This Mary Berry Paprika Chicken Thighs recipe is a smoky and savory recipe, which is the epitome of a simple, crowd-pleasing, one-pan meal. Featuring tender, juicy chicken thighs with a perfectly crispy, paprika-rubbed skin, all roasted on a bed of sweet onions, peppers, and potatoes, it’s a complete dinner with minimal cleanup. This foolproof traybake is perfect for a satisfying weeknight family dinner, ready in about an hour.
Mary Berry Paprika Chicken Thighs Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 750g (1.5 lbs) new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 1 yellow bell pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and lightly crushed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Paprika Rub:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
How To Make Mary Berry Paprika Chicken Thighs
- Prep the Oven and Vegetables: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C Fan, Gas Mark 6). In a large, sturdy roasting tin, toss the halved new potatoes and red onion wedges with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves and the thyme sprigs. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Roast the Vegetables First: Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes to give them a head start on cooking.
- Prepare the Rub and Chicken: While the vegetables are roasting, make the paprika rub. In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Pat the chicken thigh skin completely dry with a paper towel and season them generously with salt and pepper.
- Add Chicken and Peppers: Remove the tin from the oven. Add the bell pepper chunks to the hot vegetables. Nestle the chicken thighs among the vegetables, skin-side up. Brush the paprika rub generously all over the chicken skin.
- Finish Roasting: Return the tin to the oven and roast for a further 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, the skin is golden and crispy, and the potatoes are tender.
- Rest and Serve: Let the traybake rest for 5 minutes before serving directly from the tin, with the sweet, roasted garlic cloves squeezed out of their skins.
Recipe Tips
- How do you get crispy chicken skin? The most important secret is to pat the chicken skin completely dry with a paper towel before you apply the rub. A dry surface and the high heat of the oven are what create that irresistibly crispy, golden skin.
- How do you get the potatoes to cook through? Giving the potatoes a 20-minute head start in the hot oven is the key. This ensures they will be perfectly tender and slightly crispy by the time the chicken is cooked through.
- Can I make this ahead of time? This dish is at its best when it’s served fresh and hot from the oven. However, you can save time by chopping all the vegetables and making the paprika rub in advance. Store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a day.
- How to get the most flavor? As the chicken roasts, its delicious, savory juices will drip down and flavor all the vegetables in the pan. Don’t overcrowd the roasting tin, as this will cause the ingredients to steam rather than roast.
What To Serve With Paprika Chicken
This is a wonderful all-in-one meal that doesn’t need much else. However, it is fantastic served with:
- A simple side of steamed green beans or a crisp green salad.
- A dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt on the side.
- Crusty bread to soak up the delicious pan juices.
How To Store Paprika Chicken
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: For the best results, reheat the chicken and vegetables on a baking sheet in a 200°C/400°F oven for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is hot and the skin has crisped up again.
Paprika Chicken Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 2 chicken thighs with vegetables
- Calories: 700 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Protein: 48g
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Sodium: 980mg
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
You can, but they will be less juicy and require less cooking time. For boneless, skinless breasts, add them to the pan for only the last 20-25 minutes of cooking to prevent them from drying out, applying the rub as directed.
Sweet paprika has a mild, sweet, and fruity flavor. Smoked paprika is made from peppers that are smoked and dried over oak fires, which gives it a deep, smoky flavor that is fantastic in this recipe.
Soggy vegetables are almost always the result of overcrowding the pan. When the vegetables and chicken are piled on top of each other, they trap steam and boil in their own juices instead of roasting in the dry heat. Use a large roasting tin and spread everything out in a single layer for the best results.
Try More Recipes:
- Mary Berry Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe
- Mary Berry Chicken Wrapped in Parma Ham Recipe
- Mary Berry Chicken and Orzo Recipe
Mary Berry Paprika Chicken Thighs Recipe
Description
A simple and delicious one-pan meal with juicy roasted chicken thighs, crispy potatoes, and sweet peppers and onions, all coated in a classic, smoky paprika rub.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C Fan). Toss the potatoes and onions in a large roasting tin with olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
- While the vegetables roast, whisk together the paprika rub ingredients.
- Pat the chicken thighs completely dry and season them. Remove the tin from the oven, add the bell peppers, and nestle the chicken thighs among the vegetables.
- Brush the paprika rub generously over the chicken skin.
- Roast for another 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden and crispy.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Pat the Skin Dry: The most important tip for this recipe is to pat the chicken skin completely dry before seasoning. This is the non-negotiable secret to a crispy, golden skin.
- Roast Veg First: Giving the potatoes a 20-minute head start is the key to ensuring they are perfectly tender by the time the chicken is cooked.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: For a true roast dinner, use a large roasting tin so the ingredients have space. This allows them to caramelize and get crispy, rather than steam.
- Use Bone-in, Skin-on Thighs: For the juiciest, most flavorful results, it is highly recommended to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which are much more forgiving and flavorful than lean breasts.
