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 tablespoon of the za'atar, and take another tablespoon of za'atar to work underneath the skin of chicken breasts. You should have 1 tablespoon 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:
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 tablespoon Za'atar, divided
- 2 tablespoon toasted shaved almonds
- 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
For the Marinade
- 2 lemons, juice of
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Sumac, more for later
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon paprika, more for later
- 7 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 1 medium red onion, sliced or roughly chopped
- ½ 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
Keywords: za'atar chicken
Delaney says
Is the skin crispy in this recipe. I notice searing is not involved. Thanks
Suzy says
Hi, Delaney. No, I haven't found it to get particularly crispy in this recipe.
Anya says
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs. I'm thinking about making this tonight but don't have breast.
Suzy says
Hi, Anya. You can definitely use chicken thighs here. You just may need to adjust the cooking time a little.
Barbara Shryack says
My family loved this, in spite of my forgetting to add the garlic--oops! I served it with a Zatar green salad from Trader Joe's.
I will definitely make this again!
★★★★★
Suzy says
Thanks, Barbara!
Fernando Ibarra says
Hi Suzy,
I made this and it was super, tasty. I think it might have been just a little dry as I used boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Anyway, I'm going to make it again and double the recipe. My question is, when I made the marinade it seemed a little thick. Is that normal?
★★★★★
Suzy says
Hi, Fernando! So glad you enjoyed it. Yes.... the marinade might be a little thick.
Fernando says
Great, I'm jumping into the deep end by hosting 3 other couples and I'm using the bone in skin on chicken breast just in case.
Thanks again!
★★★★★