Why Coriander-Roasted Chicken Traybake Burned and Smoked

Question

Good Afternoon,
1) How to avoid setting off fire alarm repeatedly:D
2) How to not scorch  bottom of pan
3) How to ensure garlic is not completely charred
So I did the coriander traybake recipe yesterday for roasted chicken. It took major vigilance to ensure that it actually turned out ok. I must be doing something wrong as it should not be this challenging. I was using an aluminum rimmed baking tray. By minute 20 the garlic was mostly charred so I had to remove them from the oven to salvage about half of them or they would have been completely burned. This also caused the fire alarm to go off. I’m aware of the requirement for skin to be placed upside so that issue is minimized. It did not work. After 20 minutes the chicken required about 20 more minutes to get up to temperature. This resulted in major scorching on the pan and constant smoking and fire alarm issues. Please advise what I’m doing wrong, thank you!!!

Lynn Clark · Accepted Answer

Hi Adam - Are you using a heavy duty aluminum baking sheet with at least 1" sides? I realize when we say "rimmed baking sheet" we are leaving that pretty open for interpretation. In most cases, any old sheet will do, but in this case you want to make sure you're not using a "cookie sheet" or "jelly roll pan." These are often too lightweight and either have no sides or very low sides. I haven't made the coriander-roasted chicken but I've done the traybake with pomegranate molasses - same technique - about a dozen times and never had issues with overcooking or smoking. For the garlic, it's important to make sure you put it in the center of the baking sheet and surround it with the chicken on all sides. You need the chicken to create a wall, essentially, to protect the garlic from overcooking. Other than those two things, I'm not sure what else could have gone wrong. Let me know if either of these things might have caused the issues. Best, Lynn C.

Why Coriander-Roasted Chicken Traybake Burned and Smoked

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