Broiled Za'atar Chicken with Lemony Tahini
Boneless chicken marinated in za'atar, lemon and garlic, broiled until fragrant and golden, then piled over chickpeas and pearl couscous with a zingy tahini sauce. The marinade takes 15 minutes — or make it a day ahead.
Ingredients
Tahini Sauce:
- 1 garlic clove grated or put through a garlic press
- ½ cup (10 g) Italian parsley leaves finely chopped
- ½ cup (120 g) tahini paste
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup (60 ml) cold water plus additional as needed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Za'atar Chicken
- Grated zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (5 g) chopped Italian parsley plus a handful of leaves
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) za'atar seasoning
- 1 finely chopped garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken about 2 breasts or 4-6 thighs
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ cups pearl couscous
- 1 14-ounce (400 g) can chickpeas, drained
Instructions
Tahini Sauce
- In a small food processor, pulse 1 garlic clove, ½ cup Italian parsley leaves, ½ cup tahini paste, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup cold water and 1 teaspoon kosher salt or whisk in a bowl until smooth. Add more water if necessary to achieve a loose mayonnaise-like consistency. Taste and season with more salt to taste. The sauce keeps in the refrigerator up to 3 days ahead.
Za'atar Chicken
- Mix Grated zest from 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley, 1 tablespoon za'atar seasoning1 finely chopped garlic clove, and 1 teaspoon kosher saltin a large bowl. Add 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate 15-30 minutes or cover and refrigerate up to one day ahead.
- Cook 1½ cups pearl couscous in boiling, salted water according to package directions. Drain and toss with the chickpeas in a bowl.
- Preheat a broiler to high, with an oven rack arranged closest to the heat source. Put the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Broil the chicken 5-6 minutes per side, until the meat turns golden brown feels firm to the touch. Let it rest about 10 minutes, then slice into ½-inch thick pieces
To serve
- Spread some of the tahini sauce over the bottom of a large serving platter. Spoon the couscous mixture over the sauce. Arrange the sliced chicken on top and sprinkle with the remaining parsley leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature, with additional sauce on the side.
Video
Notes
- For even cooking, slice boneless breasts in half horizontally.
- Cooked za'atar chicken can be refrigerated 3 days.
- The tahini sauce will keep about a week. Before serving, whisk in some cold water if it has thickened.
Nutrition
Calories: 720kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 50gFat: 31gSodium: 895mgFiber: 5gSugar: 1g
