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Feast-worthy spicy lemon za’atar chicken with shallots is succulent chicken thighs roasted in a punchy marinade. Serve with flatbread for a quick and easy kebab, or make a meal of it with multiple mezze sides.

Love a Middle Eastern spiced chicken dish? Then you have to try Chicken Musakhan. It’s another marinated and roasted chicken recipe but this one comes with a generous helping of soft red onions and pine nuts piled on a freshly baked flatbread.

Top down view of tahini sauce drizzled over za'atar chicken with lemon and garlic on a platter

What is Za’atar?

It’s another Middle Eastern spice blend to add to your growing collection. It comes after both baharat and sumac on your orderly and alphabetised rack. But do I really need another, you ask? Yes, you do.

This is an affiliate link.Za’atar is primarily dried herbs; thyme, oregano, and marjoram making the mix predominantly woody and earthy. However, with a hefty proportion of toasted sesame it’s also nutty and sweet.

Although variations are regional and personal, so blends can be wildly different, you’ll most likely detect the acidic tang of the sumac berry in there too.

Got room on that shelf now?

Top down view of za'atar chicken cooked with lemon and garlic on a baking tray

Za’atar roast chicken

It’s an explosive marinade of aromatic za’atar, chilli flakes, lemon juice and garlic locking in all the moisture of roasted chicken. The finished dish is irresistibly succulent meat bedded between lemon wedges and soft, syrupy shallots.

My twist on the traditional recipe is all about legs and thighs. A whole bird can be used but roasting smaller pieces suits me time wise, and I find the meat is more evenly coated making every bite juicy and intense.

Finally, I like to drizzle some cool and creamy tahini dressing over the ever so slightly charred chicken. It’s optional, but if you love lemon and garlic, as I do, you won’t be able to resist it either.

Top down view of za'atar chicken with lemon and parsley on a platter

Recipe Tips and Notes

The longer you can marinate, the better! I suggest 30 minutes as a minimum, but 3 hours will give you maximum flavour.
Roasted shallots are sweet and buttery, and a pleasure to eat! However, regular onions will do if they’re what are available to you.
I tend to use bone-in chicken thighs and legs. The meat is juicier and tastes more flavoursome. If you prefer to work with chicken breast, go ahead! Just reduce the oven time to 30 minutes.
The This is an affiliate link.tahini sauce in this recipe is optional, but it really adds a whole other flavour dimension that shouldn’t be skipped. The sauce can be used in so many other dishes too, like my Israeli salad or with roasted carrots, so I see it as an investment of time to make up a batch at any opportunity.
A golden tinge to the cooked chicken skin makes it visually appealing. If it looks a little pale, you can put it under the grill, or broil it (US), for 2-3 minutes to give it that crispy edge.
Serve the chicken with a side of baby potatoes, or with a heap of rice or couscous.

Process shot of thighs and legs on a baking tray before being cooked

Serving suggestions

This delicious za’atar chicken is begging to take centre stage among a mezze table of Middle Eastern delights. Here’s how I serve mine:

With a homemade flatbread that is so easy to throw together. One, if not two salads: Fattoush salad which is lemony and refreshing with cucumber and ripe tomatoes, and/or Israeli salad which is finely chopped and crunchy with robust chickpeas.

And you can’t have a mezze feast without a selection of dips. Hummus is a failsafe crowd-pleaser, and muhammara red pepper dip brings a welcome splash of vibrancy in both colour and flavour.

top down view of a plate loaded with roasted meat, flatbread and salad

Storage and leftovers

As delicious as it is hot, this chicken can be served cold too. So save those leftovers for a lunch time salad or a middle eastern- inspired sandwich or wrap. Cover the leftover chicken with cling film and it will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

If you prefer it hot, cover it with foil in and reheat it in the oven for 15 minutes at 180C/ 350F. Make sure the chicken is piping hot in the centre.