It tastes every bit as good as it looks. I’ve been expanding my cooking horizons lately with more Middle Eastern dishes, including some Israeli specialties, though this Lemon and Za’atar Spiced Chicken leans more broadly Middle Eastern. Don’t let the za’atar intimidate you, it’s easy to find online, and you can even make your own with simple pantry ingredients.
Whether you use a store‑bought blend or your own homemade mix, the magic of this dish comes entirely from the spice. From there, it couldn’t be easier. Everything goes onto a sheet pan, and about 40 minutes later, dinner is ready.
Ingredients
- 4 small chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- 3 tbsp Za'atar Spice Mix
- 2 cloves smashed garlic
- 1 medium sweet onion thinly sliced
- 1 whole lemon sliced
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- warm naan or other flat bread optional
Instructions
Gather all ingredients before starting the recipe.
- Season 4 small chicken thighs with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside while preparing the remaining ingredients.
- Preheat Oven to 400℉
- Use pre-mixed spice or prepare Za'atar Spice Mix and liberally sprinkle the chicken with half of the spice and message to get all sides evenly coated with the spice mix.
- Slice 1 medium sweet onion into thin slices. Transfer sliced onion to a non-stick aluminum lined sheetpan. Drizzle with some of the 2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and the remainder of the spice mixture. Toss to combine using kitchen tongs to make sure that all sides of the sliced onion is covered.
- Add 2 cloves smashed garlic to the onion mixture and distribute the garlic evenly over the sliced onions.
- Top the onion/garlic mixture with the seasoned chicken thighs.
- Slice 1 whole lemon into rings and tuck the slices in between the onions.
- Drizzle the chicken with the remaining oil and trasnfer to a preheated oven and set timer for 40 minutes. Remove chicken and sprinkle with 1/4 cup pine nuts over the chicken pieces and return to the oven.
- Roast for another 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is done and the pinenuts have started to toast.
Serving
- Transfer chicken to a platter and serve with warm naan or other flat bread
