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Home » Recipes » Chicken

Ottolenghi's Roast Chicken with Za'atar and Sumac

December 11, 2017 Updated November 20, 2022 by Lisa Goldfinger 79 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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pinterest pin: roast chicken in a roasting pan with lemon slices, red onion slices and sprinkles of chopped parsley

Here's an amazing roast chicken recipe from chef Yotam Ottolenghi. Chicken thighs are spiced with za'atar and sumac, tossed with onions, lemons and garlic, and roasted. This is a great dinner party recipe because you can do all the prep ahead. The chicken is tender and juicy and the flavors are fantastically delicious!

Close up of a few roast chicken thighs topped with colorful lemon slices, parsley, red onions, pine nuts and za'atar

I love how quickly and easily this recipe comes together. Just throw everything into a big bowl to marinate. You can do this step several hours or up to a day ahead. Then transfer everything into a baking pan and roast.

THE PERFECT DINNER PARTY RECIPE

I've hosted three dinner parties since moving to London three months ago and I served this Ottolenghi's roast chicken with za'atar at all three. My guests all went back for seconds and everyone asked for the recipe, so I decided this was one I had to share. 
 

HOW TO MAKE OTTOLENGHI'S ROAST CHICKEN

  • Slice two red onions and one lemon. Throw them into a big bowl. 
  • Add all the other ingredients: Chicken thighs, spices, olive oil and two crushed garlic cloves
  • Toss the chicken with all the marinade ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least three hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Transfer the chicken and all the marinade ingredients to a baking pan large enough to hold all the chicken pieces without overlapping.
  • Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through.
  • If you like the skin browned, turn the oven up to broil for the last few minutes of cooking, until the chicken is golden brown and crisp on top.
  • Toasted pine nuts are a great garnish. You can toast them up ahead of time or while the chicken is roasting. 
plastic bowl filled with chicken thighs, red onions, spices, lemons and garlic.
 
I made a few minor tweaks to the original Ottolenghi recipe.
  • Instead of chicken quarters I used only thighs, just a personal preference.
  • I omitted allspice from my recipe (Ottolenghi uses 1½ teaspoons). I tried it with and without and found the allspice too dominant. I prefer to let wonderful flavors of sumac and za'atar shine through.
  • Also, I discovered that roasting the chicken in a deep roasting pan resulted in juicier chicken and more delicious gravy vs roasting it in a shallow jellyroll pan.
  • The skin doesn't brown as much in the deeper pan but If you're set on crispy skin, simply turn on the broiler for the last few minutes of cooking time until the skin is crisp and brown to your liking.
 
Baking pan with 5 cooked chicken thighs topped with lemon, red onions, pine nuts and spices.

Ottolenghi has been my chef-hero for years. Now that I live in London, his home city, I find myself wanting to cook his beautiful Middle Eastern recipes more than ever. I brought very few cookbooks with me overseas but my entire Ottolenghi cookbook collection made the cut.

This roast chicken recipe comes from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook - his first cookbook and one of my favorites.

If you are an Ottolenghi fan, don't miss these other delicious Ottolenghi recipes on Panning The Globe:

  • Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup by Ottolenghi
  • Ottolenghi's Sweet and Spicy Brussels Sprouts
  • Ottolenghi's Turkey Zucchini Meatballs with Lemony Yogurt Sauce
  • Ottolenghi's Turkey Corn Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
  • Ottolenghi's Lentil Salad with Herbs and Feta

close up of a white plate with one chicken thigh, sliced, with a forkful and some veggies

Here's the recipe for Ottolenghi's Roast Chicken with Za'atar and Sumac. If you try this recipe I hope you come back to leave a rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think.

Be sure to follow PANNING THE GLOBE on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for daily cooking inspiration. 

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Ottolenghi's Roast Chicken with Za'atar and Sumac


★★★★★

4.8 from 25 reviews

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Delicious roast chicken thighs recipe with Middle Eastern flavors. Easy. Prep ahead. Worthy of a special occasion.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8 chicken thighs with skin and bones, trimmed of excess fat and loose skin
  • 2 red onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons za'atar plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • Topping:
  • 6 tablespoons pine nuts
  • ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mix chicken, onions, lemon, garlic, 4 tablespoons olive oil, spices, broth, salt, and pepper. Marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer chicken and its marinade to a shallow baking pan large enough to hold all the chicken pieces lying flat with a little space between pieces. Chicken should be skin side up. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked through.* If you like the skin browned, turn the oven up to broil for the last few minutes of cooking, checking every minute or so until the skin is as crisp and brown as you like it. (Be very careful not to burn it)
  3. Make The Topping: While the chicken is roasting, line a plate with a double layer of paper towels. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until they turn golden. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate, to absorb the oil.
  4. To Serve: Transfer the hot chicken, onions and lemons to a serving platter. Pour pan juices over the chicken pieces. Sprinkle chicken with extra za'atar if you like and sprinkle with chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts. Serve hot.
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Oven Roast
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

 

More Chicken Recipes

  • Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Korean Style
  • Curried Chicken Salad
  • Braised Chicken with Shallots and Mustard Wine Sauce
  • Easy Spanish Paella Recipe

Filed Under: All Recipes, Chicken, Entertaining, Fall Favorites, Lunch and Brunch, main course, Middle Eastern Recipes, Most Popular Recipes Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, Ottolenghi, paleo

Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. BC

    January 19, 2023 at 12:47 pm

    This is a really wonderful recipe; the smell alone is a real delight, and the flavours are spot on. We have now made this dish 2 times, adding in some extra lemon the second time because our kids couldn't get enough of the tart edge. I do recommend at least 6 hours of marinating to really allow the flavours to meld together.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. GRENVILLE HORNER

    September 01, 2022 at 4:05 pm

    Yep!
    This works....
    Totally delicious and only left to chill in the fridge for one hour.
    Don't bother using anything but chicken thighs, they are the BEST for this dish.
    The toasted pine nuts add a beautiful finish.
    Great recipe.
    I served it with giant (Mediterranean flavoured) cous cous and green beans.
    Out of this world!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 01, 2022 at 4:13 pm

      I'm so glad you enjoyed this dish! And I agree with you about the chicken thighs - they're the my favorite in this dish (and in most any chicken dish). Thanks so much for circling back to review the recipe!

      Reply
  3. Lucia smith

    August 31, 2022 at 10:26 am

    amazing roast chicken recipe is our family favorite but in my home, I cook it with ghee instead of using butter. Ghee is more flavorful and nutritious than butter and ghee clarified butter smoke point is higher than butter. Use ghee instead of using butter as a cooking oil., and enjoy better taste, better health benefits.
    To know more : https://milkio.co.nz/clarified-butter-smoke-point/

    Reply
  4. Christabel Harley

    July 24, 2022 at 6:30 am

    I use Ras el hanout instead of zatar it’s delicious

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      July 25, 2022 at 6:28 am

      Interesting! I'm glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  5. Ailene

    July 14, 2022 at 10:22 pm

    I love to follow this recipe for my sir and madam love this chicken recipe so much for dinner parties and easy to prepare.Thank you so much Ottolenghi.

    Reply
  6. Liz K

    June 28, 2022 at 3:59 pm

    I adore this recipe! This is one of my go-to dinner party chicken recipes - along with chicken marbella. Thank you and thanks to Ottolenghi!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  7. Gillian

    June 28, 2022 at 10:34 am

    Very disappointed it tastes so 'bleh' and I keep thinking I must have left out an ingredient like chillies or something like that. It has minimal flavour and in fact is a ittle sweet. I think ai might have to eat it with hot sauce.

    ★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      June 28, 2022 at 4:12 pm

      I'm sorry you were disappointed - Everyone's tastes are different. I hope the hot sauce helped.

      Reply
  8. Heloise

    June 16, 2022 at 6:19 am

    I absolutely love this recipe, it never disappoints! The only substitute I make is sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts, as I always have some and they are much cheaper. I think half a lemon is enough. We have it with any kind of flat bread, plain rice, green salad, coleslaw, and last time, with a Pinot Grigio rosé (dry and not too fruity)! Thanks so much for this Ottolenghi recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. Rosie Houston

    May 21, 2022 at 4:05 am

    I love this recipe. What do you normally serve it with at your dinner parties?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      May 25, 2022 at 10:37 am

      Hi Rosie - I'm so glad you love the recipe! For dinner parties I will often serve the chicken with this shredded kale salad https://www.panningtheglobe.com/raw-kale-salad-honey-lemon-parmesan/ and either mashed potatoes, smashed potatoes, rice, or this roasted potato-cauliflower dish https://www.panningtheglobe.com/roasted-cauliflower-potatoes-chickpeas-kalamata-olive-vinaigrette/. This tricolore salad https://www.panningtheglobe.com/insalata-tricolore/ also works really well with the Ottolenghi chicken. I hope this helps - enjoy!

      Reply
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