• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

My Sugar Free Kitchen

  • By Category
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Baking
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • By Category
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Baking
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Chicken

    Spanish Chicken Tray Bake

    LAST UPDATED: June 10, 2020 | PUBLISHED: August 2, 2018 | BY: Kim

    This Spanish Chicken Tray Bake is one of those rich, hearty, meaty dishes with so many flavours it will leave your tastebuds dancing.  If you love chorizo and juicy chicken with a little bit of char, this Spanish inspired dish with kale, olives and paprika will immediately transport you to the backstreets of Spain.

    Jump to Recipe
    Spanish chicken tray bake in a blue bowl

    Why I love this Spanish Chicken Tray Bake

    There are so many of my favourite things in this dish that it almost reminds me of a Paella in some ways, but without all the effort or time required to make a really good one.  I’m also slightly obsessed with  smoked paprika, and that deep red earthy colour and unmistakeable smokey flavour it imparts on whatever it’s paired with.

    chorizo on a grey plate

    What is Chorizo made of?

    Chorizo is a type of Spanish pork sausage.  It is generally quite high in fat and seasoned with paprika, salt and pepper.  Depending on the type of paprika used, that is, it could be sweet paprika, smoked paprika or hot paprika, the taste and spiciness will vary.  Because of its high fat content, it adds bags of flavour to most dishes, especially when it is lightly fried off beforehand to create that beautiful caramelization.

    casserole dish with lentils and tomato

    TIP:  You can pick up chorizo at most local supermarkets in Australia, generally where they keep the salamis or deli meats.

    Other recipes with awesome smokey paprika:  Crunchy Smokey Paprika Chicken Thighs, Baked Paprika Parmesan Chicken, Chicken in  Greek Yoghurt Marinade and these 8 Hour Slow Cooker Moroccan Beef Meatballs.

    casserole dish with kale and tomatoes

    PRO TIP:  If you can’t find chorizo, you could substitute it with salami.  Just make sure you buy it in a roll and chop it into thick rounds like chorizo.

    I also have to mention here my second obsession with the herbs rosemary and basil.  I grow them in abundance in my garden and there is nothing like nipping out and grabbing a handful to chop up and dunk in your favourite dish to really bring out the hero ingredients.

    casserole dish with chicken thigh before baking

    Both my husband and I have been to Spain, although not together.  I went on my own over 10 years ago now, and I still remember the smell of tapas, smoke coming off the grill and of course it all being washed down with slightly one too many sangrias.  Spain as a single gal really was a trip of a lifetime.  Just me and a backpack, and a couple of other Aussies I met along the way.

    More Clean Eating Chicken Dinner Recipes to Try:

    • Authentic Clean Eating Butter Chicken (from scratch and easy to make)
    • 20 minute Chicken Pineapple Curry (a total flavour bomb)
    • Healthy Apricot Chicken Curry Casserole (comfort food you can eat all year round)
    Spanish chicken tray bake in a casserole dish out of the oven

    Now, my husband and I often frequent a little authentic Spanish place we’ve found close to home and indulge in cute tapas things with lots of spice and jugs of spicy fruity sangria.

    Making a Spanish Chicken Tray Bake at Home

    • You’ll need a skillet or fry pan to brown the chicken off before putting it into the oven. This creates the nice crusty charred bits that go so well with the chorizo
    • After browning off the chicken, the chorizo should be fried off so that it also becomes caramelized on each side. Rendering off some of the fat really intensifies the flavour.
    • You’ll need a large baking dish with a lid.
    • The other essential players: Chickpeas, kale, olives, red onion, garlic, smoked paprika (of course), rosemary, basil, chicken broth and canned tomatoes.
    two bowls of spanish chicken tray bake

    With this team of ingredients, you’ll be able to put together a simple Spanish chicken dish that you can be proud of.

    PRO TIP:  If you don’t like a little crunch to your kale, I recommend blanching it in boiling water for 15 seconds before adding it to the casserole dish and putting it into the oven.

    Spanish Chicken Tray Bake

    Kim
    This Spanish Chicken Tray Bake is one of those rich, hearty, meaty dishes with so many flavours it will leave your tastebuds dancing. If you love chorizo and juicy chicken with a little bit of char, this Spanish inspired dish with kale, olives and paprika will immediately transport you to the backstreets of Spain.
    5 from 2 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Moroccan
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 478 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 8 Skinless Chicken Thighs
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 8 – 10 cherry tomatoes
    • 2 cooking chorizo sausages - chopped into rough pieces
    • 1 medium Red onion - sliced
    • 2 tablespoons Garlic - crushed
    • 2 x 400 gram/14 ounce cans Chickpeas - drained and rinsed
    • 1 x 400 gram/14 ounce can of Chopped tomatoes
    • 1 ¼ cup Chicken stock/broth
    • 2 cups Kale - thickly chopped
    • ½ cup Kalamata olives - chopped
    • I tablespoon Chopped rosemary and basil
    • 1 tablespoon Smoked paprika
    • 2 cups Jasmine rice - steamed

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C for fan oven/200 degrees C otherwise. (350 degrees F/390 degrees F)
    • Heat a large skillet on the stove on medium heat. Add the olive oil and brown the chicken thighs thoroughly on both sides. Do a few pieces of chicken at a time until all pieces are browned.
    • Once all the chicken is browned, add the chorizo pieces and brown off or a minute or two.
    • In a large oven proof casserole dish, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, kale, and cherry tomatoes. Next arrange the chicken pieces and scatter over the chorizo pieces.
    • Add the canned tomatoes and chicken stock, followed by garlic , paprika, rosemary and basil.
    • Stir around to ensue everything its mixed in.
    • Season with salt and pepper
    • Put lid on casserole dish or cover tightly with foil if you don’t have a lid.
    • Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook for another 20 minutes to let the chicken crisp up and cook through.
    • Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 478kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 38gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 7gFiber: 6gSugar: 12g

    Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners.

    Keyword chicken tray bake, spanish chicken
    Looking To Cut Out Sugar? Get the FREE Healthy Food Swaps Checklist Pack!Get your FREE Healthy Food Swaps Checklists with over 65 Healthy Food Alternatives to Help you Ditch The Sugar Without Feeling Deprived.

    ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

    More Chicken Recipes

    • Chinese Mongolian Chicken
    • Asian Chicken Meatballs
    • Chinese Chicken with Pineapple
    • Thai Sweet Chilli Chicken
    • Facebook

    Hi there! I’m Kim and I'm passionate about living a life infused with mindfulness, simplicity and self-care. Here I share my recipes, tips, insights and wisdom for eating well, slowing down and reconnecting with the things that matter.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Pat @ Wholesome Kitchen

      August 03, 2018 at 5:24 pm

      This looks absolutely delicious. Pinned and ready to make at home!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Kim Morris Hi there! I’m Kim. My sugar free kitchen is a site dedicated to creating healthy and delicious clean eating dinners and sweet treats with less sugar using simple ingredients and natural sweeteners. Read More...
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Healthy Asian Dinners

    mongolian chicken with rice in a grey bowl

    Chinese Mongolian Chicken

    6 chicken meatballs in a bowl with rice and broccoli

    Asian Chicken Meatballs

    Chinese pineapple chicken and rice in a bowl

    Chinese Chicken with Pineapple

    a bowl of thai sweet chilli chicken with chopsticks

    Thai Sweet Chilli Chicken

    Most Popular

    lots of date snickers with chocolate and sea salt spread out on a rack

    Date Snickers

    low calorie bliss balls

    Low Calorie Energy Balls

    a glass of chocolate mousse pudding

    Healthy Chocolate Cocoa Avocado Pudding

    close up inside of of dark chocolate pumpkin truffle

    Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Truffles

    places where this blog has been featured

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Amazon Disclosure

    Free Stuff

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Clean eating Tips
    • Mindful Eating Tips

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 My Sugar Free Kitchen