Zaatar Chicken with Broccolini and Green Tahini Sauce– a simple, flavorful sheet-pan dinner that is vegan-adaptable ( made with tofu!) and gluten-free.
Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers
within yourself that you have built against it. ~ Rumi~
Here is a vegan-adaptable, sheet-pan dinner that is full of delicious Lebanese flavor. Make this with chicken or tofu (or both for mixed households!) and a double portion of broccolini if you like. Serve it with our Middle Eastern Rice and our Green Tahini sauce, and you’ll have a lovely feast, perfect for entertaining or simple enough for weeknight dinners.
Use store-bought Zaatar, or homemade Zaatar – and I’ll also show you how to make a quick cheater version with spices you most likely have on hand. While this is roasting, make the Spring Green Tahini Sauce – a creamy vegan sauce that brings it all together.
How to make Zaatar chicken
If unfamiliar, Zaatar is a spice blend that varies a bit depending on the region in the Middle East. Most versions include some variation of cumin, coriander, sumac, thyme and sesame seeds. If you can’t find Zaatar, don’t fret, I’ll show you how to make it.
As you can see on the sheet pan, I served up both tofu and chicken. I kept mine vegan with the tofu, while my husband had a double serving of the chicken. One meal, two ways. The zaatar spice gives both the tofu and chicken such a flavorful crust.
A simple, healthy, veggie-forward dinner that can be easily adapted for different dietary needs.
Plus, it tastes delicious! I hope you enjoy it!
Storing Zaatar Chicken
Leftovers keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
What to serve with Zaatar Chicken Recipe?
I love this recipe with our green tahini sauce; it just adds a lovely, vibrant richness. For a tasty starch, you could make our Middle Eastern Rice, or serve it with homemade pita bread. Salads that would pair nicely would be this Israeli salad, our Tabouli or the Lebanese Slaw.
More Middle Eastern recipes
- Zaatar Meatballs with Green Tahini Sauce
- Zaatar Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Green Tahini Sauce
- Roasted Eggplant with Zaatar
- Grilled Zucchini with Zaatar
- Avocado Toast with Poached Eggs, Arugula and Zaatar
- 35+ Must-Try Chicken Thigh Recipes
- Zaatar Spice Recipe
Zaatar Chicken
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main, chicken recipes,
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Description
Zaatar Chicken (or Tofu) with Green Tahini Sauce and Broccolini – a simple flavorful Middle Eastern sheet-pan dinner that is vegan adaptable and gluten free.
Ingredients
Units
- 8 ounces of broccolini or broccoli rabe
- 1–2 teaspoons olive oil
- generous pinch salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon zaatar spice blend
- zest from one small lemon
- 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
- 1–2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt (per pound of chicken)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (per pound of chicken)
- 1–2 tablespoons Zaatar
Spring Green Tahini Sauce
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 fat garlic cloves
- 2–3 thin slices jalapeno ( optional, or use cayenne to taste)
- 1 small bunch cilantro ( small stems ok, or sub Italian parsley)
- 1/2 cup tahini paste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425F
- In a medium bowl, toss the broccolini with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil, season generously with salt , pepper and zaatar. Add 1/2 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 lest, 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 (165F), keeping in mind that bone-in, skin on chicken thighs takes roughly 30 minutes to bake.
- While the chicken bakes, make the Spring Green Tahini Sauce. Place all the ingredients in a blender except the tahini paste. Blend until smooth. Then add the tahini paste, blend again until smooth. Taste, adjust salt and lemon. (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. A nice gift to your future self.)
- Serve the Zaatar chicken with broccolini and a drizzle of the tahini sauce.
Notes
Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and legs will for sure have the best flavor, but feel free to use boneless-skinless.
Feel free to double the broccolini!
If using tofu-use firm or extra firm tofu. ( I love Trader Joe’s organic, sprouted tofu.) Blot dry and cut into ¾-1 inch thick pieces.
If you can’t find zaatar, sub an equal blend of cumin, coriander and sesame seeds ( 1 tsp each) and a pinch of dried thyme if you have it. Sumac gives zaatar it’s tang, so if you don’t have it, a squeeze of lemon at the end of roasting will mimic this. Make sure to season chicken and tofu with salt.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thigh with skin, sauce & broccolini
- Calories: 544
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 199.6 mg
- Fat: 40.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 3.9 g
- Protein: 36.2 g
- Cholesterol: 189.1 mg
Zaatar is from the levant (Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon) and diluting it by calling it “middle eastern” means the colonizers get to legitimize their false claim on it. Name it properly and recognize its real history!
Not to be insensitive Sana-I guess I just don’t understand. My dad (Egyptian) made zaatar, as well as our family friends who were Lebanese. Aren’t both countries in the Middle East? Or is that not what it’s called anymore? What am I missing.;)
We’ve been making this dish for a couple of years now, so it’s probably about time I rated it! Even after a few years, it’s still a regular meal in our house and a favourite! It’s so delicious, and healthy plus it’s super easy and quick to make! The leftover tahini sauce gets smothered on pretty much everything I cook after it! Especially roast vegetables and fish with greens. Love it!! Thank you, Sylvia!
Really appreciate hearing this Vicki! Thanks for circling back around and rating for us.
Took me longer to make it the first time, but I’ll definitely speed up the next time, and there will be a next time! Used broccoli from the fall garden, cut thin.
Yes always goes faster the next time. Glad you enjoyed!
Delicious! The tahini sauce was an excellent complement to the chicken, and the Zaatar seasoning is a lovely spin on traditional roast chicken. Also, the fact that it is a sheet pan dinner is a huge plus!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Laura!
Delicious!!
THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE! This is a staple at our house. I make it every week! My husband and I love everything about it: the green sauce, the roasted broccolini, and the protein of course!!!!
Great to hear Pinaydiva!
This was yummy! I made it with okra since I didn’t have broccolini and it turned out great with the zaatar spice. I actually made the sauce the prior evening but totally forgot about it but it was still delicious. I guess I’ll have to make it with tofu so I can try it with the sauce 😉
Thanks Diane- So happy you liked this! Okra sounds like a yummy pairing!
Excellent!
I made this with tofu and broccoli tonight and it was a delicious, low-carb vegan meal. The zaatar tofu came out crisp and paired perfectly with the sauce. I added rice to my husbands portion since he needs the extra calories. It was very quick to make, had simple ingredients and was full of flavor- definitely will be making this again and again.
Simple and delicious!! Easily doubled for leftovers. As stated, your future self will really enjoy the extra spring green tahini sauce throughout the week. WOW! I’ve eaten it under my morning eggs with tomatoes, and even with pita chips. It’s so addicting!
I saw this recipe on the 4/4/19 email ftom Edible Seattle and I instantly knew it was yours. It looks so good.
Can’t get enough of this! It’s on the menu at my house at least once a week! The sauce is amazing and I put it on everything! I’m always looking for a different seasoning as for my basic baked chicken and this is sooo good. So easy to do and the 1 dish clean up after dinner is a life saver.
Jessika, I’m so glad you tried and liked this one! One of my favorites~!
This recipe is just perfect. Perfect in that it comes together quick and easy (with only a piece of parchment to throw away as clean up!). Perfect in that there’s a meat and vegan option…which works out perfect for my husband and I (I’m not vegan or vegetarian but definitely a meat-lite eater). I have a jar of the tahini sauce in my fridge which worked its way on top of some salmon later in the week. I will definitely be making again! Thank you.
I’m curious the difference between Syrian and Israeli Zahtar besides color.
Are they interchangeable ? I have both on hand and wondering which to use in this recipe.
Hi Kate, just try them, and see what you like better. Most likely one is more herb heavy. But both would work, just different flavors….just take a pinch and taste it and see what you think. They are all so different!
Definitely planning to make this in the upcoming week, I love zaatar. I appreciate the fact that your recipes accommodate both vegetarians and meat eaters.
Hi Sylvia,
This looks like another interesting sheet-pan dinner. That green tahini sauce looks quite delicious. I’ll have to look for some broccolini at my local market. You did not mention this… so I will… if one does a search of your recipes they will find a separate page just for your Zaatar recipes. It gives several variations to try.