Healthy Dinner for Two: One-Tray Lemon Herb Chicken and Veggies (40 Minutes)

This is the dinner to make when it’s just the two of you and neither of you wants to do much washing up. Everything – chicken, potatoes, and three vegetables – goes on one tray, so clean-up is a single pan, not a stack of them. It’s genuinely healthy (lean chicken, roasted not fried, minimal added fat) and comes together in about 40 minutes start to finish.

If you’ve already made our marry me chicken recipe, this is a lighter, faster weeknight option using the same “cheap cuts, big flavour” approach. It also pairs well with the “Dinner for two” ideas in our wider 30 easy, cheap dinners for Australia roundup.

TL;DR

• One tray, 40 minutes – marinate, roast the potatoes for a 10-minute head start, then add everything else.
• Genuinely healthy – lean chicken breast, roasted vegetables, olive oil instead of butter or cream.
• Serves 2, costs roughly $5.50 a serve with chicken breast, or closer to $4.50 if you swap in thighs.

Why this works for two people (not four or six)

Most tray-bake recipes are written to feed a family, which means either scaling the maths down yourself or ending up with awkward leftovers. This one is quantities-first for two people, using ingredients that don’t need to be bought in bulk to be worth it – a couple of chicken breasts, a handful of vegetables you’ll actually use up, and pantry staples (olive oil, garlic, dried herbs) that don’t go to waste after one meal.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 chicken breast fillets (or 4 boneless, skinless thighs)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and black pepper, to season
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks (or a handful of baby potatoes, halved)
• 1 red capsicum, sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
• A handful of cherry tomatoes
• Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Toss the potato chunks in half the marinade and spread them over the tray. Roast alone for 10 minutes – potatoes take longer than everything else, so they need a head start.
4. While the potatoes roast, toss the chicken, capsicum, zucchini and red onion in the remaining marinade.
5. Add the chicken and vegetables to the tray with the potatoes, spreading everything into a single layer so it roasts rather than steams. Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the top.
6. Roast for a further 20-25 minutes, turning everything once halfway, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 75°C and the vegetables are tender with lightly charred edges.
7. Rest the chicken for 3 minutes, then scatter over the fresh parsley and serve straight from the tray.

Storage and reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at around 180°C for 8-10 minutes rather than the microwave – it keeps the vegetables from turning soggy and the chicken from going rubbery. As with any cooked chicken, make sure it’s steaming hot all the way through before eating, and don’t leave it at room temperature for more than two hours, per Food Standards Australia New Zealand guidance.

Nutrition (approximate)

Per serving, this works out to roughly 480 kcal, 38g protein, 20g fat, and 35g carbohydrates. These are estimates based on standard ingredient values, not a lab-tested analysis – they’ll shift depending on exact vegetable and potato quantities.

Frequently asked questions