This Chicken and Asparagus Tray Bake is a delicious family meal featuring tender chicken thighs and fresh asparagus cooked in a light lemony sauce. Simple ingredients come together to create a dish that's packed with flavour and perfect for making the most of asparagus season.
The fresh asparagus pairs beautifully with the juicy chicken and bright citrus flavours, making this a meal that's both comforting and easy to prepare. Serve with potatoes, rice or your favourite sides for a complete and satisfying dinner.
Calories in Chicken Asparagus Bake
This recipe serves 4 and is 361 calories per serving.
If you're looking for more recipes by calories, you'll find plenty of options grouped by calorie range here: Slimming Eats Low Calorie Recipes
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie needs using a reliable calorie calculator. The calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary depending on the exact ingredients and portion sizes you use. Using your own calculations helps ensure you're meeting your individual needs. A calorie calculator can help you make informed choices and stay on track with your goals.
See the recipe card for full nutritional estimation.
Ingredients Notes
To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are my preferred choice for this recipe as they stay tender and juicy during cooking.
- Onion and garlic: These add plenty of flavour to the sauce and complement the lemon and asparagus beautifully. Yellow, white or sweet onions will all work well.
- Asparagus: Fresh asparagus is the star of this dish and is best when in season. Trim any woody ends before chopping into bite-sized pieces. Thicker asparagus spears may need to be cut into smaller pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Chicken stock: The stock forms the base of the sauce and adds plenty of savoury flavour. A good quality stock will give the best results.
- Lemon zest: Lemon adds freshness and brightness to the dish and pairs perfectly with both the chicken and asparagus. Fresh lemon is highly recommended for the best flavour.
- Cornstarch: Used to lightly thicken the sauce so it coats the chicken and vegetables beautifully.
- Seasonings: Paprika, oregano, thyme and garlic powder add layers of flavour without overpowering the asparagus. The combination works perfectly with the lemon and chicken.
- Salt and black pepper: Used to season the chicken and can be adjusted at the end if needed.
- Olive oil spray: Used for coating the chicken and vegetables with minimal oil while still helping to develop plenty of flavour.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Variations and Substitutes
This Chicken and Asparagus Bake is easy to adapt with different vegetables and seasonings depending on what you have on hand.
- Use chicken breast instead: Chicken thighs add the best flavour and stay wonderfully tender during cooking, but chicken breast can be used if preferred. Just keep in mind that it cooks more quickly and may need a slightly shorter cooking time to prevent it drying out.
- Swap the asparagus: If asparagus isn't in season, tenderstem broccoli, green beans, sugar snap peas or Brussels sprouts all work well in this recipe.
- Add extra vegetables: Cubes of butternut squash, courgette, mushrooms, peas or spinach are great additions and work beautifully with the lemony sauce.
- Add some heat: A pinch of chilli flakes can be added alongside the seasonings if you like a little kick.
- Try different herbs: Fresh parsley, basil or dill all pair well with the chicken, lemon and asparagus.
- Make it extra lemony: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving for even more bright citrus flavour.
- Add beans: Cannellini beans or butter beans can be added to make the dish even more filling while keeping it light and wholesome.
- Add cheese: While the recipe is naturally dairy free, a sprinkling of grated parmesan, some strong cheddar, or crumbled feta before serving works beautifully if dairy isn't a concern.
Side Suggestions
This Chicken and Asparagus Bake is packed with protein and vegetables, making it a delicious meal on its own. If you'd like to add a side, there are plenty of options that pair perfectly with the light lemony sauce.
Crispy roast potatoes or this garlic and herb roast potatoes are one of my favourite accompaniments, as they're perfect for soaking up all the delicious sauce. Mashed potatoes, baby potatoes or homemade potato wedges also work well, as does a side of this seasoned garlic herby rice if you're looking for something simple.
For extra vegetables, serve with tenderstem broccoli, green beans, peas, Brussels sprouts or a medley of roasted vegetables. If you'd prefer something lighter, a simple mixed salad with lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and red onion makes a fresh accompaniment and complements the flavours of the dish beautifully.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
Storing: Allow the dish to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: This recipe freezes well, making it perfect for meal prep. Portion the chicken and vegetables into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. For an easy ready-made meal, freeze alongside your choice of side, such as rice, mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes, so you have a complete meal ready to defrost and reheat.
Reheating: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until piping hot, or place in an ovenproof dish, cover loosely with foil and reheat in the oven at 180°C (350°F) until heated through. If needed, add a splash of stock to loosen the sauce.
Top Tip: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice after reheating to freshen up the flavours before serving.
More Tray Bakes
Looking for some more traybake recipes? Check out these:
See more Tray Bakes →
or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
Let's Connect!!
Come and follow me on:
You can also Subscribe to Slimming Eats so that you never miss any new updates.
Need some support on your weight loss journey? Maybe you need advice or tips on a recipe, or just general meal ideas.
Come join the friendly and supportive Slimming Eats Community on Facebook.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, Rate It and Tag us in your Photos @SLIMMINGEATS on INSTAGRAM
Recipe Card
Chicken and Asparagus Tray Bake
A delicious Chicken and Asparagus Tray Bake with tender chicken, fresh asparagus and a light lemony sauce that's perfect for making the most of asparagus season.
Ingredients
- 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, halved (approx 800g/28oz)
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 onion, halved and sliced thinly
- 400g (14oz) of asparagus, trimmed
- 240ml (1 cup) chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- zest of a lemon
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan, 220°C conventional, 425°F or Gas Mark 7.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl. Spray with olive oil spray, then add the paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Add the onion and asparagus to a large baking tray (sheet pan). Spray with olive oil spray and toss to coat. Arrange the seasoned chicken among the vegetables.
- In a jug, whisk together the chicken stock and cornstarch until smooth. Pour into the tray around the chicken and vegetables.
- Sprinkle over the lemon zest.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the asparagus is tender.
- Serve with your choice of sides. Pour any sauce from the tray into a jug and serve alongside the chicken and vegetables.
- Enjoy
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Gluten Free Friendly - use gluten free stock
- Dairy Free Friendly
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly - - see freezing and reheating section.
Do not copy, paste, or post full recipes, screenshots, or any other content from Slimming Eats to social media or other websites. This is strictly prohibited. All recipes, text, and images on Slimming Eats are copyright protected.
Recipes are updated regularly with tips, improvements, and clarifications. Sharing screenshots or copied text outside this website can result in outdated or incomplete versions being used. To ensure the most accurate and up-to-date recipe, always share using the buttons at the top of the post, which link the user directly back to the recipe on Slimming Eats.
Nutritional information is an estimate and should be used for informational purposes only. Ingredient values vary by brand, so always calculate using the ingredients you use and the tools provided by your chosen programme.
It is the reader’s responsibility to ensure that any products or ingredients used in Slimming Eats recipes are allergen-free (for example gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, and/or dairy-free). Slimming Eats assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements about products, opinions, or comments on this site.
Check Legal section, for Full Disclaimer, Disclosure and Privacy Policy.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 361Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 3gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 275mgSodium 884mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 13gSugar 4gProtein 45g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
Leave a Reply