One-Pan Paprika Chicken With Lentils, Squash and Daqa

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Published Feb. 19, 2023

One-Pan Paprika Chicken With Lentils, Squash and Daqa
Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Pamela Duncan Silver.
Total Time
About 1½ hours
Rating
5(1,619)
Comments
Read comments

This oven bake requires minimal effort and is very much a meal in itself. Daqa is a vinegar-based condiment, most commonly used when making the much-loved Egyptian koshari, a hearty dish of rice, pasta and lentils. Daqa is a nifty way to brighten stews, braises and anything that needs an acidic lift. Feel free to swap out the kabocha squash for root vegetables, such as sweet potato or celery root, and serve the whole thing with nothing more than a leafy green salad.

Featured in: Yotam Ottolenghi’s Secret to Great Sheet-Pan Chicken

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 6bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2¼ pounds)
  • ¾pound skin-on kabocha squash, seeds removed, cut into about 6 (1-inch-thick) wedges
  • 1tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground sweet paprika
  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • Fine sea salt
  • 2small yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • 3garlic cloves, minced
  • 1teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted
  • 8ounces/1 heaping cup (uncooked) French green lentils, rinsed
  • 2cups chicken stock
  • ¾cup sour cream
  • ¼cup finely chopped chives
  • 3tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus 1 tablespoon picked leaves for serving
  • 3tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ½teaspoon granulated sugar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

583 calories; 34 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 971 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.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, squash, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt; set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Place the onions, 2 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 2 teaspoons paprika in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and mix to combine. Roast for 10 minutes, stirring halfway, until the onions are lightly colored. Stir in the lentils, chicken stock and 1 cup of water. Arrange the squash wedges and the chicken, skin-side up, on top and roast for another 20 minutes, until the chicken skin is deeply golden. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and cook for another 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the squash is nicely softened.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream, chives and dill; set aside.

  5. Step 5

    To make the daqa, mix the remaining garlic and cumin with the vinegar, sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons of water.

  6. Step 6

    When ready, remove the bake from the oven and top with spoonfuls of the sour cream mixture. Pour over the daqa and sprinkle with the extra dill. Serve hot, straight out of the baking dish.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,619 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

tinyloop

This is fantastic. Best thing I’ve made in a while. I reduced the heat to 400 rather than 350 (in my experience Ottolenghi recipes tend to need more heat or more time than recommended), and next time I’ll omit the cup of water (lentils were soup rather than side), but the whole family devoured it all.

kevin s.

The daqa is the condiment made in step 5 from the vinegar, water, cumin, garlic, sugar. I toast my cumin seeds and pulverize them in a mortar a pestle. Liquify in blender.

Fran

I concur on omitting the extra cup of water added with the lentils. Didn't seem like it needed it, it had too much liquid and I had to serve with a slotted spoon. I'd say either omit the cup of water or add more lentils (+1/2 cup?) since the lentil to onion ratio seemed to be heavy on the onion.

James Brown

One of the most delicious things I’ve tasted in a long time. That is all.

Jen

Delightful!!! The eliminating the 1 cup of water was the right thing to do. I used whole lentils since that’s what I had. Worked out perfectly. Lovely combination of flavors. I will be making again for sure

Kevin

I made this. It is good. I thought at first the 3/4 lb squash was a typo as I have only seen these at about 4 lbs (in London you can probably find smaller). But after slicing the one inch wedges I ended up with about 24 wedges and I only used 6, which was approx. 1 pound (and that worked). I used brown lentils which I prefer over green. I wish I had not followed others’ advice to omit the cup or water. They were a bit undercooked and dry.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.