Zaatar Chicken Thighs Recipes

ZA'ATAR CHICKEN THIGHS

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.

BAKED ZA'ATAR CHICKEN THIGHS

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).

ZA'ATAR CHICKEN

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

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.

CRISPY ZA'ATAR CHICKEN PILAF WITH POMEGRANATE

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.

NIGELLA'S ZA'ATAR CHICKEN

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

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.