This is my fuss-free Stir-fry style chicken traybake for those nights when energy is low but cravings for takeout-style flavour are high. Everything goes in one tray: chicken, peppers, onion and a glossy sweet-sticky Chinese stir fry style sauce, then the oven does the work. The cornflour thickens as it bakes, so you’re pulling out a tray of tender chicken in a shiny sauce that’s ready in under 30 mins. That’s a proper weeknight win in my books!
Nicky’s Notes
I love tray-bake dinners, (more here –>) baked honey garlic chicken or baked sweet and sour because they’re so easy.
You just mix the sauce, toss it all on a tray, place in the oven and walk away.
- No marinating
- No frying first
- No juggling pans
The sauce leans sweet-savory with garlic, ginger and a whisper of chilli flakes for warmth. Using hot chicken stock plus cornflour means the sauce thickens in the oven, so you get that takeaway sheen without standing over the hob. Family verdict: empty bowls and “is there more sauce?” — so I always make sure to spoon every last bit from the corners of the tray.
📋 Ingredients for this chicken traybake
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
Note on the Chicken
I’m using chicken breast but you could swap for boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets.
Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Dump chicken, onion and pepper in a baking tray. Whisk the sauce ingredients together (except the stock), once combined, stir in the stock. Pour over the chicken and toss. Bake at 220C/425F (fan) for 20–25 mins, stirring once, till the chicken’s cooked and the sauce is glossy.
Recipe Tips
- You can add more vegetables – such as green beans, broccoli or sugarsnap peas to this dish.
- Add them in the last 15 minutes of cooking. If you add more vegetables, it will take a little longer to cook.
- Just ensure your vegetables are tender and the chicken is piping hot throughout and no longer pink in the middle before serving.
Tender chicken in a glossy, sweet-sticky garlic-ginger sauce with a gentle chilli tingle. Juicy peppers and soft onions add sweetness, this chicken tray bake is dangerously moreish.
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🍽️ What to serve it with
I love to sprinkle on some chopped spring onions, sesame seeds then serve with:
Why this Chicken Tray Bake Works
- Dump-and-go: minimal prep, everything cooks together.
- Built-in glossy sauce: cornflour + stock thicken as they bake, delivering that sticky finish.
- High heat, short cook: keeps chicken tender while lightly catching the sugars for flavour.
- Balanced sauce: sweet (brown sugar + ketchup) and savoury (ginger, garlic, rice wine) with a little chilli warmth.
📺 Watch how to make it
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Preheat the oven to 220C/425F (fan)
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Place the chicken, onion and red pepper into a shallow roasting tray.
3 chicken breasts, 1 onion, 1 red bell pepper
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Mix together all of the sauce ingredients, except for the chicken stock.
2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon minced ginger, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 ½ tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch), 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, 4 tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons chilli flakes, 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup, 1 tablespoon oil
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Once incorporated, stir the chicken stock into the sauce and pour all over the chicken and vegetables.
240 ml (1 cup) hot chicken stock
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Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring once, halfway through cooking, until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown. You can check this by slicing into a piece of chicken and ensuring it’s piping hot and no longer pink in the middle.
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Serve topped with spring onions, sesame seeds and chilli flakes.
Spring onions, Sesame seeds, Chilli flakes
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I love to serve this up with boiled rice or noodles.
Cooked rice or noodles
Nutritional information is estimated per serving excluding the serving suggestions.
Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 817mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This chicken traybake recipe was first posted in Jan 2026.
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