Roast chicken thighs with tomatoes, fennel seeds, chilli and honey

A bright, all-in-one dinner that’s perfect for easy midweek cooking Plump tomatoes are lifted with sweet honey, fiery chilli and zesty lemon Credit: Haarala Hamilton and Valerie Berry Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters. See more Published 15 May 2026 3:21pm BST A bung-in-the-oven dish. I love fennel, honey and chilli together – they taste so summery. To have something to eat on the side, just quarter or halve baby potatoes, toss them in a roasting tin with 1 ½ tbsp of olive oil, seasoning and the leaves from two sprigs of rosemary, and roast on another shelf at the same time as the chicken. All you need in addition is a green salad. Sprinkling sea-salt flakes on to the chicken ensures a crispy skin. Overview Prep time 15 mins Cook time 50 mins Serves 4 Ingredients 8 chicken thighs 6 large plum tomatoes, halved 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar 2 garlic cloves, grated to a purée 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp fennel seeds, bashed in a mortar and pestle juice of 1 lemon Method StepPreheat the oven to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6. StepTrim 8 chicken thighs of excess skin. StepPut them, along with 6 halved plum tomatoes, in a large, heavy roasting tin (about 28 x 36cm). They must be able to lie in a single layer (without there being too much space around them – if there’s too much space, the honey will burn as the cooking juices evaporate). StepMix 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp bashed fennel seeds and the juice of ½ of the lemon in a small bowl, then pour this all over the tomatoes and the chicken. StepTurn everything over with your hands. Finish with the tomatoes cut-side up and the chicken skin-side up. Season, being careful to put sea-salt flakes on the chicken. Step Roast for 45 minutes, basting a couple of times with the cooking juices. Cover with foil if the chicken skin is getting too dark. StepPut the chicken and tomatoes on to a warm platter and set the roasting tin over a medium heat on the hob. StepAdd the remaining juice of ½ lemon, heat the cooking juices with this and then pour over the tomatoes and chicken. Serve immediately.