Spiced chicken thighs roasted until golden & crisp, served with pomegranate glazed carrots and a garlic tahini yogurt sauce. It’s a flavor-packed dinner with bold, Middle Eastern inspired ingredients that comes together really easily. You can serve it with a side of rice or simply eat it as is for a light meal.
spiced chicken thighs – the details
You’ll start with the chicken thighs. I like using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. The bone keeps the meat really juicy when roasting, and the skin is the perfect base for all of the spices. Roasting the chicken on a wire rack is helpful in order to ensure the chicken crisps up and doesn’t get soggy.
The spice blend is a mixture of sumac (a lovely Middle Eastern spice that has a tangy, acidic zest to it), kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon. It’s bright and bold, with a wonderful warmth to it as well.
Sumac is sometimes difficult to find, but you can easily purchase it online (amazon has it or I really like the spice house for unique spices).
the pomegranate glazed carrots…
While the chicken roasts and becomes infused with all of those spices, you’ll get the carrots in the oven as well. Simply rinse, dry, and slice the carrots (leaving the skin on gives them a nice texture). And then they get tossed in olive oil and seasoned simply with salt and black pepper.
The key is to arrange them in an even layer, with each slice of carrot having a smidge of space around it. If they’re all piled on top of each other, they won’t caramelize.
After 25 minutes, they get tossed with pomegranate molasses and topped with sesame seeds before finishing in the oven. The molasses is sweet and tangy, providing flavor while giving the carrots a finishing caramelized glaze.
the finishing touches…
A thick and creamy garlic tahini yogurt sauce brings this whole dish together. It pulls in the flavor of the sesame seeds with the nutty tahini and also incorporates more sumac. Lots of lime brightens it up and garlic adds rich, savory flavor.
Plate the spiced chicken thighs with the carrots and yogurt alongside. If you want to plate up individual servings, you can swoosh the yogurt onto each plate and arrange the chicken over top.
I like to finish things off with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds for juicy pops of sweetness and fresh dill. And if you’re looking for a starch to serve with this, I’d say rice or couscous tossed with olive oil, lime juice, and dill would be perfect.
PrintSpiced Chicken Thighs with Garlic Tahini Yogurt
spiced chicken thighs roasted until golden & crisp, served with pomegranate glazed carrots and a simple garlic tahini yogurt sauce
servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp sumac
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, pat dry
- olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs rainbow carrots, sliced ¼” on an angle
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 tsp lime zest
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- toppings: pomegranate seeds + fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare a half sheet pan with a wire rack. Add the 1 tablespoon of sumac, salt, black pepper, coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon to a small bowl. Mix to combine.
- Place the chicken thighs onto the rack and drizzle both sides with olive oil. Rub to coat. Sprinkle the spice mixture onto each side of the chicken, lightly pressing it in. Roast the chicken skin-side up for 35-40 minutes, or until crisp and cooked through.
- Place the carrots onto another half sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Arrange the carrots into an even layer. Season with salt and black pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the pomegranate molasses over the carrots. Use a spatula to gently toss. Arrange the carrots back into an even layer. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over top. Roast for another 5 minutes, or until the carrots are caramelized and tender.
- Meanwhile, add the yogurt, tahini, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of sumac to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Season with salt to taste.
- Serve the chicken with the carrots and yogurt alongside. Top with pomegranate seeds, fresh dill leaves, and an extra sprinkle of sesame seeds.
really nice dish, thank you, love all of these ingredients, even the pomegranate seeds!