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Zaatar Chicken Recipe

Name: Zaatar Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 8 ounces broccolini or broccoli rabe; 1 teaspoon olive oil; salt and pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon zaatar spice blend; zest from one small lemon; 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon salt (per pound of chicken); 1 teaspoon pepper (per pound of chicken); 2 tablespoons zaatar; 0.75 cup water; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 fat garlic cloves; 3 slices jalapeno (optional, or use cayenne to taste); 1 small bunch cilantro (small stems ok, or sub Italian parsley); 0.5 cup tahini paste; 0.25 teaspoon salt, more to taste

Zaatar Chicken with Green Tahini Sauce and Broccolini - a simple flavorful Middle Eastern sheet-pan dinner that is vegan adaptable and gluten free.

4.9 from 145 votes

45 mins

Total Time

servings

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How to Make the Best Zaatar Chicken

This zaatar chicken is a vibrant and aromatic sheet-pan dinner that brings the bold flavors of the Middle East to your table with minimal effort. The za’atar spice blend—a fragrant mix of thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds—creates a beautifully seasoned, crispy-skinned chicken that pairs perfectly with tender roasted broccolini.

What truly elevates this dish is the bright green tahini sauce drizzled over everything. Made with fresh cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, and creamy tahini, this sauce adds a cooling, herbaceous element that balances the warmth of the spices. It’s so good you’ll want to make extra to use throughout the week on salads, grain bowls, or grilled vegetables.

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity—everything roasts together on one pan, making cleanup a breeze. Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight dinner or entertaining guests, this zaatar chicken delivers impressive flavor with straightforward preparation.

Keywordzaatar chicken, baked zaatar chicken, middle eastern chicken, sheet pan dinner

Ingredients

Broccolini

Chicken

4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (per pound of chicken)
1 teaspoon pepper (per pound of chicken)
2 tablespoons zaatar

Green Tahini Sauce

0.75 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 fat garlic cloves
3 slices jalapeno (optional, or use cayenne to taste)
1 small bunch cilantro (small stems ok, or sub Italian parsley)
0.5 cup tahini paste
0.25 teaspoon salt, more to taste

Instructions

Prepare and Roast

Heat oven to 425°F.
In a medium bowl, toss the broccolini with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil, season generously with salt, pepper and zaatar. Add half the lemon zest, toss well and place on one side of a parchment-lined sheet pan.
In the same bowl, toss chicken with just enough olive oil to lightly coat all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, zaatar and remaining lemon zest, and toss to coat well. Place on the other side of sheet pan and sprinkle the skin side with more zaatar if you like.
Place all in the oven to bake and check the broccolini after 12-15 minutes. When done (it will cook faster than the chicken) using tongs, remove it to a plate and cover with foil.
Continue cooking the chicken until it is cooked through (165°F), keeping in mind that bone-in, skin on chicken thighs takes roughly 30 minutes to bake.

Make the Sauce

While the chicken bakes, make the Spring Green Tahini Sauce. Place all the ingredients in a blender except the tahini paste. Blend until smooth.
Add the tahini paste, blend again until smooth. Taste, adjust salt and lemon.

Serve

Serve the zaatar chicken with broccolini and a drizzle of the tahini sauce.

Notes

You will not need all the sauce so save some in a mason jar in the fridge to drizzle over buddha bowls, veggies and salads during the coming week.
This recipe is vegan adaptable—substitute tofu for the chicken for a plant-based version.