Easy Za’atar Roasted Chicken Breast
Today I am going to share this easy Za’atar Roasted Chicken Breast recipe, served with mixed harvest grains : Couscous, lentils, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa.
Za’atar is a traditional Middle Eastern spice mix, which containing a combination of thyme, sesame seed, sumac (a tart and tangy spice made from ground sumac berries) and salt. You can purchase the pre-made Za’atar spice mix at any International market or make your own Za’atar spice at home. You can find the Za’atar spice mix recipe below. This particular spice mix offers a tasty and tangy flavor that’s delicious and a perfect addition into any recipe. You can use the spice mix to marinate chicken, for flavorful fish, sweet savory pastries, roasted vegetables or it can be sprinkled over bread or yogurt.
- 2 - 10 oz chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoonZa'atar spice mix
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 slices thin fresh lemon
- To marinate chicken breast:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine Za'atar spice mix, kosher salt, black pepper, olive oil, smoked paprika powder and garlic.
- Add chicken breasts and massage marinade into meat until evenly coated.
- Transfer the chicken into a ziplock bag and seal it. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425° F
- Place the marinated chicken onto a grill then sear on one side of the chicken for about 5 minutes to get the perfect grill marks.
- Transfer the seared chicken with marinating sauce into a baking dish.
- Place 2 lemon slices on the bottom of each chicken and 2 more on the top of each chicken.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked
- Serve with whole grains and salad. Enjoy!
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
- 2 teaspoons ground sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl
- The za'atar spice mix can be refrigerated for 1 week
Oooh. That looks delicious! I’ve never heard of this particular spice blend before. I love to make new recipes, though, so this is definitely going on the list!
This looks so tasty. Love all the colors and how healthy this recipe is. Will add this to the “to try” list.
This is SO going on my dinner menu very soon. It looks incredible and easy enough for me to tackle when I don’t have a ton of time!
This looks soo good! Wow I love your photography too! I need to try this, I love that it’s healthy also! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness, this looks like a delicious meal. I love how you paired the chicken with the salad. My husband only eats fully flavored chicken, this looks like it would wow him. Can’t wait to try.
This one is tempting! I wanna grab it from my screen LOL. I’ll have to try this, this coming weekend,.
That looks amazing! I could go for this right now! I love chicken, so I’m sure I’ll love this dish. I can’t wait to give it a try.
This looks so good. We love grilled chicken in our house. I need to try this recipe.
This za’atar roasted chicken breast looks delicious. We have been eating more and more chicken lately. I love having new recipes I can try instead of the same old same old. Thanks for shairng the recipe.
I’ve never heard of za’atar seasoning but this looks yummy. I may have to put on my chef hat and try this soon. Thank you for sharing. – Yolonda
Oh, my, yum! This looks fantastic. Your photos are mouthwatering!
Scrumptious looking images and bursting with varied flavors. I usually pan-roast my chicken, as the weather is too warm here to use the oven regularly. You’ve provided a complete meal option with this recipe. I love zaatar having spent a few years in the middle east. But I’ve noticed a difference in the zaatar blend in our food stores. I guess most of them lack quality ingredients like sumac and sesame seeds and the real zaatar herb or Syrian oregano as its called. I recently bought some quality zaatar online that tasted like the classic version I was used to. A friend recommended this site – http://www.eatzaatar.com.
For anyone who’s never tried Z’atar before, it’s a delight in my receipts, and wonderful heated on pita bread with olive oil.
Hi Charles,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Za’atar chicken on pita bread sounds amazing!