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Prep time
15 minutes
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Cook time
40 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
Even if you’ve roasted chicken every which way to Sunday, this ridiculously easy, boldly flavored one-skillet dinner deserves your attention. As it roasts, the tahini marinade cooks down into a sticky, savory, rich pan sauce. And because you’re layering all of the ingredients in a skillet, you’re left with distinct flavors and textures: on the bottom, meltingly tender sweet-and-sour onions and saucy chickpeas, and on the top, caramelized dates, tangy lemon slices, and bronzed chicken. Serve with a big handful of fresh herbs, tahini yogurt, and warm flatbread for swiping up every last ounce of the sauce.
A few notes and tips: Pretty much everything about this dish is customizable, down to the skillet itself. If you don’t have a large ovenproof skillet, feel free to layer the ingredients in a baking dish instead. Just make sure it’s big enough to fit the chicken in a single layer. I usually reach for leg quarters here, but any type of bone-in, skin-on cut will work nicely. Or, opt for a spatchcocked chicken instead, and increase the roasting time accordingly.
While I love this combination of Middle Eastern-inspired flavors and ingredients, you can take this one-skillet meal in countless directions. Just keep some sort of thick, sticky rub or marinade in the equation so as your dinner roasts, you’ll get a ready-made pan sauce.
—EmilyC
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Ingredients
- For tahini-rubbed chicken
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2 tablespoons
tahini, well stirred
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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2 teaspoons
honey
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2 teaspoons
cumin
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2 teaspoons
sweet paprika
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2 pounds
bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters (about 3) or thighs (about 5)
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Kosher salt plus freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- For rest of dish
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1 tablespoon
honey
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3 tablespoons
hot water (either from tap or heated)
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1/2
large lemon, very thinly sliced and cut into half moons (seeds removed); save other half for juicing
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1
large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
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1
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
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1 tablespoon
olive oil
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Kosher salt plus red chile flakes, to taste
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8
Medjool dates, pitted and halved
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3/4 cup
whole-milk yogurt
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1 tablespoon
tahini, well stirred
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1/2 cup
roughly chopped cilantro or dill (optional)
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4
pieces warmed flatbread, for serving
Directions
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Heat oven to 425°F.
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For the tahini-rubbed chicken: In a small bowl, mix together tahini, olive oil, honey, cumin, and paprika until smooth and well integrated.
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Blot chicken dry with paper towels. Rub tahini marinade all over chicken and under the skin. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. (Make-ahead tip: the marinated chicken can be refrigerated up to 8 hours in advance.)
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In a small bowl, stir together honey and hot water until dissolved. Soak lemon slices until ready to use (this step softens the lemons and ensures they get nicely caramelized).
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In a 12- or 14-inch ovenproof skillet, add sliced onions, half of lemon slices (drained of their soaking water), and chickpeas. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top, and season with a few pinches of kosher salt and red chile flakes. Arrange chicken on top, and nestle remaining lemon slices around (not on top of) the chicken.
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Roast chicken for 20 minutes. Remove skillet from the oven, and nestle dates around the chicken. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until the chicken is 165°F in the thickest parts. Optional: Run the skillet under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp-up the chicken skin (don’t walk away; the chicken will brown quickly!). Out of the oven, lift up the chicken and stir the cilantro or dill (if using) into the saucy onions and chickpeas.
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Meanwhile, stir together the yogurt, tahini, a pinch or two of salt, and several squeezes of lemon juice.
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Serve warm chicken (cut-up or left whole) and dates with the saucy chickpeas and onions, with yogurt sauce and flatbread on the side.
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