I cooked Mary Berry's and Rick Stein's chicken traybakes – best had more flavour

LifestyleFood & DrinkMary BerryI've followed Rick Stein's and Mary Berry's chicken traybake recipes, and one stood out as being superior.11:17, 13 Jul 2026Deciding what to make for dinner can be challenging, especially as many recipes labelled "quick and easy" often contain a lengthy list of ingredients and numerous steps. This is why most new recipes I find online and decide to attempt tend to be traybakes or one-pot meals.‌They provide a brilliant option for feeding the family, as the chicken and vegetables are all prepared together in a single large tray in the oven.‌I'm fond of chicken traybake recipes, and I've tried two that have really stood out - they're fairly similar, yet they come from two different celebrity chefs: Rick Stein and Mary Berry.‌I've prepared Rick Stein's chicken, lemon and garlic traybake and Mary Berry's Mediterranean all-in-one chicken. Since making them both, there's one that I've cooked three times in a single month.Mary Berry's Mediterranean all-in-one chickenMary Berry's Mediterranean all-in-one chicken is a straightforward recipe that brings together succulent chicken with vibrant vegetables, all seasoned and coated to create an explosion of flavour.‌The recipe recommends one chicken thigh and one drumstick per person, although you can use smaller portions if your household has more modest appetites. While I followed the recipe reasonably closely, I did make two adjustments.The first was eliminating the green olives, as they're not especially to my liking, and the second was increasing the roasting time by a further 10 minutes after incorporating the courgettes.This traybake was delicious; however, if making it again, I would probably swap the preserved lemons for a regular lemon, as the salty brine covering the dish wasn't completely to my taste.‌Rick Stein's chicken traybakeFor Rick Stein's chicken traybake recipe, he recommends using only chicken thighs placed on top of a bed of fennel, courgette slices and baby potatoes.Similar to Mary Berry's recipe, the dish uses lemons for flavouring; Rick's version, though, calls for fresh lemons, which produces a far better taste to both the chicken and vegetables.Article continues belowAs the chicken needed pan-searing before oven-baking, the skin crisped up beautifully and kept the meat incredibly tender.While Rick Stein's chicken traybake recipe involved somewhat more preparation, the flavour result is significantly better. I've made this dish three times in the last month alone.I also liked the fewer ingredients needed for this traybake and the cheaper cost when compared to Mary Berry's rather more expensive recipe.Angela PatroneAngela Patrone is a Senior Lifestyle Reporter at the Express, The Mirror, and across regional Reach PLC news publications. From food and travel to gardening and cleaning, she covers a wide array of lifestyle topics. Angela particularly loves recreating recipes from her favourite chefs and reviewing products, whether that be food items, cleaning products or home appliances.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Mary BerryRick SteinRecipesHome Cooking Made EasyFood