Middle Eastern-Inspired Herb and Garlic Chicken

By Melissa Clark

Middle Eastern-Inspired Herb and Garlic Chicken
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
40 minutes, plus marinating
Rating
5(3,097)
Comments
Read comments

This recipe was inspired by the Middle Eastern dried seasoning mix called za’atar, a combination of herbs (usually thyme, oregano and marjoram), sesame seeds and sumac, often spiked with salt. Here, fresh herbs are substituted for the dried, which, along with fresh parsley and mint and plenty of lemon and garlic, are used to marinated boneless chicken thighs. If you can’t find sumac, just leave it out. It does add a nice tang and vibrant color, but the dish will work without it. Optimum marinating time here is 8 hours. But feel free to leave it for as little as 15 minutes or as long as 24 hours. If you would rather use white meat, substitute boneless skinless breasts but reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.

Featured in: Pushing Chicken to Its Garlicky Limit

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 6boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1¾ pounds)
  • 6garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced
  • Juice and zest of 2 lemons
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
  • 2tablespoons minced fresh parsley, more for serving
  • 2tablespoons minced fresh mint
  • 1tablespoon minced fresh thyme
  • 1tablespoon minced fresh oregano or marjoram
  • 1½teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
  • 1tablespoon sesame seeds, more for garnish (optional)
  • ¾teaspoon sumac, more for garnish (optional)
  • ⅔cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably whole milk yogurt
  • ¼teaspoon ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

196 calories; 12 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 468 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine chicken with all but 1 teaspoon of the grated garlic (save that teaspoon for the yogurt sauce), the zest and juice of 1 lemon, oil, parsley, mint, thyme, oregano, 1½ teaspoons salt, and the sesame seeds and sumac, if using. Cover and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature; you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Heat grill or broiler. If grilling, cook chicken over high heat until charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip pieces and continue grilling until just cooked through, another 4 to 7 minutes. If broiling, arrange a rack 3 to 4 inches from flame. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread chicken out in a single layer. Broil chicken, turning halfway through cooking, until well colored and charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes per side. Be careful that it doesn’t burn.

  3. Step 3

    While chicken cooks, place yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserved grated garlic and lemon zest and season to taste with salt. Serve the chicken drizzled with olive oil, remaining lemon juice to taste, black pepper, parsley and sesame seeds and sumac, if using, with the yogurt alongside for dipping.

Ratings

5 out of 5
3,097 user ratings
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Comments

A. Cleary

I've used dried za'atar & it's just fine. Before you marinate the chicken, mix the spices & herbs with the lemon juice & olive oil & let it sit for about 10 minutes. It seems to wake up the flavors. And use fresh parsley & thyme if you have it. It does make a difference.

Alien57

I'll definitely try this, as I love anything garlicky, but is there any particular reason for using the boneless, skinless thighs as opposed to regular? Bone-in generally gives better flavor, and especially when grilling or broiling, the skin gets crisp and delicious. My vote is always for bone-in rather than boneless, with practically any meat.

Evan

Total winner! You can't go wrong with all that garlic and lemon. I jumped on this because I had a huge canister of dried za'atar that was in need of a purpose. I used 3-4 tablespoons or so. Didn't bother with fresh herbs and didn't miss them, although I'm sure they'd be great. Served it with pita bread and a salad of tomato, cucumber and goat cheese, with olive oil, lemon, oregano and parsley. I did actually use fresh parsley in the salad. Amazing weeknight dinner!

shay

Just to clarify if you hate flipping back and forth between directions and ingredients: Marinade: -5 grated garlic cloves -Juice and zest of one lemon -3 Tbsp oil -2 Tbsp parsley -2 Tbsp mint -1 Tbsp thyme -1 Tbsp oregano -1.5 tsp kosher salt -1 Tbsp sesame seeds -3/4 tsp sumac Sauce: -2/3 C plain Greek yogurt -1 clove grated garlic -Zest of one lemon -Salt to taste Finish dish with: -Drizzle of olive oil -Juice of one lemon -1/4 tsp black pepper -Optional chopped parsley, sumac, and sesame seeds (amount not listed in recipe, measure with your heart!)

amanda

Whole family loved! Did smaller tenders on the grill 3min per side. Perfect and served with fattoush (nyt recipe), homemade hummus, and pita

Lacey

I am confused by what is in the marinade and what isn't. Help?

shay

@Lacey The wording confused me initially as well but I think I got it! Marinade: -5 grated garlic cloves -Juice and zest of one lemon -3 Tbsp oil -2 Tbsp parsley -2 Tbsp mint -1 Tbsp thyme -1 Tbsp oregano -1.5 tsp kosher salt -1 Tbsp sesame seeds -3/4 tsp sumac Sauce: -2/3 C plain Greek yogurt -1 clove grated garlic -Zest of one lemon -Salt to taste Finish dish with: -Drizzle of olive oil -Juice of one lemon -1/4 tsp black pepper -Optional chopped parsley, sumac, and sesame seeds (amount not listed in recipe, measure with your heart!)

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