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zaatar chicken

Zaatar Chicken

The Only Zaatar Chicken Recipe You Will Ever Need

Course Main Course
Cuisine Lebanese
Keyword Authentic, Chicken, Healthy
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 4-6 chicken thighs or 1 chicken quartered
  • For the marinade:
  • 1 onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp of regular olive oil or a good drizzle
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp seven spice
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tspn sumac
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • For the basting mix:
  • 1 tbsp dried zaatar leaves
  • 3-4 tbsp regular olive oil
  • 3-4 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Peel the onions and garlic and puree them in a blender until you make a thick paste (or finely chop) and add to a dish or bowl where you will marinade the chicken
  2. Add 1 full tsp of salt, lemon juice, 7 spice, turmeric, sumac and black pepper to the onion garlic mix along with a good drizzle of regular olive oil
  3. Wash the chicken and season with salt and pepper before adding to the marinade. Rub the marinade in the chicken well and under the skin too
  4. Leave the chicken to marinade overnight if possible or for a few hours at least

  5. When you are ready to cook the chicken, take it out about an hour before and bring to room temperature. Heat the oven to 200°C (390F)

  6. Place the chicken in a roasting dish if you haven't done so already, cover with foil and put it in the heated oven for 15 mins at 200°C (390F) then lower the heat to 170°C (340F) and cook for another hour

  7. Turn the chicken half way through
  8. Prepare the basting juice by mixing the dried zaatar leaves with 3-4 tbsp each of olive oil and lemon juice and 1 tsp of salt
  9. After an our on low heat, take the chicken out and remove the foil
  10. Drizzle the basting mix over the chicken and return to the oven for another 15 minutes
  11. Serve with rice or couscous