Chicken Piri-Piri Tray Bake

It delivers a colorful, high-reward dinner with one pan and a short active prep window—ideal when energy is limited but a real cooked meal still sounds fun. Sauce can be brushed onto Tony’s chicken aggressively while the child’s pieces get a mild paprika-lemon coating. Leftovers also become an easy next-day pita, rice bowl, or chopped salad topping.

• Piri-piri sauce: Look for Nando’s Peri-Peri or another Portuguese/African-style chile sauce at Walmart, Safeway, or Whole Foods. Substitute a mix of hot sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne; choose the heat level that suits the family.
• Smoked paprika: Spanish rather than Portuguese in labeling, but useful for the smoky effect normally supplied by grilling. Walmart and Safeway usually carry it.
• Vinho Verde: A young, light Portuguese wine, often gently spritzy. Find it at Safeway, Whole Foods, or a wine shop; a crisp dry white such as vinho branco, Albariño, or Sauvignon Blanc can substitute.
• Baby potatoes: Their thin skins and small size let them finish alongside the chicken. Cut larger potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces.

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment or foil for easier cleanup.
2. Cut the potatoes, peppers, and onion. Mince or finely grate the garlic. Zest half the lemon, then cut it in half.
3. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, piri-piri sauce, smoked paprika, oregano, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper.
4. Pat the chicken dry. Spoon a mild portion of the marinade onto the child’s pieces first, using less piri-piri sauce if needed; brush the remaining hotter mixture over and under the skin of Tony’s pieces.
5. Toss the potatoes with the remaining tablespoon olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

1. Spread the potatoes over the sheet pan and roast for 12 minutes to give them a head start.
2. Remove the pan carefully. Add the peppers and red onion, toss them with the potatoes and pan oil, then arrange the chicken skin-side up among the vegetables.
3. Roast for 25–30 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the thickest part of each chicken thigh reaches at least 165°F and the potatoes are tender.
4. For crisper skin, broil for 2–3 minutes while watching constantly; sugary bottled sauces can darken quickly.
5. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes. Squeeze fresh lemon over the pan and finish with chopped parsley.

Spoon potatoes, peppers, and onions onto each plate and place the chicken on top so the skin stays crisp. Offer extra piri-piri sauce and lemon at the table rather than making the entire tray hot. For the child, remove the meat from the bone, slice it, and serve with the sweetest roasted pepper strips. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; reheat chicken and vegetables in the air fryer at 350°F until hot and re-crisped.