Habanero Chicken and Broccoli

By Pati Jinich

Published Jan. 5, 2024

Habanero Chicken and Broccoli
Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(134)
Comments
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In this bright, tangy sheet-pan dish, the chicken gets a quick first roast covered in a light oregano and garlic marinade. That quick warmup is followed by a stellar run: The chicken is flipped, broccoli florets get tucked all around and a sweet citrus sauce with the slightest habanero kick drenches the mix. The sauce adds flavor and moisture to the chicken as it roasts and browns, and soaks the broccoli, which chars and tenderizes. Although this can be a complete meal on its own, the ample sauce is so flavorful that you may find yourself craving for something else to soak in it. Rice is the perfect cheerleader to round up the race. The habanero’s heat is tamed by citrus, allowing its zesty and flowery flavors to shine.

Featured in: The Habanero Rules Yucatán. Let It Rule Your Kitchen, Too.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ¾cup olive oil
  • 6garlic cloves, 5 finely chopped and 1 left whole
  • 2teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
  • 1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 1½teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 4whole bone-in, skin-on chicken legs or 8 thighs
  • ⅓cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes)
  • ½cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
  • 3tablespoons honey
  • 1fresh habanero, stemmed
  • 2pounds broccoli (about 2 large heads), cut into large florets then halved lengthwise
  • Cooked rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees and position the rack in the middle.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of the olive oil with the finely chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Rub all over the chicken pieces and place them skin side down in a large sheet pan.

  3. Step 3

    In the jar of a blender, add the remaining ½ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 whole garlic clove, plus the lime juice, lemon juice, honey, habanero, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Purée until completely smooth.

  4. Step 4

    Roast the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully release and flip the chicken pieces using a spatula, and arrange the halved broccoli florets between the chicken pieces. Pour the blended habanero sauce all over the broccoli.

  5. Step 5

    Place back in the oven to roast for another 25 minutes. The chicken should have browned on top and be fully cooked and the broccoli should be a bit charred on the outside but still retain some crunch.

  6. Step 6

    Divide the chicken and the broccoli among plates, along with rice, if desired. Spoon the sauce from the sheet pan over the top.

Ratings

4 out of 5
134 user ratings
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Comments

jaime s

Delicious. This was a family favorite. It’s spicy but the honey compliments the habanero so it’s not overpowering. I cooked it with thighs and breasts and it worked out well.

Mark R

Chicken thighs came out nicely crisped, with good flavor. I liked the sauce as it reduced along with the chicken juices, but I thought it saturated the broccoli florets a bit too much. I might recommend roasting the broccoli separately, but serving it with the reduced sauce.

JD

Loved this recipe! I ended up having to add more honey, as the sauce was far too citrusy, so keep an eye (or a taste bud) out for that.

RJM

Not spicy but flavorful. Used boned and skinned thighs. While not “crispy,” still very tasty.

gam

So very good. Added an extra pepper. Still not all that hot.Loved the dish. Will be in the regular rotation.

Kim Leslie Shafer

As a vegetable lover with vegetarian friends, I have made the sauce and roasted broccoli as a side dish. Delicious, even without the chicken. One could add more than one garlic clove if not combining with the chicken, up to four max for two heads of broccoli. I seeded the habanero and used two -- not sure if recipe intended seeding peppers. I would love it if virtuoso Pati would publish her version as a separate vegetable recipe.

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