Easy traybake recipe for effortless cooking from Mary Berry, Jamie Oliver and more

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that the best kind of cooking involves the least amount of washing up. Enter the traybake – the weeknight hero, the lazy Sunday saviour, the dish that demands minimal effort but delivers maximum reward. Whether it’s bubbling with coconut and lime, glistening with roast veg, or topped with molten cheese, there’s something deeply satisfying about sliding a single tin into the oven and letting it do all the work.

From Mary Berry’s fragrant Thai-style chicken to Ella Mills’s cauliflower and cashew pilaf, layered with golden spices and sweet sultanas; Rukmini Iyer’s coconut-crumbed salmon with a zesty chilli kick; and Joe Wicks’s sausage and sweet potato bake – all proof that convenience can still taste like care.

And it’s not just savoury that shines here. Paul Hollywood’s coconut and passion fruit traybake brings sunshine to the table, while Jamie Oliver’s chocolate party cake might just be the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Each recipe shares the same philosophy: fewer pans, more pleasure. So whether you’re after a quick supper fix or something to feed a crowd, grab a roasting tin and get stuck in – dinner (and dessert) really can be this easy.

“An all-in-one dish, this delicious, aromatic chicken recipe is vibrant and full of flavour,” says Mary Berry. “Serve with rice or a dressed salad.”

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 large aubergine, sliced into half-moons

2 peppers, deseeded and sliced into large pieces

1 large onion, sliced

3 tbsp sunflower oil

3 dried lime leaves

1 large stick of lemongrass, bashed

3 large chicken breast fillets, each sliced in half

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

150g baby spinach leaves

Small bunch of Thai basil, chopped

For the fragrant sauce:

1 x 400ml can coconut milk

2 tbsp Thai red curry paste

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

Juice of 1 lime

2 tsp fish sauce

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

2. To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

3. Scatter the aubergine, peppers and onion into a large shallow roasting tin. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and toss everything together. Pour over half of the sauce. Add the lime leaves and lemongrass to the tin and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

4. Toss the chicken in the remaining oil and the sweet chilli sauce, and season well. Place a large frying pan over a high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and brown very quickly until sealed and golden, stirring constantly.

5. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and pour over the remaining sauce. Place the chicken on top and return to the oven for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

6. Transfer the chicken onto a plate. Stir the spinach and Thai basil into the sauce and vegetables in the tin and gently warm over the hob until the spinach has wilted.

7. Serve the chicken traybake with rice.

Best made and served. Not suitable for freezing.

‘Mary 90 – My Very Best Recipes’ by Mary Berry (BBC Books, £28)

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This recipe works best in a 20cm x 20cm baking dish.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

5 spring onions

1 red bell pepper

2 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp olive oil

200g orzo

1 chicken stock cube

100g feta

15g fresh mint

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 210C, then fill a kettle with water and put it on to boil – we will need this later.

2. Chop the veg. Remove the roots from 5 spring onions and cut them crossways at 1cm intervals. Deseed 1 pepper and cut it into bite-sized chunks.

3. Cut up the meat. Cut 2 chicken thighs into bite-sized chunks.

4. Assemble. Add the veg and chicken to a baking dish. Add 1 tbsp of paprika, 1 tsp of chilli flakes, 1 tsp of oregano and ½ tsp of cinnamon. Drizzle over 2 tbsp of the olive oil, season with a generous pinch of salt and rub everything together. Spread the meat and veg out to 1 even layer. Give your hands a good wash, then get on with the rest of the dish.

5. Add the orzo. Sprinkle 200g of orzo over the top of the meat and veg, then crumble over 1 stock cube.

6. Add the water. Add 500ml of boiling water from the kettle, season with a pinch of salt and give everything a quick mix.

7. Cover and bake. Cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes, until the orzo is nearly soft. Crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait.

8. Bake again. Once the orzo is nearly soft, remove the foil and bake for a further 15 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed and the orzo is soft but still has a slight bite.

9. Serve. Give everything a good mix in the tray, crumble over 100g of feta, rip over the leaves from 15g of mint and serve.

Recipe from www.sortedfood.com

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Everything tastes better with oozy melted cheese, and here, humble veg sing after a gentle roast.

Serves: 6

Prep time: 7 minutes | Cook time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

3 sweet potatoes (800g total)

3 mixed-colour peppers

3 cloves of garlic

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

3 mixed-colour onions

250g Camembert cheese

1 French baguette

½ a bunch of basil (15g)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Scrub the sweet potatoes and slice into 1½cm-thick rounds. Deseed the peppers and slice into chunky wedges. Peel and slice the garlic. Toss it all in a large roasting tray with 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and red wine vinegar and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.

2. Halve the unpeeled onions and carefully place cut-side down directly on the bars of the oven, placing the tray of veg beneath. Roast for 45 minutes.

3. Remove the tray from the oven and use tongs to move the onions to your board, then remove the skins, break the onions apart and toss with the veg.

4. Leaving a 1cm rim around the edge, cut the rind off the top of the Camembert, then nestle it into the middle of the tray, drizzle with a little oil, season with black pepper and bake for a final 10 minutes, warming the baguette alongside. Pick over the basil leaves, and serve!

‘Simply Jamie’ by Jamie Oliver (Penguin Michael Joseph © Jamie OliverEnterprises Limited (2024 Simply Jamie), £30).

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Get a curry from fridge-to-fork with minimal effort – cook chunks of paneer in a rich, spiced tomato sauce with chickpeas in this traybake take.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

400g tinned chopped tomatoes

400g tinned chickpeas

1 tsp caster sugar

1½ tbsp curry powder

225g paneer

15g fresh coriander

250g microwave brown rice

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.

2. Assemble the sauce. Tip one 400g tin of tomatoes into a large roasting tray with one undrained 400g tin of chickpeas, 1 tsp of sugar and 1½ tbsp of curry powder. Season with a generous pinch of salt, then give everything a good mix.

3. Prep the paneer. Cut one 225g block of paneer into 9-12 even-sized cubes.

4. Add the paneer. Lay the paneer on top of the other ingredients in the tray.

5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the paneer is golden and the sauce has reduced by half.

6. Finely chop 15g of coriander.

7. Cook the rice. Once the curry has around 2 minutes to go, microwave the rice as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Mix it up. Fold ¾ of the coriander through the curry – we will use the rest for garnish. Season again with salt.

9. Serve. Divide the rice and curry between bowls – scatter over the remaining coriander and serve.

Recipe from www.sortedfood.com

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“Simple but satisfying, this tray bake is so easy to chuck in the oven and so tasty,” says fitness expert and author Joe Wicks.

“It’s ideal any night of the week. It’s got roasted sprouts and sweet potatoes, too, so there’s loads of goodness – as well as lots of flavour from the mustard and sausages.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes

2 red onions, peeled and cut into 6 wedges

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 tbsp olive oil

8 pork sausages

500g Brussels sprouts, halved

For the dressing:

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove, finely grated

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan.

2. Spread the sweet potatoes, red onions and rosemary over a large, rimmed baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss together to coat, then lay the sausages on top.

3. Bake for 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are starting to soften. Remove from the oven and add the Brussels sprouts, using a metal spatula to mix them into the vegetables on the tray. Flip the sausages over and return the tray to the oven for a further 20–30 minutes until the vegetables are becoming golden and the sausages are browned.

4. Combine the dressing ingredients in a jam jar, screw on the lid and shake. Pour over the contents of the tray and serve.

‘Feel Good Food’ by Joe Wicks (HQ, £20).

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Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 large leeks (approx 300g each)

1 granny smith apple

250g microwave puy lentils

½ chicken stock cube

2 cloves garlic

6 pork sausages

40g unsalted butter

2 tbsp dijon mustard

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Fill a kettle with water and put it on to boil.

2. Prep the leeks and apple. Cut 2 leeks in half lengthways and wash them under running water. Slice at 1 cm intervals crossways. Coarsely grate 1 apple around its core onto the same board.

3. Assemble. Tip one 250g pouch of lentils into a medium roasting tray. Add the leeks and apple, crumble over ½ a stock cube and add 100ml of water from the kettle.

4. Mix it up. Grate over 2 peeled cloves of garlic, season with a pinch of salt and mix everything on the tray.

5. Add the sausages. Lay the sausages on top of everything and scatter over small knobs from 40g of butter.

6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the sausages are golden brown.

7. Serve. Divide the traybake between plates and finish with 2 tbsp of mustard.

Chef’s tip: If you can’t find a pouch of cooked Puy lentils, feel free to use a drained tin of green lentils for this recipe.

Recipe from www.sortedfood.com

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“Once you’ve tried this South Indian seasoning – blitzed coconut, chilli, mint, garlic and lime – you’ll be putting it on absolutely everything: white fish, chicken, paneer, roasted veg,” says Rukmini Iyer.

Here it seasons a salmon and cherry tomato traybake, forming a crust for the salmon and a wonderful flavouring for the roasted tomatoes and onions.

Serves: 2

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

4 tbsp desiccated coconut

1 fresh red chilli

Handful mint leaves, plus extra to serve

2 cloves garlic

Juice of 2 limes

1 red onion, thinly sliced

250g vine cherry tomatoes, halved

2 sustainable salmon fillets

2 tbsp neutral or olive oil

1 tsp sea salt flakes

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/200C/gas 6.

2. Tip the coconut, chilli, mint leaves, garlic, lime juice, one tablespoon of the oil and the sea salt into a spice grinder or high-speed blender/Nutribullet and blitz roughly until the chilli looks evenly incorporated through the coconut (you’ll have a reddish, greenish rubble).

3. Mix the sliced onion and cherry tomatoes in a medium roasting tin along with the remaining oil. Make space for the two salmon fillets, place them in the tin, skin side down, then pat a tablespoon of the coconut-chilli mixture evenly over each fillet. Scatter the remaining mixture over the onions and tomatoes.

4. Transfer to the oven to roast for 20-25 minutes until the salmon is cooked through. Scatter with mint leaves and serve hot, with rice alongside if you wish.

Notes: You can substitute the salmon for cod, haddock or another firm-fleshed white fish – it’ll take about the same time to cook. To carb it up in the same tin, start by roasting off cubed sweet potato with a little olive oil and salt in your roasting tin for 30 minutes, before continuing with the recipe as above.

‘India Express: Fresh And Delicious Recipes For Every Day’ by Rukmini Iyer (Square Peg, £22).

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If time is on your side, level up this dish by making a saffron mayo to serve with it instead of our cheat’s aioli.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

600g loose white potatoes

2 red bell peppers

1 red onion

100g chorizo

4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 clove garlic

15g fresh parsley

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.

2. Prep the veg and chorizo. Cut 600g of potatoes into bite-sized chunks, then deseed and cut 2 bell peppers into similar-sized chunks. Halve and roughly dice 1 red onion, then cut 100g of chorizo into ½ cm thick discs.

3. Add the veg and chorizo to a large roasting tray along with 4 chicken thighs. Toss with 3 tbsp of oil and a generous pinch of salt. Ensure the chicken thighs are positioned on top of everything, skin-side up.

4. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken’s skin is crisp, the meat is cooked throughout, and the veg is soft. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.

5. Add 3 tbsp of mayo to a bowl, then peel and finely grate in 1 clove of garlic. Beat to combine.

6. Finely chop 15g of parsley, then crack on with a bit of washing up and chill out while you wait for the tray bake.

7. Once the tray bake is ready, remove it from the oven and dollop on the aioli. Scatter over the parsley and serve straight from the tray.

Recipe from www.sortedfood.com

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“The ginger, garlic, bay leaves and spices give this cauliflower and cashew pilaf loads of depth, with a nice pop of colour from the green beans,” says Ella Mills, of Deliciously Ella fame.

“To vary this, you can swap the cauliflower for squash or sweet potato – just peel and chop into bite-sized pieces and add it in the same way.”

She advises one slight change for kids: “If you’re cooking for very young children, omit the cashews from the roasting tin and sprinkle over the adults’ portions when serving.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely sliced

1 cauliflower, tough outer leaves discarded, cut into florets

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1½ tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

50g cashews, roughly chopped

40g sultanas

250g white basmati rice, rinsed and drained

200g green beans, trimmed and cut into 4-5cm lengths

500ml hot vegetable stock

1 lemon, halved

Small handful of coriander, roughly chopped

Harissa, to serve (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan.

2. Put the onion, cauliflower, ginger and garlic into a large roasting tin. Add the coconut oil, cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin, turmeric, coriander and cashews. Mix everything until well combined and spread out in a single, even layer.

3. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the onion and cauliflower have taken on a little colour.

4. Take the tray out and add the sultanas, rice and green beans. Stir them through the veg, then spread everything out in an even layer. Pour over the hot stock.

5. Cover the tray with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cauliflower and rice are tender. Season and add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste, then serve with a generous sprinkling of coriander, and a drizzle of harissa, if you like.

‘How To Go Plant-Based: A Definitive Guide For You And Your Family’ by Ella Mills (Yellow Kite, £26).

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Every Tuesday in the Doctor’s Kitchen household, it’s salmon bowl night,” says Dr Rupy Aujla. “In this recipe we use a single tray to make the most delicious and easy bowls, packed with vegetables, grains and high-protein oily fish. It’s something I always look forward to. You can easily use an air fryer to cook the salmon instead in half the time.

“The brassica vegetables with spices, fruity Kashmiri chilli and sharp red cabbage pickle are a delicious combination of contrasting flavours that work harmoniously for your health and taste buds.”

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 tbsp tikka masala paste or mild curry paste

300g salmon, skin on, cut into thick 4cm chunks

300g cauliflower, broken into 2cm florets

1 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp Kashmiri chilli or sweet paprika

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

For the fennel and cabbage pickle:

100g red cabbage, finely shredded with a mandoline

2 tsp fennel seeds

4 tsp red wine vinegar

4 tsp apple juice or 1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

To serve:

150g cooked short-grain brown rice, warmed

2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

100g rocket leaves

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan.

2. Smother the salmon in the curry paste and cover with foil in a bowl. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes (it’s even better overnight).

3. Add the cauliflower to a baking tray, sprinkle over the spices and drizzle over the olive oil and mix well. Then season well and bake for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, add the cabbage, fennel seeds, vinegar, apple juice or sugar and salt to a mixing bowl and scrunch everything together with your hands for 30 seconds. Set aside.

5. Remove the tray from the oven, toss the cauliflower florets and turn up the heat to 220C fan. Nestle the salmon, skin-side up, between the cauliflower florets and bake for another 10-12 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and golden coloured with some charring.

6. Build your bowls with the warmed rice, fennel and cabbage pickle, dollops of yoghurt, salmon and cauliflower, and rocket leaves with a drizzle of oil.

Protein boost: Add more salmon

Recipe from ‘Healthy High Protein’ by Dr Rupy Aujla (Ebury Press, £26).

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“Traybakes remind me of village fetes and bake sales as a kid,” says The Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood. “I remember making them when I was a cub scout. They’re a great way to get into baking, and you can play around with different flavours and toppings.

“One thing to remember is to leave them to cool before you slice up – don’t rush it.”

Makes: 12 squares

Ingredients:

200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease

200g caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 2 limes

3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g desiccated coconut

3 tbsp milk

For the topping:

250g mascarpone

1 tbsp icing sugar

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes

3 passion fruit

25g toasted coconut flakes

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease a 30 x 23cm baking tin, 5cm deep, and line with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and lime zest together, using a hand-held electric whisk, until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well after each addition and adding a spoonful of flour halfway through. Add the vanilla extract and stir in.

3. Using a spatula or large metal spoon, carefully fold in the rest of the flour and the desiccated coconut. Finally, incorporate the milk until smoothly combined.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and gently smooth the surface to level. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until risen and springy to the touch.

5. Leave the sponge to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

6. For the topping, in a bowl, mix the mascarpone with the icing sugar and lime juice. Cut each passion fruit in half and scoop out the seeds and juice into a small bowl. Add half of the passion fruit pulp to the mascarpone and stir to mix; save the rest for decoration.

7. Spread the mascarpone over the top of the cooled sponge, using a palette knife. Trickle over the remaining passion fruit pulp and sprinkle with the toasted coconut flakes and grated lime zest to finish. Cut into squares to serve.

‘Celebrate’ by Paul Hollywood (Bloomsbury Publishing, £26).

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Serves: 20

Ingredients:

450g soft unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

650g icing sugar

4 large free-range eggs

250g self-raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

75g cocoa powder

1 x 300g tin of mandarin segments in juice

150g light cream cheese

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 25cm by 30 cm roasting tray and line it with a sheet of damp greaseproof paper. In a food processor, blitz 250g each of butter and icing sugar, then crack in the eggs, add the flour, baking powder, 50g of cocoa, and a splash of juice from the mandarin tin, and blitz again until smooth. Use a spatula to gently spoon the mixture into the tray in an even layer, and bake for 20 minutes, or until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave for five minutes, and lift out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, make the buttercream. In the processor, blitz the remaining 200g of butter and 400g of icing sugar until pale and fluffy, then pulse in the cream cheese, loosening with a splash of mandarin juice, if needed. Drain the mandarin segments and place on kitchen paper. On a serving board, carefully cut the cool cake through the middle to give you two large flat rectangles (I like to use a bread knife and run it under the hot tap first to help get a smooth cut). Spread a third of the buttercream over one of the cakes, dot over the mandarin segments, and sit the other cake on top. Trim the edges for a smart finish, if you like (you can call the offcuts chef’s treat!). Pulse the last 25g of cocoa into the remaining buttercream, and use it to decorate the top of the cake, making dips and peaks with the back of your spoon.

‘ONE: Simple One-Pan Wonders’ by Jamie Oliver (Penguin Random House © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2022 ONE), £28).