Roast Chicken With Lemon and Za’atar

By Susan Spungen

Roast Chicken With Lemon and Za’atar
Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui
Total Time
2¼ hours, plus marinating
Rating
4(730)
Comments
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This plump and juicy roast chicken benefits from tenderizing in a yogurt-lemon-garlic marinade for as long as 24 hours, but if you don’t have a lot of time, slathering it with the mixture before sliding it into the oven will still add flavor, and give the spices something to stick to. Za’atar, a Middle Eastern herb-and-spice blend, can still be hard to find in the supermarket, so make your own by combining sumac, sesame seeds, thyme, coriander, oregano and cumin. You can buy sumac, a garnet-colored lemony spice, in Middle Eastern markets or online, but the rest of the ingredients are most likely already on your spice rack, and leaving out one or two of them is perfectly O.K. If you have a premade za’atar blend on hand, you’ll need about ½ cup to coat the chicken.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1cup plain full- or reduced-fat Greek yogurt
  • 3lemons (1 lemon zested and juiced; 2 lemons, halved)
  • 2large garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • 1(4- to 5-pound) whole chicken
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds (see Tip)
  • 2tablespoons sumac (optional)
  • 1tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1tablespoon ground coriander
  • 2teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2teaspoons ground cumin
  • 3medium shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1003 calories; 70 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 30 grams monounsaturated fat; 14 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 74 grams protein; 1664 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    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.

  2. Step 2

    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.

  3. Step 3

    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 ¼ cup water to the pan and roast on the middle rack for 30 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, gently baste the chicken and add another ¼ 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 ¼ 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.

  5. Step 5

    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.

Tip
  • To toast sesame seeds, heat a small heavy pan over medium heat, and toss frequently for 3 or 4 minutes until golden brown.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
730 user ratings
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Comments

DH

If you can't use milk products, what's the best substitute for the yoghurt in the recipe?

phillycook

Is there an alternative to make this without the yogurt?

Doro

It was delicious. I also roasted a bunch of other veggies with it for an ( almost) 1 pan meal. Added pomegranate seeds. Used the leftovers in a yummy Moroccan soup tonight.

LB

I thought this was superb. Used 2% Greek yogurt and marinated overnight. Incredibly moist with perfect spice blend. Thank you NYT!

alison

Used Greek yogurt and garlic powder, marinated about 5 hours. Didn’t take any of the yogurt off- let it fall into the bowl it previously sat in, while I added the zaatar. Roasted it like Molly Baez’s gochujang chicken- low and slow in a cast iron skillet - 300 for 3 hours over a bed of little yellow potatoes and cauliflower florets (tossed in said bowl of the leftover yogurt and zaatar). INSANELY good. I technically threw in the veg in after the 45 mins because the potatoes were so tiny (like grapes). Would make this again in a heartbeat. Served with a big salad, good pita, and tons of fresh veggies and herbs.

Almostveg

This was the most moist roast chicken ever! I cooked it in a preheated cast iron skillet at 500 for 15 minutes and then 40 minutes at 450. It was amazing!

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