This Chicken Sausage Tray Bake is the perfect high protein, family friendly, comfort food - and it is all cooked on one tray. Minimal effort, it's ready in under 30 minutes and you can easily adapt it with different vegetables. It's a weeknight win!
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My kids love anything with sausages, so I knew this was going to be a hit. I made it a bit leaner, by using chicken sausages but still keeping lots of flavour.
Gnocchi is always a good addition to a tray bake, because it cooks so quickly (much quicker than potatoes) and it bulks it out with the veggies too.
Then the chicken sausage tray bake is finished off with dots of sun-dried tomato pesto for a real burst of flavour. Why not finish it off with some cheese too? Simple ingredients and big flavours!
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Chicken Sausage Tray Bake Ingredients
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Sausages - Use a good quality chicken sausage. We really like the Heck brand. You can get flavoured chicken sausages too, to add extra flavour. Have you seen our White Bean and Chicken Sausage Skillet?
- Gnocchi - Use the shelf stable gnocchi in a packet, not the fresh ones as they will fall apart.
- Oil - Olive oil, but not extra virgin as that will burn. Avocado oil works very well.
- Peppers and tomatoes - These are quick cooking, so they work really well on a chicken sausage tray bake. You could also use courgette (zucchini) or aubergine (eggplant).
- Pesto - This is where the majority of the flavour comes from. I used red pesto, but green pesto work well too.
- Seasoning - Everything is mixed together with a dried Italian seasoning and then finished off with some fresh basil.
Variations
- Veggie twist: Swap chicken sausages for vegetarian sausages or halloumi chunks.
- Extra veggies: Add courgettes, red onion, or mushrooms for even more colour and fibre.
- Spicy kick: Stir in a pinch of chilli flakes or swap the pesto for a spicy harissa paste.
- Cheesy option: Sprinkle grated mozzarella or parmesan on top before serving.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free gnocchi and sausages to make it coeliac-friendly.
How To Make Chicken Sausage Tray Bake
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
Step 1
Put the sliced chicken sausage, gnocchi, diced peppers and cherry tomatoes onto a large baking tray.
Step 2
Drizzle over the oil and add the seasoning. Mix well to fully coat everything.
Step 3
Dot the pesto randomly over the sausage, gnocchi and veg.
Step 4
Put into the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
Step 5
Top with fresh basil before serving.
Chicken Sausage Tray Bake Meal Prep & Freezer Tips
Make ahead: Chop your veggies in the morning and store them in the fridge, so all you need to do at dinnertime is toss and bake.
Storage: Leftover chicken sausage tray bake will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to crisp up the gnocchi again.
Freezer: Cooked gnocchi doesn't freeze well, but you can freeze the sausages and chopped veggies in a freezer bag. On the day, add fresh gnocchi and bake as directed.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Don't overcrowd the tray - use two trays if needed so everything roasts, not steams.
- Crispy gnocchi trick: Spread gnocchi in a single layer and avoid stirring too often.
- Batch cook: Double the recipe for a bigger crowd or to guarantee next-day leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
They should reach an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) and no longer be pink in the middle.
Absolutely - just adjust cooking times slightly, as some take longer than chicken sausages.
More Traybake Recipes
If you've tried this sausage traybake recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Chicken Sausage Tray Bake
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) of Chicken sausages - chopped
- 500 g (1.1 lb) of Gnocchi
- 1 Red bell pepper - diced
- 1 Yellow bell pepper - diced
- 150 g (1 cups) of Cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
- 4 tablespoon of Sun-dried tomato pesto
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Put 400 g of Chicken sausages (cut into chunks), 500 g of Gnocchi, 1 Red bell pepper (diced), 1 Yellow bell pepper (diced) and 150 g of Cherry tomatoes onto a large baking tray.
- Drizzle over 2 tbsp of Olive oil and add 2 tbsp of Italian seasoning. Mix well to fully coat everything.
- Dot 4 tbsp of Sun-dried tomato pesto randomly over the sausage, gnocchi and veg.
- Put into the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Top with Fresh basil before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Don't overcrowd the tray - use two trays if needed so everything roasts, not steams.
- Crispy gnocchi trick: Spread gnocchi in a single layer and avoid stirring too often.
- Batch cook: Double the recipe for a bigger crowd or to guarantee next-day leftovers.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Mrs Kathryn Anne Kendall says
Absolutely cracking! I'm wary of traybakes as they can lack in oomph. And Gnocchi often leaves me cold. However this is a triumph of simplicity, flavour and texture - definitely going into our rotation :)
Lara says
This tasted amazing and was a hit with everyone, however next time I would double the ingrediants as we all wanted more and wasn't quite enough if having on its own
Bev says
Very different and very delish! Love it!
Bonnie says
Made this tonight & will definitely be making it again! Such a simple & tasty way to have veggies & sausages, plus it avoids the fat splatter that comes when you pan-fry sausages while still keeping flavour. 10/10 for a weeknight meal!