One-pan paprika chicken
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 2
Match juicy chicken thighs with a punchy paprika marinade, colourful veg and a quick garlic mayonnaise.
This recipe is part of an air fryer meal plan for two.
Each serving provides 850 kcal, 59.2g protein, 40.5g carbohydrate (of which 26.5g sugars), 48.2g fat (of which 8.5g saturates), 8.2g fibre and 0.42g salt.
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato (around 200g/7oz), peeled and cut into 2cm/¾in chunks
- 1 medium yellow or orange pepper, seeds removed and cut into 2cm/¾in chunks
- 1 medium courgette (around 175g/6oz), halved lengthways and cut into 2cm/¾in chunks
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika, hot or sweet
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into 10–12 wedges
- 4–6 chicken thigh fillets, boneless, skinless and trimmed of fat
- 8–10 ripe cherry tomatoes
- 6 thin slices chorizo
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- fresh parsley, to serve (optional)
For the garlic mayonnaise
- 40g/1½ oz mayonnaise
- ½ small garlic clove, crushed
Method
Put the sweet potato, pepper and courgette into a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the paprika, the oregano, a good pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Toss together well.
If necessary, preheat your air fryer at 200C for 3 minutes, or until it reaches temperature. Scatter the oiled vegetables over the crisper plate. Cook at 200C for 5 minutes, then add the onion wedges, toss lightly and cook at 200C for a further 3 minutes. Mix the mayonnaise and garlic together and set aside for the flavours to mingle.
Put the chicken thighs in the same bowl used for the vegetables, add the remaining oil, then sprinkle with the remaining paprika, a little salt and black pepper. Toss together well.
Toss the vegetables once more, then place the chicken thighs on top, opened out and smooth-side down. Cook at 200C for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and scatter the cherry tomatoes around them.
Air fry at 200C for 8 minutes more, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Add the chorizo for the last 3 minutes of the cooking time, then cook until it’s lightly browned and beginning to crisp. If your air fryer has a particularly powerful fan, layer the chorizo slightly or place a cherry tomato on one side to weigh it down lightly.
Divide between two warm plates, sprinkle with parsley (if using) and serve with the garlic mayonnaise.
Recipe tips
Chicken thighs can vary in size, so aim to cook 2–3 per person – as long as they fit in your air fryer.
The timings given here should cook the chicken perfectly, but as air fryers vary so much, it’s best to test the chicken is ready by using a digital thermometer (it will need to be 75C). You could also pierce the thickest part of the meat with the tip of a knife. The chicken should be steaming hot throughout, any juices should run clear and there should be no pinkness remaining.
If the chicken needs further cooking, but the chorizo is ready, simply put the chorizo to one side and return the chicken to the air fryer for 1–2 minutes more or until thoroughly cooked.
Make sure you choose a smoked paprika as it will add lots of flavour. If you like a bit of spice, pick a hot smoked paprika. If you only have the sweet, mild version, add a small pinch of chilli powder too.
The chorizo used in this recipe is the ready-sliced kind found with the sliced ham in the supermarket, rather than sausage-shaped. It cooks quickly and crisps up beautifully in an air fryer.
This recipe was tested using a 4–litre capacity air fryer. If yours has a much larger or smaller capacity, you will need to adjust the cooking times.
