- It's important to use a tray that's about the same size as the one I used, a 32cm x 25cm oven-safe rectangular tray with 2.5L capacity. This helps keep the lentils and chicken tender. If you use a bigger tray, the liquid might evaporate too quickly due to the larger surface area.
- The chicken thighs will shrink as they cook, so it's totally fine. Plus, the chicken's seasoning adds even more flavour to the lentils, which is delicious.
- You can replace the cream with equal parts of blended silken tofu and soy milk. Just blend them together until smooth, and you'll have a dairy-free alternative to cream.
- Instead of chicken, you can use portobello mushrooms, or a mix of mushrooms like oyster, king oyster, or Swiss brown.
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- 8 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless (around 960g–1kg)
- 2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 red onion, cut into 8
- 2 x 400g lentil cans, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 300ml pouring cream, see tips above to make it dairy-free
- 3 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped or parsley (or your soft herb of choice)
- Lemon wedges
- Baguette or crusty bread of choice
- Preheat the oven to 220°C conventional/200°C fan-forced.
- In a large bowl, mix the chicken thighs, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian herbs, chilli powder and olive oil together and set aside.
- In an oven-safe tray, measuring approx. 32cm x 25cm 2.5L, mix the garlic, onion, lentils, pepper, cream and remaining 1 teaspoon salt together.
- Place the chicken on top of the lentils and bake for 25 minutes.
- Turn the oven up to 240°C conventional/220°C fan-forced and continue to bake for 10 more minutes or until the chicken is slightly charred and crisp on top.
- Remove from the oven and top with fresh dill. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.