Lebanese Chicken with fragrant 7-spice, caramelized onions, almonds, and roasted lemon. A simple, flavorful Middle Eastern-inspired dinner, with only 15 minutes of hands-on time before roasting in the oven. (See recipe notes for grilling!) Video.
To listen to the quiet spaces inside you, you must allow every part of your experience to be the way it is.~ Adyashanti
When I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner the other night, he very enthusiastically said “MEAT”! We’ve been fairly plant-based of late, but every so often his active body tells him he needs more protein.
There was a big batch of Tabouli in the fridge, which left me with some extra Lebanese 7-Spice that needed to be used up. So this is how this Lebanese Chicken with 7-Spice came to be. So, it is probably not traditional, more like Lebanese-inspired. Not only was it very simple and easy to make – the flavors were lovely! 😊
Serve this with a side of basmati rice (the Middle Eastern Version) and Lebanese Tabouli (or our Lebanese Slaw ) and you’ll have yourself a scrumptious dinner, simple enough for a weeknight, or special enough for Sunday Supper.
Here I’ve used bone-in, skin-on chicken but the recipe is easy to adapt if going boneless, or skinless. Simply lessen the cooking time.
This would also be perfect on the grill, see recipe notes!
Lebanese Chicken with 7-Spice | 60-Sec Video
This recipe was inspired by something we enjoyed at Cafe Munir in Seattle. In fact, if visiting Seattle I highly recommend tracking it down. Here is a recent article in Redfin- you may find useful, that we were featured in: Uncover the Best of Seattle: The Ultimate Seattle Bucket List.
How to Make Lebanese Chicken
Step one: The recipe starts with Lebanese 7-Spice. If you are making the Tabouli I posted a few days ago, you’ll use this 7-spice in both. It’s simply a blend of 7 spices you most likely have in your spice rack. If you are missing one, don’t fret. I’ll give some alternatives in the recipe notes.
Like most spice blends, 7-spice varies from region to region, household to household. There are no set rules here, only preferences. The most important of the 7 spices include allspice, cinnamon and cumin.
Typical Spices in Lebanese 7-Spice:
Other common substitutions/additions: Parika, black or white pepper, sumac
Step two: Once you’ve made the 7-Spice, then simply toss the chicken in a bowl with olive, oil, salt, pepper, 7-spice, onion wedges, garlic and lemon slices. If you have preserved lemon on hand, add a tablespoon or two.
Step three: Spread this out in a sheet pan and bake at 400F until cooked through about 40-45 minutes. Then broil the skin until it gets golden and crispy.
The onions will carmelize, your kitchen will smell heavenly and the Lebanese Chicken will come out golden and crispy and full of flavorful juices.
Serving Suggestions
I love adding warm Marcona almonds to this, toasting them in a skillet and adding a little olive oil and salt. Pinenuts would be a good substitution. Arrange on a platter, and pour the flavorful juices over top. Scatter with the roasted onions, roasted lemon slices (which are tasty), sprinkle with fresh parsley and the warm Marcona almonds. The melted onions are really incredible, you could even double them up.
Serve Lebanese Chicken with:
- Lebanese Slaw
- Tabouli
- Basmati Rice (Use the Middle Eastern Version)
- Baba Ganoush
- Hummus
- Tzatziki
- Man’oushe (Lebanese Flat Bread)
- Homemade Pita Bread
Storage
Leftover Lebanese chicken will last 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge, or can be frozen for later. Thaw overnight before reheating in a 350F oven.
More favorite chicken recipes!
- Grilled Chicken Caprese
- Easy Grilled Chicken Shawarma
- Chipotle Grilled Chicken Salad
- Grilled Tandoori Chicken
- Grilled Tandoori Chicken
We really enjoyed this, and hope you do too. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Happy Weekend.
xoxo
PrintLebanese Chicken with 7-Spice
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour 3 minutes
- Yield: 8 pieces
- Category: chicken, dinner recipes,
- Method: roasted, grilled
- Cuisine: Lebanese
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Lebanese Chicken with 7-spice, caramelized onions, almonds, and roasted lemon. A simple flavorful Lebanese-inspired dinner, with only 15 minutes of hands-on time. See notes for grilling!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken, skin on, bone-in thighs and legs (see notes, for boneless, skinless options )
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt (use 1 teaspoon salt per pound of chicken plus an extra 1/2 teaspoon for the onions)
- 1–2 teaspoons cracked pepper
- 2 tablespoons Lebanese 7-spice ( see below)
- 1 extra-large red onion, sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon preserved lemon, chopped (totally optional)
- 1 lemon, sliced thinly
- —-
- 1/4 cup Marcona almonds, or slivered almonds or pinenuts
- parsley for garnish
Seven Spice Recipe:
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
These are in order of importance. Feel free to sub paprika (not smoked) for something, or leave the cardamom cloves or nutmeg out.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F (see notes for grilling)
Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and 7-spice mix. Add onion, garlic, preserved lemon and sliced lemon and toss again well. Spread out on a parchment-lined sheet-pan.
Bake for 35-45 minutes- or until cooked through. Broil for a few minutes to get the skin crispy and nicely golden, turning if necessary (especially if using skin-on chicken)
While the chicken is baking, warm and toast the almonds/pinenuts in a little butter or olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place the fragrant chicken on a platter, scattering with the onions and lemon slices (which are edible.) Pour any juices from the pan, over top. Garnish with the toasted nuts and sprinkle with a few parsley leaves.
Notes
CHICKEN: Feel free to use skinless boneless chicken, but note that cooking times will shorten, so just check sooner. 20-25 mins for skinless breasts, boneless 30-35 minutes for thighs.
GRILLING: Set grill to med-high. If grilling skin-on chicken, skip the oil, make a rub out of the salt, pepper and spices. Add 2 teaspoons granulated garlic to the rub. Make sure to use 1 teaspoon salt per pound of chicken. Rub spices generously over the chicken. In a bowl, toss the onions and lemon slices with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and a pinch of the 7-spice. Grease the bbq grates. Sear the skin side of the chicken until deeply marked, 3 minutes or so, turn over, move to a cooler part of grill (or lower heat to medium) and continue cooking, covered, until cooked through (to 165F). Grill the lemon slices and the onions, at the same time. Let chicken rest 10 minutes before serving. Platter like above.
If grilling skinless chicken, make a paste. Mix the salt, pepper, spices and 2 teaspoons granulated garlic in a bowl. Add just enough oil to make a thick paste, stir. Rub this paste all over the chicken. You could do this the day before for extra flavor. Grill like above, along with onions and lemon slices.
For a little heat, sprinkle with Aleppo chili flakes if you like.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: skin-on, bone-in legs and thighs
- Calories: 473
- Sugar: 3.5 g
- Sodium: 1084 mg
- Fat: 35.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.5 g
- Fiber: 3.2 g
- Protein: 27.8 g
- Cholesterol: 122.4 mg
I’ve made this recipe many times! It is such a hit. My kids always ask for seconds!
Love hearing this Megan!
Made this recipe, with a bit of a twist. We cooked a whole chicken and it Came out SO FRIGGING GOOD !! Sylvia thank you for the recipe, I’m going to be trying this more, and others too.
Here’s what we did– First I Spatchcocked the whole bird, reverse Thai style, split at the breasts not the ribs.
We had the 7 spice already, homemade even with the Sumac. We’re in SE Michigan, so it’s not hard to find good spices and my partner loves Mediterranean food so it was already mixed up. The whole chicken was completely coated with the 7 spice. Next I mixed a big spoonful of lemon curd with lemon juice and olive oil and the chopped garlic and basted the entire bird. It got laid flat on the parchment paper and baked an hour at 400, then finished with a 7 minute step up to broil to crisp the skin.
What a treat!! It cooked completely evenly, and the breast meat was smooth and moist. There was almost a peanutty taste, from one of the spices. The split whole bird always cooks so evenly, and the breast meat was great. I broiled it a touch long, 7 minutes instead of 5, so there was a little black. Liz gave it a Solid 4 not 5 mainly because of the scorching, but I think it can get a 5 pretty easy if I just finish it right. That and I think I’ll try getting the spice and lemon oil up under the skin, plus remember to add the parsley. Thank you again, it was wonderful!
So happy you enjoyed this John! Love your variations- sounds delish!
Even though I live in walking distance of Cafe Munir, I made your recipe first. We only went to the restaurant last weekend. Very fun. Your recipe is also fabulous. What did you think oof all their spreads? I loved the carrots.
Glad you enjoyed Andy!
Can I use this spice combination on lamb? Any adjustments needed? Thanks in advance!
I think it would be really tasty!
This recipe is really good and flavorful. I did it with chicken drumstick in the oven without the preserved lemon I did not have. The taste was PERFECTION ! I’ll do it again for sure and looks for others of her recipes !
So glad you enjoyed!
Hi again !
I did your recipe with only Chicken drumstick and it was SO SO good, it was PERFECTION !
Now I want to marinated skinless boneless chicken breast so they can be really tender and flavorful like a restaurant I use to go. I would cook them in a pan on the stove or in the stove.
How would you do it ? Doing the paste one ? But do I add lemon juice ? I know in their restaurant they marinated with cream… I want to marinated also chicken drumstick without the skin on it. If you have any recommandation, advice or how much I should put in measurement, I’ll be really happy !
Thank you !
You can the chicken breast (or skinless drumstick) the same way, with the paste. Breasts can be pan-seared ( or baked) for shorter amount of time.
Can you help me please ! I need your advice 🙂 I had Lebanese’s chicken in a restaurant. She says the chicken was marinated in cream but she can’t telle me other ingredients.I pretty sure there is 7 Lebanese’s spices in it because I made a chicken with those spices and it was almost the same flavor.Their chicken was so tender, so flavorful, the best chicken I ever had. She said the marinated for 24 to 48 hours.
Karine- I wonder if she meant yogurt? Maybe ask her that, and then if so add the seven spice to the yogurt and marinate?
Ohhh sorry, I did not see your reply.
The lady told me it was cream not yogurt. That is weird maybe to use cream… I’ll ask tomorrow another lady 🙂 🙂
Possible to use a fish rather than chicken?
I think fish would taste good here!
My first homemade dish, after having a coupon for a local Lebanese restaurant. We ate there 3 days in a row and loved the food. This was easy to make, the only spice I didn’t have was the cardamom. I used skinless chicken breasts and didn’t add salt due to diet restrictions.
Glad you made it your own!
This looks like a great recipe! I have a question. What kinds of side dishes would go with this chicken? I love Lebanese spicy potatoes (batata Harare), so I was wondering if it would go nicely with that.
I think that would go great Marlena!
Love this recipe, have used it 4 or 5 times now… in the oven and on the BBQ. Has become a favourite! Angela, Busselton, Western Australia
Awesome, great to hear and thanks Angela!
Really tasty baked chicken. Slaw is great side as well!
Great ot hear!