Za'atar Roasted (or Grilled) Chicken

Savory Eats

Arabic food...enough said. The thought of a Lebanese, Syrian, or Turkish meal makes me salivate. What's so special about Arabic cuisine? The herbs and spices: mint, thyme, oregano (in a mix often called za'atar) plus sesame, saffron, turmeric, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, sumac, etc...The amount and types of spices vary from region to region, but in Middle Eastern cooking, you will taste a lot of flavor consistency...

Now onto the recipe for today: Za'atar Chicken. Za'atar spice is generally prepared using ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or a similar combination, mixed with toasted sesame seeds and salt. The best part about za'atar? It can be used on everything.

My dad sends me za'atar from an Arabic market at home, but you can get it at any Arabic food store.

This chicken is healthy, fresh, flavorful, juicy, versatile, and easy. What more could you want?

Ingredients:

*For about 6 people

• 2.5 pounds chicken breast, pounded flat
• 3/4 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Roughly 1/3 cup za'atar spice (I never do exact measurements)
• 6 fresh lemons, juiced
• 1 fresh lemon, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt, pepper, & garlic powder

Recipe:

ONE DAY IN ADVANCE:

the chicken needs to sit in za'atar marinade for 24 hours

1. Pound your raw chicken breasts so they are thin and the same thickness. Place the chicken breast into a baking dish. Cover with a healthy amount of salt (1-2 teaspoons) and some garlic powder:

2. In a bowl, combine olive oil, some salt, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, and 5 cloves minced garlic. Set aside:

3. Cover the chicken with za'atar spice (3-4 tablespoons) and make sure you rub za'atar over all surfaces of each breast (get your hands dirty!):

4. Pour the olive oil mixture onto the chicken. Again, make sure all surfaces of the chicken are covered in oil:

5. Juice 6 lemons onto the chicken. Your chicken should be swimming in marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours:

 Lemon...

...and more lemon.

THE DAY OF:

Note: I don't have a grill. If I did, I would grill this chicken by laying it on a HOT grill for 15 minutes and turning it over for an additional 10 minutes. But, it tastes great in the oven as well.

1. Preheat your oven to 425F.
2. Remove chicken, piece by piece, from the baking dish and place onto a greased baking sheet (make sure your baking sheet has tall edges so excess olive oil doesn't spill over the edges while baking):

3. Cover the chicken with more za'atar rub (roughly 3 more tablespoons):

4. Cut thin slices of lemon and place on top of the chicken:

5. Bake the chicken with an aluminum foil cover at 425F for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for ~15 more minutes.

6. Make sure to cut open the thickest slice of chicken (after about 40 minutes of baking) to make sure it isn't pink inside. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE CHICKEN. You want it to be juicy and just right. Serve with some couscous, roasted veggies, hummus, and pita bread:

Served with fresh veggies, pita chips, & hummus and some za'atar roasted broccoli, onions, & fennel.

Recipe to print:

ONE DAY IN ADVANCE:

the chicken needs to sit in za'atar marinade for 24 hours

1. Pound your raw chicken breasts so they are thin and roughly the same thickness. Place the chicken breast into a baking dish. Cover with a healthy amount of salt (1-2 teaspoons) and some garlic powder.
2. In a bowl, combine olive oil, some salt, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, and 5 cloves minced garlic. Set aside.
3. Cover the chicken with za'atar spice (3-4 tablespoons) and make sure you rub za'atar over all surfaces of each breast (get your hands dirty!)
4. Pour the olive oil mixture onto the chicken. Again, make sure all surfaces of the chicken are covered in oil.
5. Juice 6 lemons onto the chicken. Your chicken should be swimming in marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

THE DAY OF:

Note: I don't have a grill. If I did, I would grill this chicken by laying it on a HOT grill for 15 minutes and turning it over for an additional 10 minutes. But, it tastes great in the oven as well.

1. Preheat your oven to 425F.
2. Remove chicken, piece by piece, from the baking dish and place onto a greased baking sheet (make sure your baking sheet has tall edges so excess olive oil doesn't spill over the edges while baking).
3. Cover the chicken with more za'atar rub (roughly 3 more tablespoons).
4. Cut thin slices of lemon and place on top of the chicken.
5. Bake the chicken with an aluminum foil cover at 425F for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for 15 more minutes.
6. Make sure to cut open the thickest slice of chicken (after about 40 minutes of baking) to make sure it is not pink inside. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE CHICKEN. You want it to be juicy and just right. Serve with some couscous, roasted veggies, hummus, and pita bread.