A Greek chicken tray bake with new potatoes, courgette, tomatoes, lemon and herbs. Makes an easy and balanced everyday dinner with a clear carbohydrate source.
Aside from loving all the flavours of the Mediterranean, I keep coming back to this Greek chicken tray bake for one reason: the carbohydrate sits in one place. The new potatoes are the main carb source, so there is one clear thing to portion and count rather than carbohydrate scattered across rice, bread, a sauce and the vegetables all at once. In our house, where one of us counts carbohydrate at every meal, that makes a real difference to how easy dinner feels.
It also happens to be the kind of meal I love to cook. One pan, ingredients added to the tray as they need to go in rather than four pans on the go, and then the whole lot carried to the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves. Chicken, new potatoes, courgette, tomatoes, red onion and lemon, roasted with oregano and a little stock, finished with a quick salad and yoghurt sauce on the side. Dinner couldn’t get any easier.
Why this tray bake works for everyday cooking
It is a complete dinner in one tray, which means one lot of washing up and very little standing over the hob. The potatoes give you a carbohydrate source you can see and portion, rather than guessing. The ingredients are ones you probably recognise and can pick up on a normal shop. And because the chicken, lemon and tomatoes release their juices as they roast, the potatoes finish savoury and lemony without any extra effort from you.
It also holds up across different evenings. It’s easy enough for a busy weeknight, generous enough for a family weekend dinner, and the leftovers are great in a lunchbox the next day.
Ingredients
Chicken thighs or breasts – Thighs stay juicy and are forgiving in a tray bake. Breasts are leaner and work well too, you just want to keep an eye on the timing so they do not dry out.
New potatoes – These hold their shape, roast beautifully, and are the main carbohydrate in the meal. Halve them so they cook through in time.
Courgette – This is here for colour and a summery feel. Cut it into thick half moons so it does not disappear, because courgette releases a lot of water as it cooks.
Cherry tomatoes – They burst and sweeten as they roast and add to the tray juices.
Red onion – Turns soft and sweet in the heat.
Lemon – Slices go in the tray to add extra flavour to the juices.
Garlic – Plenty in the chicken marinade. Only a little in the yoghurt sauce.
Dried herbs and paprika – Make a classic Greek marinade
Olives – A small handful brings the saltiness and the Greek note. I use Kalamata, but any good pitted olive works.
Greek yoghurt, for the sauce. Mixed with lemon, a little garlic, herbs and olive oil.
How to make Greek chicken tray bake
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
2. Add the halved new potatoes to a large roasting tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Roast for 20 minutes to give the potatoes a head start.
3. Meanwhile, add the chicken to a bowl with the remaining olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Turn the chicken so it is well coated.
4. Remove the tray from the oven. Add the courgette, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives and lemon slices to the potatoes. Toss everything together, then nestle the chicken pieces on top.
5. Return the tray to the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and golden, the potatoes are tender and the vegetables have softened.
If using chicken breasts, check them after 22 to 25 minutes, as they can cook more quickly than thighs. The chicken should be piping hot throughout and the juices should run clear.
6. While the tray bake cooks, mix the yoghurt dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, if using.
7. Scatter over the fresh parsley and crumble over the feta, if using. Serve with the yoghurt dressing on the side.
A few tips that make a difference
Give the potatoes a head start. They need longer than the courgette and tomatoes, so roasting them first means everything finishes together.
Use your biggest tray. A crowded tray steams instead of roasting, and you lose the golden edges. Give everything room.
Keep the courgette chunky. Thicker slices hold up to the water it releases. Thin slices turn to mush.
Go easy on the salt if you are using both olives and feta, since both bring their own. Season the potatoes lightly and taste before adding more.
Go easy on the raw garlic in the dressing. Half a small clove, or a pinch of garlic granules, keeps it fresh rather than fierce.
A note on carbohydrate and blood sugar
The reason this meal is easy to manage is that the carbohydrate sits mostly in one place. For carb counting, the new potatoes are the number that matters, and the tomatoes, onion and courgette add small amounts you can include if you want a more accurate total.
Because the meal is built around protein, fibre-rich vegetables and a single carbohydrate source, it supports steadier blood sugar than a dinner where the carbohydrate is the whole plate. This is how we cook most nights: one clear carbohydrate, plenty of protein and vegetables around it. As always, this is what works in our family rather than medical advice, and your own counts and doses are yours to work out.
🔗 If you are new to putting plates together or want to learn more the make sure to read how to build balanced meals.
What to serve with it
This is a complete meal on its own, but it stretches even further with a simple green salad or my favourite 10-Minute Mediterranean Chopped Salad, a little chopped cucumber and extra olives, Roasted Green Beans and Tomatoes, Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli, or a wholegrain pitta for bigger appetites.
Variations
- Add peppers for more colour and sweetness.
- Swap the herbs. Dill or fresh oregano both work in place of, or alongside, the parsley.
- Lower the carbohydrate by using fewer potatoes and more courgette, peppers, green beans or broccoli.
- Make it more filling with a side salad, pitta or extra dressing.
Storage and leftovers
This is a great meal prep dish or you can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat until the chicken is piping hot throughout.
Cold, the chicken, potatoes and vegetables make a good lunch bowl with salad leaves, cucumber and a spoonful of the yoghurt dressing.
Diabetes Note
This Greek chicken tray bake can work well as a balanced family meal because it includes protein from the chicken, fibre and colour from the courgette, tomatoes, onion and olives, and a clear carbohydrate source from the new potatoes.
The potatoes are the main ingredient to focus on for carb counting, which can make this meal easier to portion compared with mixed dishes where the carbohydrate is less obvious.
Type 1 Carb Counting Note
For Type 1 carb counting, you can pick out and weigh the cooked new potatoes onto the necessary plate before serving the rest of the tray bake. This gives you a more accurate potato portion, rather than estimating from the whole tray.
The exact carbohydrate amount will depend on the potatoes you use, so always check the nutrition information for your specific potatoes or use your preferred carb counting resource.
Did you try this recipe?
I’d love to hear how it went! Leave a star rating or a quick comment below. Your feedback means the world and helps others find the recipe too.
More Blood Sugar Balancing Mediterranean inspired recipes:
Lemon and Garlic Greek Marinated Chicken
Mediterranean Roasted Aubergine, Pepper and Green Bean Salad
Greek Roast Chicken with Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Greek Chicken Tray Bake with New Potatoes
A simple Greek chicken tray bake with new potatoes, courgette, cherry tomatoes, olives, lemon and herbs. This easy one tray dinner is fresh, family friendly and full of Mediterranean flavour, with the potatoes acting as the main carbohydrate source for easier carb counting.
4
servings15
minutes45
minutes1
hourIngredients
4-6 4-6 chicken breasts or chicken thighs
600 g 1 1/3 lb baby new potatoes, halved
2 large 2 large medium courgettes, sliced into thick half moons
250 g 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 large 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
1 1 lemon, sliced
80 g 1/3 cup pitted olives
2 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
3 tbsp 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp 2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp 1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and black pepper to taste
75 g 1/3 cup feta, crumbled, to serve
handful handful fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- For the yoghurt dressing
200 g 1 cup Greek yoghurt
1/2 medium 1/2 medium lemon, juice and zest
1/2 small 1/2 small garlic clove, finely grated, or ¼ tsp garlic granules
1 tbsp 1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp 1/3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional oven / 425°F
- Add the halved new potatoes to a large roasting tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Roast for 20 minutes to give the potatoes a head start.
- Meanwhile, add the chicken to a bowl with the remaining olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Turn the chicken so it is well coated.
- Remove the tray from the oven. Add the courgette, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives and lemon slices to the potatoes. Toss everything together, then nestle the marinaded chicken pieces on top.
- Return the tray to the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and golden, the potatoes are tender and the vegetables have softened.
If using chicken breasts, check them after 22 to 25 minutes, as they can cook more quickly than thighs. The chicken should be piping hot throughout and the juices should run clear. - While the tray bake cooks, mix the yoghurt dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Once cooked remove from the oven. season and scatter over the fresh parsley and crumble over the feta, if using. Serve with the yoghurt dressing on the side.
Tips and Notes
- Use a large roasting tray so everything has enough space to roast rather than steam. If the tray is too crowded, the vegetables will release too much liquid and the chicken may not brown as well.
- Go easy with the garlic in the yoghurt sauce. Raw garlic can quickly become overpowering, so half a small clove or a small pinch of garlic granules is usually enough.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat until the chicken is piping hot throughout.
- You can prepare the vegetables and marinate the chicken earlier in the day, then keep them covered in the fridge until you are ready to cook. Leftovers also work well cold as part of a lunch bowl with salad leaves, cucumber and a spoonful of yoghurt sauce.
- Diabetes Note – This Greek chicken tray bake includes protein from the chicken, fibre from the vegetables and a clear carbohydrate source from the new potatoes. For Type 1 carb counting, you can pick out and weigh the cooked potatoes on each plate first, then add the chicken and vegetables afterwards. This allows you to calculate each potato portion more accurately when servings vary.
- Nutrition is estimated per serving, based on 4 servings, and includes the feta and yoghurt dressing. Values will vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts, brand of yoghurt, feta and olives used.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 406kcal
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 15g
- Sugar: 11g
- Protein: 26g
Frequently asked questions
Can I make it without the yoghurt dressing? Yes. There is plenty of flavour from the lemon, oregano, olives and red wine vinegar. The dressing is a fresh, cooling extra rather than essential.
Can I prepare it ahead? You can chop the vegetables and marinate the chicken earlier in the day, keep everything covered in the fridge, then assemble and roast when you are ready.
Can I use regular potatoes instead of new potatoes? Yes, cut into small even chunks so they cook through. New potatoes hold their shape best, but others will work.
Can I cook it in the air fryer? A smaller portion works in a large air fryer drawer. Keep everything in a single layer and check the chicken is cooked through before serving.
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