Best 7 Zaatar Chicken Thighs Recipes
Zaatar, a versatile Middle Eastern spice blend comprising thyme, oregano, marjoram, and sumac, imparts a delectable herbal aroma and a tangy, slightly nutty flavor to dishes. When combined with chicken thighs, zaatar weaves its magic, transforming them into a culinary masterpiece that tantalizes the taste buds. This article delves into the realm of zaatar chicken thighs, presenting a curated selection of recipes that showcase the diverse culinary expressions of this delightful dish. Whether you prefer a classic zaatar-roasted chicken thigh with a crispy skin and succulent meat or an innovative zaatar-spiced chicken thigh tagine infused with North African flavors, this article will guide you towards an unforgettable culinary experience.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
ZA'ATAR CHICKEN THIGHS
Chicken thighs that are ridiculously simple yet packed with flavor thanks to a generous amount of za'atar. I like to serve this chicken with a fresh green salad of romaine, red onion, and tomato with a tahini-lemon dressing.
Provided by Diana Moutsopoulos
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Chicken Thigh Recipes
Time 35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place chicken in a bowl and coat with olive oil. Season liberally with sea salt and black pepper on all sides.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs, skin-side down, to the hot skillet. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon za'atar immediately over each chicken thigh. Cook chicken, without turning, until skin is crispy and browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Turn chicken so skin side faces up and remove skillet from heat. Sprinkle remaining za'atar quickly and evenly over each chicken thigh. Spoon some of the rendered chicken fat from the pan over the top of the za'atar.
- Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink near the bone, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 193.9 calories, Carbohydrate 2.1 g, Cholesterol 70.3 mg, Fat 11.7 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 19.5 g, SaturatedFat 2.8 g, Sodium 146.9 mg, Sugar 0.1 g
BAKED ZA'ATAR CHICKEN THIGHS
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are simply coated in za'atar and olive oil, then baked to perfection. The chicken gets a simple treatment because the za'atar spice mix imparts loads of flavor! Even better, it takes just a couple of minutes to prepare. I like these baked chicken thighs alongside a Middle Eastern inspired side dish, or try them in a wrap or green salad with a tahini dressing.
Provided by Diana Moutsopoulos
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Chicken Thigh Recipes
Time 45m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix together the za'atar, salt, and olive oil until the consistency of a thick paste. Add chicken thighs to the bowl, and toss to coat liberally on all sides. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 175.3 calories, Carbohydrate 2.1 g, Cholesterol 38.6 mg, Fat 13.8 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 11 g, SaturatedFat 2.9 g, Sodium 73.3 mg, Sugar 0.1 g
ZA'ATAR CHICKEN
This simple chicken recipe is just so easy, it's the must-have almost-not-a-recipe, recipe. Seriously-just arrange the chicken thighs in a pan, add rub garlic and lemon and sprinkle some za'atar spice and bake.
Provided by Sarah
Categories Dinner
Time 1h15m
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Prepare the chicken. Clean the chicken to remove excess fat and slimy bits. Cut four slits in to the chicken legs. Place the chicken in a baking dish or on a sheet pan.
- Flavour the chicken. Using half a lemon squeeze a little juice on each leg of chicken. Once the lemon juice has been add to each chicken leg, then gently rub the lemon peel against the chicken legs (be careful not to rip the skin) Remove 1/4 tsp from your garlic paste and set aside for the za'atar sauce. Equally, distribute the garlic to each chicken leg, then rub the garlic all over the chicken.
- Sprinkle the za'atar. Your going to sprinkle 1/2 tbsp of za'atar on to each chicken leg (if using sumac, add 1/2 tsp for the leg) Lightly pat the za'atar to ensure equal distribution of the spice but don't rub it or you'll end up without any spice in patches.
- Drizzle the oil. Quickly drizzle your olive oil over each chicken leg, your looking for a light drizzle not a bath of oil.
- Marinate. Cover your chicken, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes up to 6 hours. But no longer than 6 hours or you'll end up with tough chicken.
- Preheat oven. Heat to 400ºF. Once you've turned on the oven, take out the chicken from the fridge, this gives a chance for the chicken to lose some chill from the refrigeration before cooking.
- Bake. Bake the chicken for 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165º. Once the chicken is cooked allow to rest 5 minutes before serving, this will allow the chicken to redistribute its juices and allow the za'atar sauce to infuse with the chicken.
- Make za'atar sauce. Mix together the za'atar sauce, well, the chicken is cooking. In a small bowl add the lemon juice, reserved garlic, za'atar and olive oil. The sauce should be a paste-like consistency and may thicken slightly once resting. If the sauce is too thin add more za'atar, if it's too thick add more olive oil. Taste for saltiness, you may not need any and if you do just add a pinch.
- Serve! enjoy this recipe with your family and friends
ZA'ATAR CHICKEN
It's hard to find a dinner that both my husband and kids will enjoy-and even harder to find one that's fast and easy. This is it! No matter how much I make of this dish, it's gone to the last bite. -Esther Erani, Brooklyn, New York
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 5h20m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Add chicken; toss to coat., Arrange olives, apricots and plums on the bottom of a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Add 1/4 cup water; top with chicken. Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 5-6 hours. If desired, serve with rice.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 484 calories, Fat 32g fat (7g saturated fat), Cholesterol 107mg cholesterol, Sodium 1367mg sodium, Carbohydrate 18g carbohydrate (10g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 30g protein.
CRISPY ZA'ATAR CHICKEN PILAF WITH POMEGRANATE
Nestle crispy za'atar chicken pieces amongst pistachio pilaf rice for an irresistible supper. It's a riot of colour, texture and flavour
Provided by Esther Clark
Categories Dinner
Time 1h35m
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Toss together the chicken thighs oil, 1 tsp salt, garlic and lemon juice in a large bowl. Cover and chill for at least 1 hr, or up to 12 hrs.
- Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, and heat a frying pan over a high heat. Fry the chicken, skin-side down, for 5-7 mins, or until golden and crisp. Transfer to a baking tray and sprinkle with the za'atar, then roast for 10 mins.
- For the rice, heat the oil and butter in a large, shallow casserole or frying pan over a low-medium heat. Fry the onions with a pinch of salt for 15 mins until caramelised and sticky. Stir in the rice, stock, pistachios and chilli flakes. Season. Arrange the roasted chicken thighs on top of the rice, and pour over any roasting juices from the tray. Cook in the oven for 45 mins, or until the rice is tender. Remove from the oven, cover and rest for 5 mins.
- Scatter the chicken pilaf with the pomegranate seeds and parsley, then serve in shallow bowls.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 743 calories, Fat 39 grams fat, SaturatedFat 12 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 60 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 11 grams sugar, Fiber 7 grams fiber, Protein 36 grams protein, Sodium 2.1 milligram of sodium
NIGELLA'S ZA'ATAR CHICKEN
This recipe delivers amazing results with virtually no effort. It's from Nigella Lawson's cookbook "Forever Summer". Za'atar is an addictive Middle Eastern spice blend that you can buy or prepare yourself. Chicken requires at least 2 hours of marinating time. Serve with pita crisps and salad.
Provided by blucoat
Categories Chicken Breast
Time 50m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- In large mixing bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine chicken, oil and za'atar. Rub spices and oil all over chicken pieces. Cover (or close) and refrigerate 2 hours to overnight.
- Transfer chicken to baking sheet, skin side up. Roast in preheated 425°F oven 45 minutes.
- Sprinkle with salt.
GRILLED ZA'ATAR CHICKEN WITH GARLIC YOGURT AND CILANTRO
This garlicky, herby chicken is full-flavored and very tender, thanks to its piquant yogurt marinade. It's flexible, too - marinate the meat for as little as a couple of hours, or as long as overnight. And the chicken is just as good cooked under the broiler as it is on the grill (see Tip). You can serve this dish with almost anything, but it's especially nice with pita or other flatbread and a big cucumber and tomato salad. And if you're looking to substitute chicken breasts for the thighs, you can. Just watch them carefully; they're likely to cook faster than the dark meat.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories poultry, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a large bowl or container, stir together 5 of the grated garlic cloves, half the lemon zest, 1/3 cup yogurt, the cilantro, oil, za'atar, oregano or marjoram, salt and black pepper. Add chicken and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to cook, light the grill to medium or heat your broiler with the rack 3 inches from the heat source. Remove chicken from bowl, shaking off any excess marinade, and grill or broil on one side until charred in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill or broil for another 5 to 8 minutes, until just cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking, place remaining 2/3 cup yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve grated garlic clove and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut one zested lemon in half and set aside for serving (save the other zested lemon for another use).
- To serve, place chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and a large squeeze of the zested lemon. Top with cilantro and oregano or marjoram sprigs and serve with yogurt sauce.
Tips:
- Choose the right chicken thighs. Look for thighs that are plump and have a good amount of meat on them. Avoid thighs that are thin or have a lot of bone.
- Marinate the chicken thighs for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. This will help the chicken to absorb the flavors of the zaatar spice blend.
- Cook the chicken thighs over medium heat. This will help to prevent the chicken from drying out.
- Baste the chicken thighs with the marinade while they are cooking. This will help to keep the chicken moist and flavorful.
- Cook the chicken thighs until they are cooked through. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve the chicken thighs with your favorite sides. Some good options include rice, roasted vegetables, or a salad.
Conclusion:
Zaatar chicken thighs are a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. The zaatar spice blend gives the chicken a unique and flavorful taste. You can enjoy this dish with your favorite sides. However, with the tips mentioned above, you can make sure your zaatar chicken thighs turn out perfect every time.
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