Oven Roasted Zaatar Chicken Breasts Recipes

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, stir together yogurt, zest and juice of 1 lemon, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season the chicken inside and out with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the bowl and coat with the yogurt mixture inside and out. Cover and refrigerate until cooking, up to 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Make the za'atar: In a small bowl, mix sesame seeds, sumac (if using), thyme, coriander, oregano, cumin and 1 tablespoon salt. Remove chicken from marinade and gently scrape off excess yogurt while leaving a nice coating. Transfer chicken to a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Coat chicken all over with the za'atar blend. Scrape up any spices that fall off and pack them on. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil and pat gently.
• Put 1 lemon half in the cavity of the bird. Tie legs together using butcher's twine, if desired, and place chicken in a small roasting pan. Arrange remaining 3 lemon halves and shallots cut-sides down in the pan surrounding the chicken. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan and roast on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, gently baste the chicken and add another 1/4 cup water. Roast for an additional 60 to 75 minutes, rotating the pan periodically. Turn the lemon and shallots occasionally, basting once or twice and add 1/4 cup water whenever the pan juices dry out. Cook until until the legs wiggle easily and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• Let chicken rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Pour the pan juices (add a few tablespoons of water first, if they are very reduced) into a small gravy boat, degreasing or skimming some fat, if desired. Serve the chicken with the juices and the roasted shallots.

Steps:

• Preheat convection oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Rub chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and Creole seasoning. Place chicken in a broiler pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Remove chicken from pan. Pour water into the pan, while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add more water if needed to dislodge the browned bits; serve alongside chicken.