Best 4 Roast Chicken With Lemon And Zaatar Recipes

Welcome to the world of flavorful and aromatic roasts, where the classic combination of chicken, lemon, and zaatar takes center stage. Embark on a culinary journey as we explore the art of creating a succulent and tender roast chicken, infused with the zesty brightness of lemon and the earthy, nutty undertones of zaatar. From selecting the perfect ingredients to mastering the roasting technique, we will guide you through each step to achieve a dish that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving for more. Whether you're a seasoned cook or just starting your culinary adventures, this comprehensive article will provide you with all the knowledge and inspiration you need to create a roast chicken with lemon and zaatar that will become a staple in your kitchen.

Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND ZA'ATAR

Roast Chicken With Lemon and Za'atar image

This plump and juicy roast chicken benefits from tenderizing in a yogurt-lemon-garlic marinade for as long as 24 hours, but if you don't have a lot of time, slathering it with the mixture before sliding it into the oven will still add flavor, and give the spices something to stick to. Za'atar, a Middle Eastern herb-and-spice blend, can still be hard to find in the supermarket, so make your own by combining sumac, sesame seeds, thyme, coriander, oregano and cumin. You can buy sumac, a garnet-colored lemony spice, in Middle Eastern markets or online, but the rest of the ingredients are most likely already on your spice rack, and leaving out one or two of them is perfectly O.K. If you have a premade za'atar blend on hand, you'll need about 1/2 cup to coat the chicken.

Provided by Susan Spungen

Categories dinner, poultry, roasts, main course

Time 4h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 cup plain full- or reduced-fat Greek yogurt
3 lemons (1 lemon zested and juiced; 2 lemons, halved)
2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (4- to 5-pound) whole chicken
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds (see Tip)
2 tablespoons sumac (optional)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 medium shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise

Steps:

In a shallow bowl, stir together yogurt, zest and juice of 1 lemon, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season the chicken inside and out with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the bowl and coat with the yogurt mixture inside and out. Cover and refrigerate until cooking, up to 24 hours.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Make the za'atar: In a small bowl, mix sesame seeds, sumac (if using), thyme, coriander, oregano, cumin and 1 tablespoon salt. Remove chicken from marinade and gently scrape off excess yogurt while leaving a nice coating. Transfer chicken to a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Coat chicken all over with the za'atar blend. Scrape up any spices that fall off and pack them on. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil and pat gently.
Put 1 lemon half in the cavity of the bird. Tie legs together using butcher's twine, if desired, and place chicken in a small roasting pan. Arrange remaining 3 lemon halves and shallots cut-sides down in the pan surrounding the chicken. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan and roast on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, gently baste the chicken and add another 1/4 cup water. Roast for an additional 60 to 75 minutes, rotating the pan periodically. Turn the lemon and shallots occasionally, basting once or twice and add 1/4 cup water whenever the pan juices dry out. Cook until until the legs wiggle easily and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Let chicken rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Pour the pan juices (add a few tablespoons of water first, if they are very reduced) into a small gravy boat, degreasing or skimming some fat, if desired. Serve the chicken with the juices and the roasted shallots.

ZA'ATAR ROASTED CHICKEN BREAST RECIPE

Za'atar Roasted Chicken Breast Recipe image

Best roasted chicken breast recipe you will find! Marinated in lemon and olive oil, and covered in Middle Eastern flavors including allspice, sumac, Za'atar. Roasted to fall-off-the-bone perfect.

Provided by The Mediterranean Dish

Categories Entree

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 15

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
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

Steps:

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!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 484 calories, Sugar 2 g, Sodium 123.8 mg, Fat 31.8 g, SaturatedFat 6.9 g, TransFat 0.2 g, Carbohydrate 10.3 g, Fiber 3.6 g, Protein 40.5 g, Cholesterol 116.1 mg

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON, ZA'ATAR, AND POTATOES

Roast Chicken With Lemon, Za'atar, and Potatoes image

Za'atar is a Middle Eastern herb mix based heavily on thyme. If you cannot locate it, you can make your own or substitute Herbes de Provence or just use dried thyme. This recipe is adapted from a recipe by Lauren Keating, on Healthy-Delicious.com. She says of her recipe,"Flipping the chicken has the effect of roasting it on a spit, distributing the juices throughout the meat and keeping the breast from drying out."

Provided by zeldaz51

Categories Chicken

Time 1h10m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

1 whole broiler-fryer chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds
1 meyer lemon (or regular lemon if out of season)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons za'atar mixed herbs
4 medium yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

Steps:

Several hours or the night before cooking the chicken, remove giblets from the chicken and pat the skin dry. Cut the lemon in half, and place half inside the cavity. Slice the other half crosswise as thinly as you can into four slices and insert the slices under the skin, one under each breast half and one under the fattest part of each thigh. Rub the salt and za'atar into the skin, then truss the chicken and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight.
Remove the chicken from the fridge to bring it up to room temperature before roasting. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
Place an elevated roasting rack in a roasting pan. Toss the quartered potatoes with a small amount of olive oil and salt (maybe even a little more za'atar) and place them in the bottom of the roasting pan, arranging them around the rack. Place the chicken on the rack, breast-side-up. If you do not have an appropriate rack, improvise with wadded up aluminum foil, or place the chicken right on the potatoes.
Roast the chicken for 30 minutes - the skin will turn golden and may start to blister. Remove from the oven and flip the chicken onto its breast. Turn the potatoes, put the pan back into the oven and roast for 15 minutes more, then remove the pan from the oven, turn the potatoes again if needed, and turn the chicken onto its back for 5-10 more minutes to crisp the skin. Carefully tilt the chicken so that the juices that have accumulated into the cavity run out into the pan - the chicken is done when the juice runs clear and has no trace of red.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 618.9, Fat 34.8, SaturatedFat 10, Cholesterol 172.5, Sodium 1911, Carbohydrate 29.3, Fiber 3, Sugar 1.7, Protein 45.5

OVEN-ROASTED ZA'ATAR CHICKEN BREASTS

Oven-Roasted Za'atar Chicken Breasts image

This za'atar-marinated chicken gets an extra dose of za'atar seasoning right before being roasted in the oven for a tender and juicy meal. Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend found in most spice shops or you can make your own using one of the many recipes found online. Serve the za'atar chicken with couscous, roasted potatoes, or atop a salad.

Provided by France C

Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes

Time 2h30m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons za'atar seasoning, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
cooking spray
salt to taste

Steps:

Pound chicken breasts to a 1-inch thickness for even cooking. Place in a large resealable plastic bag.
Combine 2 tablespoons za'atar seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour mixture over the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.
Place chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining za'atar seasoning.
Roast in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 23 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Season with salt.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 201.9 calories, Carbohydrate 3 g, Cholesterol 67.2 mg, Fat 9.8 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 24.9 g, SaturatedFat 1.8 g, Sodium 100.3 mg, Sugar 0.2 g

Tips:

Choose the right chicken: A whole chicken is best for this recipe, but you can also use chicken parts if you prefer. If you're using a whole chicken, make sure it's about 3-4 pounds.
Use fresh herbs and spices: The flavors of the herbs and spices in this recipe really come through, so make sure you use fresh ingredients. Zaatar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that is made with thyme, oregano, marjoram, and sumac. You can find it in most grocery stores or online.
Don't overcrowd the pan: When you're roasting the chicken, make sure there's enough space around it so that the air can circulate and the skin can crisp up. If the pan is too crowded, the chicken will steam instead of roast.
Roast the chicken until it's golden brown and cooked through: The chicken is done roasting when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can check the temperature with a meat thermometer.
Let the chicken rest before carving: Once the chicken is roasted, let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. This will help the juices redistribute throughout the meat.

Conclusion:

This roast chicken with lemon and zaatar is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish that's perfect for a weeknight dinner. The chicken is juicy and tender, and the lemon and zaatar give it a bright and tangy flavor. Serve it with your favorite sides, such as roasted vegetables, rice, or pasta.