My friend Kate used to tell a story about her sister working in a pub in England and was put in charge of cooking even though she had zero restaurant experience. One day she put ‘Tuna Surprise’ on the menu. And the surprise was that the pasta dish didn’t actually contain any tuna.
You’ll be happy to hear this Surprise Chicken & Broccoli Bake recipe isn’t one of those types of surprises. There is chicken. There is broccoli.
The surprise is just how tasty these two everyday ingredients can become. All you need to do is give them a blast in a hot oven (or air fryer) and then serve them with a creamy dip come sauce and some pistachios for crunch.
Although the dip / sauce doesn’t have to be laden with dairy – it’s just as good with a hummus or babaganoush or even an avocado based sauce.
Ingredients
- 250g / 9 oz frozen broccoli
- 2 chicken thigh fillets
- 2-4 tablespoons cheese dip or hummus
PLUS ingredient
- small handful roast pistachios optional
- small handful fresh herbs optional
Instructions
for AIR FRYER
- Line 1/2 your air fryer basket with baking paper so the broccoli won't fall through the holes. Cover with frozen broccoli in a single layer. Place chicken on the wire next to the broccoli making sure the chicken is spread out in a single layer.
- Set the air fryer to 200C (400F). Cook for 10 minutes.
- When the timer goes, check the chicken. - it may need a few minutes longer depending on how thick the fillets were.
for OVEN
- Turn your oven to 250C (480F). Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper.
- Place chicken on the tray. Place the frozen broccoli next to the chicken.
- Pop tray in the oven and set your timer for 12 minutes. Put your feet up.
- When the timer goes, check the chicken. - it may need a few minutes longer depending on your oven.
To serve (both methods)
- When the chicken. is cooked and the broccoli is hot, remove from the oven. Place broccoli on a plate. Top with hot chicken.
- Dollop over the dip / sauce. if using the pistachios and herbs sprinkle them over.
Variations & Substitutions
plan-B (pantry) – skip the optional fresh herbs – everything else can be kept in the pantry / freezer.
vegetarian – drained canned chickpeas, crisped in the air fryer / oven would be awesome here! They won’t take as long to cook and will need a splash or spray of oil.
different protein – salmon or white fish fillets, sausages, meatballs, eggs (will only need 5 minutes to cook in individual ramekins or tea cups (grease first!).
dairy-free / different sauce – my first choice would be hummus or tahini and water mixed together. Or you could go with hummus or any of those dips you get at the supermarket like eggplant dip or beet deep. Or mayonnaise is always a good idea.
different vegetables – frozen peas, frozen corn, frozen baby green beans, frozen kale, frozen cauliflower ‘rice’, frozen broccoli are all great! Feel free to use fresh veg as well if you don’t mind chopping. Snow peas or asparagus cooked in an air fryer / hot oven like this are amazeballs.
more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with pita or wraps or tortillas or crusty bread and butter.
more substantial (low carb) – good with a hunk of avocado. And some roast almonds, walnuts or pine nuts.
flavour bombs – fresh herb like basil, parsley, mint or tarragon. Freshly ground black pepper, chilli flakes, pomegranate seeds, roast nuts, roast seeds, roast frozen cherries with the chicken, dried cranberries, dried apricots.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
chicken thigh fillets – freeze them.
frozen broccoli – will keep in the freeze for months.
cheese dip or hummus – will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Can be frozen.
fresh herbs – best to use for another meal.
pistachios – keep in the pantry.
Problem Solving Guide
bland – more salt and freshly ground black pepper! Or add in a flavour bomb.
too dry – overcooked chicken. Next time get it out earlier. For now the dip will help.
no oven OR air fryer – pan fry the chicken until cooked through and then cook the frozen broccoli in the same pan. Yum.
taking too long – different ovens / air fryers vary in heating speed. And once you open the door to check it takes time to come back to temperature. So be patient!
Prep Ahead
You can but I’m not a big fan of the flavour of reheated chicken. Just cook as per the recipe but get the chicken out of the air fryer / oven before it’s fully cooked. Keep the sauce separately. Either keep at room temperature if it’s only a few hours before serving or refrigerate if longer. Then to serve pop back in the air fryer (or 3-4 minutes) or a super hot oven (250C / 480F) for 5-10 minutes until everything is hot.
