into quarters lengthwise, then into 3 cm chunks.
- Cut the potatoes into 2 cm cubes (peeling is optional).
- Put the zucchini and potato in a large bowl with 2 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake to coat.
- Tip onto the tray and bake for 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften. Keep the bowl.
Prep the kale, garlic and lemon
- Crush the garlic.
- Remove the kale stems and tear the leaves into small pieces. Put them in the same bowl.
- Drizzle the kale with 1 tsp olive oil and massage it with your hands.
- Finely zest half the lemon, then juice it. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges.
- Trim the broccolini and cut any large pieces in half lengthwise.
Make the butter and coat the chicken
- In a medium bowl, mash the butter, garlic, mint, lemon zest, 2 tsp lemon juice, honey substitute, salt and pepper with a fork.
- Add the chicken to the bowl and spread the butter over it to coat.
Finish on the tray
- Add the chicken and broccolini to the tray with the zucchini and potato. Drizzle over any butter left in the bowl.
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Scatter the kale over the tray and bake for 5 more minutes, until the kale is crisp and the chicken is cooked through (75°C at the thickest part, juices running clear).
- Rest the tray for 5 minutes.
- Serve with the lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
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A final spoon-saving note
Do the zucchini and potato first and get them in the oven. Everything else happens while they bake, so you’re never standing around waiting. Use the pre-cut veg if you’ve got it. Dinner doesn’t care who chopped the zucchini. Give it a go this week.
