This salad, guys. It's SO bold.

Salad with wimpy dressings make me sad. This Syrian salad is definitely not one of those.

Before I give you the low down on that salad, let me talk about Liz. Do you follow Liz's blog, The Lemon Bowl? She's fabulous -- super confident and adventurous, and totally gorgeous.

Liz also has a rich family heritage, and she just released a new recipe ebook dedicated to her Syrian family -- The Ultimate Syrian Sunday Dinner. It's the fourth part in her Food From Our Ancestors Series.

This may have been the first time I grated fresh garlic directly onto a salad. I like it.

This is the star of the show, though. Have you ever used za'atar seasoning? It's a Middle Eastern herb and spice blend.

I have a lame story about za'atar. Want to hear it? Several years ago we lived down the street from the nicest Israeli couple who were going to grad school the same time we were. Nitzan, the wife, gave me a jar of za'atar blend once, and I was thrilled because I'd never tried it before! It was in an empty baby food jar and.... I couldn't get it open. Neither could Steve. So it sat in my spice cabinet for EIGHT YEARS, and I finally tossed it last year because I figured it would be old and flavorless even if I could get it open. The end.

Don't be scared when you sprinkle a whole lot of this blend on your salad.

I looked in few stores for this blend and couldn't find it, and after a quick Google search, I realized I had everything to make it at home! Sumac isn't something I usually have on hand, but I happened to have some in a Trader Joe's spice blend pack. If you need a recipe, here's the one I used: Homemade Za'atar Seasoning (except I didn't blend the sesame seeds)

I'm excited to try the other recipes from The Ultimate Syrian Sunday Dinner book! Go grab a copy and whip up this Syrian Salad and some Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. And a big bowl of Aunt Vieve's Hummus. Or buy the whole Food From Our Ancestors bundle and get the Jewish, Mexican, and Italian Sunday Dinner books, too!

And then call me and we can do an ultimate Sunday dinner potluck.SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

Syrian Salad

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

This Syrian Salad. It's seriously SO bold. It's the best punch of flavor in the face that you'll ever get. And you won't be able to stop eating!

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Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 4 cups Romaine Lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup diced tomato (about two medium)
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• ¼ cup minced parsley
• ¼ cup minced fresh mint or 1 Tablespoon dried mint
• 2 cloves garlic, grated/crushed
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons za'atar (a Middle Eastern spice and herb blend)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place the first six ingredients in a large salad bowl (Romaine through mint)
2. Squeeze juice of one lemon around the bowl, carefully holding your opposite hand underneath to catch the seeds.
3. Using a microplane, grate the garlic directly over the salad.
4. Drizzle salad with olive oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with za'atar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Gently toss the salad together. Check for seasoning and adjusting accordingly.

Notes

Shared with permission from Food From My Ancestors: Ultimate Syrian Sunday Dinner by Liz Della Croce.

The post Syrian Salad with Za'atar Vinaigrette appeared first on Perry's Plate.

This recipe was originally an idea I had for my last book, but no matter how much flavor you add to them, steamed carrots are just.... meh. Roasted carrots? Way, way better.

Especially with some Moroccan seasoning. Have you heard of Ras El Hanout seasoning? The first time I tried it was on steak. I had bought a gift pack of spice blends from Trader Joe's during the holidays and Ras El Hanout was one of them. I've actually been meaning to post that steak recipe for YEARS, but.... today you get roasted carrots.

Don't be underwhelmed though. They're REALLY good roasted carrots.

Ok, back to this seasoning. In the past year I've noticed the spice sections of our grocery stores including more exotic blends, like Ras El Hanout. World Market also has it. Or you could grab a jar on Amazon. Or do a quick Google search and make a homemade blend.

There's really no excuse for not making these. And you'll love this Moroccan blend for other things, too. Like steak. (I'll get that figured out this summer. Pinky Promise.)

Now that we have all of that out of the way, let's talk about gremolata. Gremolata, if you aren't familiar, is an Italian condiment usually made with parsley, lemon, garlic, and anchovy. I put a little twist on it and used pistachios, which are common in Moroccan dishes.

Did I tell you that my 3-year-old calls pistachios "mustachios"? It's the cutest thing ever.

Basically you chop the stuff up and mix it together while the carrots are roasting and sprinkle it on when they come out of the oven.

Here are some ideas on what to pair with these carrots!

Perfect Grilled Lemon Chicken -- just serve alongside or put both into a salad with a lemon vinaigrette. Or something tahini-based. Mmm.

Grilled Moroccan Chicken & Garlic Sauce - Yes. Do this.

Middle Eastern Chicken & Eggplant Kebabs - A perfect side with these kebabs and tahini yogurt dip! You could even use the Ras El Hanout in the marinade instead of my Middle Eastern Spice Blend to streamline things a bit.

Moroccan Eggs + Syrian Salad - Or do a light, meatless meal with these!

Moroccan Roasted Carrots with Pistachio Gremolata

Yield: Serves 6 as a side

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These aren't any ordinary roasted carrots. Just five ingredients and you've got a quick, exotic side dish to go with any Moroccan dish!

 

 

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Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 ½ - 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
• 2 Tablespoons avocado or coconut oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons Moroccan seasoning (Ras El Hanout)
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 6 Tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
• ½ Tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Put the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with the Moroccan seasoning and salt and use your hands to toss everything together. Spread the carrots out evenly on the pan.
3. Roast the carrots for 20 minutes, flipping them around once or twice, until they are tender and have formed golden brown spots.
4. While the carrots are roasting, put the minced pistachios in a small bowl. Use a microplane zester to remove about ½ teaspoon of zest from the lemon. Put the lemon zest in the bowl with the pistachios and add the parsley. Mix it well with your fingers and set it aside with half of the lemon.
5. When the carrots are finished, sprinkle them with the pistachio gremolata and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made by using these links doesn’t cost you any extra and helps to keep my content free.

The post Moroccan Roasted Carrots with Pistachio Gremolata appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Store a jar of this in your spice cabinet and you can play "will it shawarma?" as often as you like! I have a couple ways you can use this spice blend coming up that I'll link to below. Shawarma seasoning is delicious on just about any type of meat, adds personality to roasted vegetables, dips, and rice dishes!

What makes this the Best Shawarma Seasoning Recipe

First, there are no quirky ingredients that are difficult to find. All of the ingredients should be easy to find in most grocery stores.

Second, I intentionally kept the salt content low-ish so you could adjust it as needed without sacrificing flavor!

Third, I also left out the heat. Adding some cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes to your recipe separately lets you have the flexibility of cooking mild dishes for those who can't tolerate heat.

What is Shawarma Seasoning?

Shawarma seasoning is a spice blend commonly used in Middle Eastern countries on spit-roasted meats. It usually has a paprika-cumin-coriander base with a smoky flavor.

Ingredients for Shawarma Seasoning

• Smoked paprika
• Ground cumin
• Ground coriander
• Sea salt
• Granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• Turmeric
• Cinnamon

How to make Chicken Shawarma Seasoning

1. Combine all of the spices in a bowl, lidded container, or a spice jar. Mix well.
2. Store at room temperature for up to a year for best flavor.

Chicken Shawarma Seasoning Substitutions and Additions 

• Swap out the smoked paprika for regular paprika if you prefer.
• Add a ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper for some extra heat.
• Add ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom and a pinch of cloves to bring out the baking spice flavor.

How to use Shawarma Spice

Use this spice blend like you would any other spice blend. It's delicious on all kinds of meats (as a dry rub or in a marinade), sprinkled on roasted vegetables before cooking, and incorporated into dips and rice/potato dishes.

I'll link to a couple of recipes shortly that use this blend to give you an idea.

How to store Shawarma Spice

Store this spice blend like you would any other spice blend -- in a lidded container at room temperature. I'd recommend using it within a year so the flavors don't go stale.

Chicken Shawarma Seasoning FAQs

More Homemade Seasoning Blends on Perry's Plate

If you like this recipe, click over to find my whole collection of custom seasoning blends!

Homemade seasoning blends

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Shawarma Seasoning Recipe

Yield: About ½ cup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Store a jar of this in your spice cabinet and you can play "will it shawarma?" as often as you like! Shawarma seasoning is delicious on just about any type of meat, adds personality to roasted vegetables, dips, and rice dishes!

Print

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons smoked paprika
• 2 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 Tablespoon ground coriander
• 4 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients into a lidded container and store at room temperature for up to a year.

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  ComSaf 6Pcs 4oz Glass Spice Jars with Metal Lids,

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1 Tablespoon
Amount Per Serving Calories 22Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1063mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 2gSugar 0gProtein 1g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Shawarma Seasoning Recipe appeared first on Perry's Plate.

These chicken shawarma bowls went into a lot of faces, and I got nothing but raves. Raves from my kids are always my favorite because feeding kids relatively healthy things is always a struggle.

Note: Next time I'll use different vegetables because most of my kids didn't like these. But I used them because they cooked quickly. And they're pretty together. (Ok, mostly because they were pretty.)

You'll love this Chicken Shawarma Recipe

This is one of those recipes I super puffy heart love because it's easy to prep, super tasty, and also works well as a meal prep for lunches during the week!

You can customize this recipe quite a bit, too! I'll give you some ideas on alternative vegetables, different things to serve with the chicken and vegetables and a few topping ideas.

What is Chicken Shawarma?

Chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish with heavily spiced chicken roasted on spits and shaved into thin slices. Usually served in a flatbread/wrap type of thing.

Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma Ingredients

• Chicken breasts or thighs
• Quick-roasting vegetables: I used cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced zucchini, and some red onion. You can also use asparagus, thinly sliced yellow squash, small broccoli florets, shredded cabbage, or shredded Brussels sprouts.
• Lemon
• Shawarma Seasoning: Use my Homemade Shawarma Seasoning or find some Shawarma Seasoning online! (It's kind of hard to find locally, but chances are you have most of the ingredients already in your cupboard.) Or, try my Sriracha Rub.
• Oil, Salt, & Pepper
• Feta cheese (optional)

This is the basic recipe and you can serve it over a few different things and with a few different toppings. I'll give you more details below.

How to make Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma

1. Spread the chopped veg onto a couple of sheet pans. Toss with oil and some salt.
2. Toss the shawarma seasoning and oil with the chicken, then add it to the sheet pans.
3. Broil, rotating pans halfway through roasting.
4. Serve any way you like!

How to serve this Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma 

If you're wanting this to be ultra minimalist, you could just eat it as is right off the pan! Here are my top three ways of serving this:

In a grain bowl: Use freshly steamed rice or quinoa.

On a salad: Put it over a bowl of salad greens.

In a wrap: Build some flatbread wraps.

What to serve with Chicken Shawarma

Sauces and dips really bring dishes together! You'll want to add one of these options no matter how you serve your chicken shawarma:

Tahini Yogurt Dressing: You may be able to find this in a grocery store, but I included a basic recipe in the recipe card below!

Tzatziki: Again, available in grocery stores, but I've got a recipe within this post: Homemade Tzatziki

Hummus: Mmm. Love this and you can find it just about anywhere.

You could also just drizzle your bowl/flatbread with extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. And add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt if you're in a hurry.

Storing Shawarma Chicken

Store any leftovers in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

If you're meal prepping, divide the chicken and vegetables into containers with rice and store toppings and salad greens separately.

Easy Shawarma Chicken Recipe FAQs

If you liked this recipe, try another one of my easy sheet pan meals!

More Delicious Meals on Perry's Plate

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Garlic Butter Salmon Pan

Sausage and Veggie Sheet Pan

Mediterranean Salmon

Baked Chicken Pesto Recipe

Wild Rice Salad

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Easy Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Traditional shawarma is spit-roasted and shaved into thin slices. I don't have a way to spit roast anything, and I'm guessing you don't either. My version of chicken shawarma has all the shawarma flavors you love in sheet pan form! No spit roasting needed.

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium zucchini
• ½ red onion
• 3 Tablespoons avocado oil, divided
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper
• 1 ½ - 2 pounds chicken breast or thighs
• 1 ½ Tablespoons Shawarma Seasoning
• 1 lemon
• ½ cup feta cheese crumbles
• Rice, flatbread, or salad greens, for serving

For the tahini dressing:

Toggle ingredient group

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons tahini
• 2 Tablespoons warm water
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, grated or Microplaned

Instructions

1. Place one of your oven racks high in the oven and preheat your oven broiler to high.
2. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or spray with nonstick spray.
3. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, then slice into ½ inch pieces. Peel and cut the onion into small wedges. Divide the vegetables evenly on the two sheet pans.
4. Drizzle the vegetables with 2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and then spread them evenly on the pans.
5. Place your chicken strips in a bowl. Add the remaining Tablespoons of oil, the shawarma seasoning, and the juice from ½ of the lemon. Toss to coat.
6. Divide the chicken evenly on the pans with the vegetables. The pans shouldn't be overcrowded (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan in spots).
7. Place one pan on the very high rack and one on the bottom. Broil for 8-10 minutes until dark spots begin to form on the vegetables on the top pan. Rotate the pans and cook for another 8-10 minutes until the other pan looks the same. Cook until the chicken is just barely cooked through or else it will dry out.
8. Meanwhile, whisk together all of the ingredients for the tahini dressing.
9. Serve the chicken shawarma and veggies with rice, flat bread, or salad greens. Add a squeeze of the remaining ½ lemon, a drizzle of tahini sauce, and some feta crumbles.

Notes

1. If tahini isn't your thing, you can serve these with hummus or tzatziki. If you need a recipe for tzatziki you can use mine: Homemade Tzatziki (see recipe card within that post)
2. If you don't want to make Homemade Shawarma Seasoning, you can find some online. (I had a hard time finding it locally, but World Market carries it.)

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Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size ⅙th
Amount Per Serving Calories 535Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 170mgSodium 478mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 61g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma appeared first on Perry's Plate.

You will love making your own Middle Eastern Seasoning

This blend is deceptively simple! Just toss it with oil and lemon juice and you instantly elevate chicken, fish, or roasted veggies. I’ve used it in everything from cheesy mash bowls to Instant Pot shredded beef, and it never fails to deliver a punch of fun flavor.

Make extra, because once people taste it, jar envy becomes a real thing. You’ll want to give this one a permanent spot on your spice rack.

What Does This Middle Eastern Spice Mix Taste Like?

It has a cumin-parsley-garlic base and reminds me of a riff of off curry powder with its touch of turmeric and cloves. It contains more herbs and some sesame seeds, too. It's really great!

Middle Eastern Spice Blend Ingredients

If you have a well-stocked spice cabinet, you should already have most of these seasonings:

• Cumin
• Dried Parsley
• Granulated Garlic
• Sesame Seeds
• Salt
• Ground Coriander
• Dried Oregano
• Dried Rosemary
• Turmeric
• Cinnamon
• Ground Cloves
• Cayenne (optional -- leave this out if you don't want the heat)

How to use this Middle Eastern Spice Mix

Our favorite way to use this is to blend it with some oil and citrus juice to use as a marinade for grilled chicken skewers!

It would also be great in a rice pilaf or adding it to some olive oil and dip pita bread into it. Yum!

Gyro-Inspired Shredded Beef is super easy to make! Just rub a big beef roast with this seasoning and throw it in your slow cooker (or Instant Pot!) with a sliced onion and some fresh garlic. You'll have the most delicious shredded beef to make Greek-inspired bowls!

How to Store Middle Eastern Spice Blend

Store your seasoning in an airtight container for several months or until the spices start to lose their flavor.

More From Perry's Plate

If you make this recipe, be sure to post it to social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Middle East Spices

Yield: About ⅔ cup

Use this exotic (but easy!) mixture to add some Middle Eastern flavor to marinades, spice rubs, dips, or even roasted vegetables.

Print

Ingredients

• ¼ cup cumin
• 3 Tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon crushed rosemary
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne

Instructions

Combine well, and store in an airtight container. Makes about ⅔ c.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Middle Eastern Spice Mix appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Since I fell in love with chicken shawarma a while back, the combination of heat, coolness, and acid from the chilies, yogurt, and lemon has been one I keep going back to. If you've never used Harissa paste, you're in for a treat. I'll show you what it looks like and where to find it.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Easy clean up! Sheet pans meals are great like that.
• The flavor combination of this is perfection: (gently) spicy + sweet vegetables + cooling yogurt sauce
• Chicken thighs are forgiving and stay juicy
• Make-ahead friendly
• Meal prep friendly
• Easily made gluten free and/or grain free/paleo

What is Harissa?

Harissa is a North African chili paste from Tunisia. It tastes spicy, smoky, and a little tangy, and you can find it at some grocery stores and online. I like Trader Joe's especially because of the price. It's on the spicier side, though. Mina makes a more mild version found on Amazon.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

I like boneless skinless thighs here, but you can use bone-in (even more forgiving and juicier!).

For the Vegetables

Carrots, butternut squash, and red onion are my choices for this and I'm keeping the seasoning simple to let the harissa do the heavy lifting. You can swap out veg, too, and I added some recommendations below.

For the Garlic Yogurt Sauce

Plain yogurt (Greek or otherwise), fresh garlic , lemon juice, olive oil, salt. This cooling yogurt sauce pulls this whole meal together and takes some heat out of the harissa, if you're concerned with that. If you want to boost the heat, then add a little harissa to the sauce. It turns the prettiest peachy color, too.

How to Make Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken

Marinate the Chicken (Even 20 Minutes Helps)

You'll want to rub that harissa paste and some oil on the chicken and let it marinate for at least 15 min. I aim for about ½ teaspoon per thigh -- adjust it as you see fit. If you're using skin-on thighs, make sure to get some of that mixture under the skin, too, for maximum flavor. This is a step you can do the day before for even more flavor.

Prep the Vegetables

The size of the vegetables is important here. Since butternut squash and carrots take a little longer to roast, you'l want to cut those smaller and roughly the same size. Onions roast quickly if thin, so cut those into bigger chunks so they don't burn. Also, arrange them around the chicken instead of underneath or on top, you want them to have space for steam to escape so you veggies aren't steamed instead of roasted.

Roast Everything Together

Roasting temp is 425F for about 20 minutes. Check the chicken and if it's 160-165F, then pull it off the pan. Chances are your veggies will still need a few more minutes to develop some caramelization, but they should be cooked through. I like to broil them for 2-3 minutes to finish them off. If you have skin-on chicken, leave the chicken on the pan so the skin broils and crisps up, too.

Make the Garlic Yogurt Sauce

While the chicken is doing its thing, mix together the yogurt sauce ingredients. If you've got a microplane grater, use that for the garlic. You'll thank me later.

Serve

Use the sauce as a bed for everything else (fancy) or add it on the side as a Little Dipper. I love topping my bowl with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Tips for the Best Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken

• If you're using bone-in chicken, pat it dry before adding the harissa and oil and it'll make the skin crispier.
• Make sure the carrots and butternut squash are similar sizes and about ½-inch thick for even, caramelized roasting.
• Broil the last couple of minutes to get a little more color on the veg.
• Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing so you don't lose all the juice.

How Spicy Is This Recipe?

It varies depending on the brand. I always use Trader Joe's harissa, which is about a medium-hot heat. Mina is mild and NY Shuk is medium. The garlic yogurt sauce is designed to cool the heat a bit. And honestly, the chicken alone wasn't as spicy as I was anticipating. Even my spice-sensitive kids loved the chicken.

Recipe Variations

• Swap another type of root vegetable for the butternut squash, like parsnips or sweet potatoes (but cut the sweet potatoes a little larger since they cook more quickly).
• Add chickpeas to the pan for extra protein. Roasted chickpeas are delicious!
• Make it dairy-free: skip the yogurt sauce or use coconut yogurt.
• Leftover ideas: chop over a grain bowl, stuff into pita with the yogurt sauce as a makeshift shawarma.

Make Ahead and Meal Prep

Now that I'm living alone half the time, I love recipes like this that allow me to prep meals or components for later during the week. Here are some tips to use this recipe for meal prep or a make ahead situation:

• Marinate chicken for up to 24 hours, chop the vegetables the day before, and make the yogurt sauce up to 5 days in advance. Store until ready to cook.
• You can also cook some grains and create some meals ready to reheat. I love glass containers like these meal prep containers on amazon that stack really well in the fridge. Keep the yogurt in a smaller container you can remove so it doesn't reheat with the rest of it.

What to Serve with Harissa Chicken

I like couscous for this because it's SO quick, and it's more typical of the region of the world that this is inspired by, but you can definitely make white rice, quinoa or even cauliflower rice if you need something gluten free.

You could also serve it with a warm pita and a simple cucumber salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Bold Chicken Dinners

Chicken Shawarma Sheet Pan Dinner

Chicken Teriyaki & Rice

Chicken Thighs with Coconut Milk

Baked Pesto Chicken & Vegetables

Grilled Pineapple Chicken

The Best Chicken Meatballs

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken Thighs with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Chicken thighs get a (not as spicy as you'd expect) coat of harissa paste and roast alongside sweet carrots and butternut squash until everything is caramelized and deeply fragrant. Don't skimp on that yogurt sauce! It's the perfect cooling, creamy balance to this meal.

Print

Ingredients

For the Chicken

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4-5)
• 1 Tablespoon Harissa paste (see note)
• 3 Tablespoons avocado oil
• 2 cups ½ in chopped butternut squash
• 2 cups ½ in chopped carrots (about 3 large)
• ½ large red onion, cut into large pieces
• 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt

For the yogurt sauce

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 cup plain yogurt (Greek is ok)
• 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon harissa paste (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

For serving

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 ½ cups couscous, quinoa, or white rice
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or prep with nonstick spray. If you're making quinoa or rice, prep it with chicken broth now.
2. Put the chicken on the pan, add the harissa and 1 Tablespoon avocado oil on top. Use your hands to coat the chicken well, then spread it out on the pan evenly. Let the mixture sit on the chicken for 15-20 minutes to marinate. (You can do it longer, too, ahead of time!)
3. Lay the vegetables around the chicken (not underheath or on top). Drizzle the remaining 2 Tablespoons of avocado oil over the vegetables along with the juice from half the lemon (save the other half for serving) and the garlic salt. Use your hands to toss the vegetable around a little.
4. Roast for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Make the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt, ½ the juice from the lemon, harissa (if using), olive oil, garlic, and salt. Taste and add extra lemon juice or salt, if needed. Set aside.
6. Meanwhile, make the couscous by bringing the chicken broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous, remove from heat, and let it sit, covered, for about 10 minutes or until you're ready otherwise eat. Season with salt before serving.
7. When the chicken is finished, remove it from the pan. Return the vegetables to the oven under the broiler and cook for another 2-3 minutes to get some color on them.
8. Slice the chicken and assemble bowls with couscous, vegetables, chicken, and yogurt sauce. Garnish with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil, if you'd like.

Notes

1. Harissa paste is a spicy condiment commonly used in the Middle East and North Africa. I find it at Trader Joe's, but many well-stocked grocery stores carry it. You can also use sriracha or chili crunch instead.
2. You can use full-fat or non-fat yogurt here. Also, the harissa in the yogurt sauce is optional if you'd like to bump up the heat a little.
3. You can definitly use bone-in chicken thighs here. Just add a few extra minutes to the roasting time. You can also use breasts, but the flavor probably won't be as good if they're thick unless you marinate them for a long time.
4. The size of the vegetables is important here. Chicken thighs are more forgiving than thighs when roasting, but you'll want the vegetables to be finished around the same time as the chicken. I use pre-cut butternut squash, but cut them a little smaller. You can swap out other vegetables, but they need to be able to roast in 20 minutes. Sweet potatoes and other root vegetables around that size will work well.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 783Total Fat 41gSaturated Fat 10gUnsaturated Fat 32gCholesterol 224mgSodium 1323mgCarbohydrates 62gFiber 10gSugar 13gProtein 50g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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