Za’atar Roasted Chicken Breast

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/zaatar-roasted-chicken-breast-recipe/

DESCRIPTION

Best roasted chicken breast recipe you will find! Marinated in lemon and olive oil; flavored

with Mediterranean spices like allspice, sumac, paprika and topped with Za’atar. Roasted to fall-off-the-bone perfect.

INGREDIENTS

·         4 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

·         Salt and pepper

·         3 tbsp Za’atar spice, divided

·         2 tbsp toasted shaved almonds

·         1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

·         1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

For the Marinade

·         2 lemons, juice of

·         2/3 cup Private Reserve 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

INSTRUCTIONS

1.      In a mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients.

2.      Place the chicken in a deep dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with the marinade. To ensure good flavor, work some of the marinade underneath the skin of the chicken breasts. Cover and place the chicken in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight.

3.      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

4.      Transfer the chicken breasts and the marinade to a baking dish or a cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with a little more sumac and paprika. Now sprinkle 1 tbsp of the za’atar, and take another tbsp of za’atar to work underneath the skin of chicken breasts. You should have 1 tbsp za’atar left for later.

5.      Place the chicken in the 400 degrees F heated-oven; roast for 40-45 mins.

6.      Remove from heat, and sprinkle with a little more sumac and the remaining za’atar. Garnish with the toasted nuts and fresh parsley. Enjoy!

My thoughts:

There is much to say about this recipe, and it’s all good. From start to finish is one recipe that is well worth the effort. The preparation for this recipe is all in the marinade as that’s where all the flavor is. Definitely let this marinade for a few hours as it allows the chicken to absorb flavors and all of the spices in the marinade. During the cooking process, this turned out to be a very aromatic dish and the house was filled with the wonderful aroma of spices. Once cooked and I was able to sit down and try my new dish, I was enamored with what I had made, as no two bites were the same. Each bit was a different mixture of the spices. One would be of the cinnamon, then one would be of the lemon, then another the allspice. It was a constant surprise to the taste buds and that’s what makes this dish so wonderful as you never now what each new bite will bring in regards to the flavor. Defiantly give this a try.