Za’atar Roasted Chicken Breast Recipe…an easy one-skillet chicken dinner that will have your taste buds going crazy (in a good way!) Za’atar is a flavor-packed spice blend of Mediterranean wild thyme and toasted sesame seed. You can find all-natural za’atar spice right here in our online store. Be sure to check out the step-by-step tutorial for this za’atar chicken!
When I posted my recipe for cilantro-lime chicken thighs (another awesome chicken dinner, by the way), a reader wrote to me about her big dilemma involving her husband eating only chicken breast. Well friend, today is your day! But another dilemma that more of us deal with is that roasted chicken breasts are tricky to cook because they often end up on the dry side.
I’ve been experimenting with cooking chicken breasts for a little while now, and I can honestly say, this is one of the best roasted chicken breast recipes you will find. This recipe, adapted from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, is a spin off a chicken dinner from my childhood. The citrus-based marinade with all sorts of Eastern Mediterranean spices is the key to this recipe’s success. It acts as a tenderizer to the chicken breasts, meanwhile, infusing them with awesome flavor.
You are probably more familiar with allspice, sumac and other spices used here. But don’t let za’atar scare you. It is an amazing Middle Eastern spice blend that has both earthy and subtle citrus undertones. It often includes spices like marjoram or thyme, oregano, and sumac. And it always includes sesame seeds, which add a nice nutty and woodsy flavor to the spice mix.
We all love a roast chicken dinner. After all, it’s quick prep and you can let the oven do the hard work! You will not regret spicing up your roasted chicken breasts this way, though. What to serve it with? Try Israeli couscous salad, or roasted Greek potatoes.
Step-by-step instructions for this Za’atar Chicken:
In a mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Place the chicken in a deep dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with the marinade. To ensure good flavor, work some of the marinade underneath the skin of the chicken breasts. Cover and place the chicken in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Transfer the chicken breasts and the marinade to a baking dish or a cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with a little more sumac and paprika. Now sprinkle 1 tbsp of the za’atar, and take another tbsp of za’atar to work underneath the skin of chicken breasts. You should have 1 tbsp za’atar left for later.
Roast the chicken in the heated oven for 35 minutes or so. Remove from heat and allow the chicken 5 minutes to rest. The chicken is ready to serve when its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Sprinkle with a little more sumac and the remaining za’atar. Garnish with the toasted nuts and fresh parsley. Enjoy!
More chicken recipes to try:
Meat and Poultry
Italian Baked Chicken Recipe
Meat and Poultry
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
Italian
Easy Chicken Caprese Recipe
Meat and Poultry
Citrus Rosemary Chicken
Za’atar Roasted Chicken Breast Recipe
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: serves 4 to 6 1x
Description
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp Za’atar, divided
- 2 tbsp toasted shaved almonds
- 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
For the Marinade
- 2 lemons, juice of
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Sumac, more for later
- 1 tbsp allspice
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp paprika, more for later
- 7 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 1 medium red onion, sliced or roughly chopped
- 1/2 large lemon, sliced
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients.
- Place the chicken in a deep pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with the marinade, making sure to work some of the marinade underneath the skin (this is important for flavor). Cover and place the chicken in the fridge for four hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Transfer the chicken and marinade to a baking dish or a cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with a little more sumac and paprika. Now, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the za’atar, and take another tablespoon to work underneath the skin of chicken breasts. (You should have 1 tablespoon of za’atar left for later use).
- Place the chicken in the heated oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes (once the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, it is ready).
- Sprinkle with a little more sumac and the remaining za’atar. Garnish with the toasted nuts and fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Browse our Online Shop for quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- This recipe is adapted from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook and it is a spin off a chicken dinner from my childhood.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
when do you add the parsley and the almonds? If it is in the recipe, I cannot find it!
Hi, Dave. They are added in the final step as a garnish. Hope you enjoy the chicken.