Grilled zaatar chicken is juicy and delicious. The key to this recipe is a simple marinade of zaatar and citrus.
We love grilling and if you do too, you're in the right place. Feeding a family? Try our grilled spatchcock chicken. Grilling for a party? Bring on the Persian style grilled wings and if you're looking for a ton of flavor, give this grilled zaatar chicken recipe a try and you'll be hooked. Despite its simplicity, this recipe will give you juicy grilled chicken bursting with middle eastern flavors. Serve it alongside some grilled vegetables for a delicious meal!
Table Of Contents:
What is zaatar?
Zaatar is a Palestinian spice made from combining thyme, oregano, sumac and sesame seeds (plus other additions based on the region). It's commonly used in the Middle East, especially Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. Zaatar has a zesty, herbal and earthy flavor that's different from any other spice.
Zaatar can be used in different ways, the most common one being served with fresh pita bread and olive oil or used to flavor pita chips. Another common way to use zaatar is to make manakish, which is a delicious zaatar bread.
Why this recipe works
Everyone loves grilled chicken, whether it's shish tawook, grilled whole chicken, chicken kebabs or marinated pieces of chicken. When marinated with zaatar and lemon, the chicken gets a special flavor that's hard to resist.
This is an easy grilled chicken recipe that's packed with so much flavor. It's quick and perfect for a nice summer dinner. There are so many ways to serve this chicken including plates and wraps, more on that below!
Ingredients
Here are the essential ingredients you'll want to have on hand:
- Chicken thighs: I love using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because they're juicy and don't dry out. However, it's possible to make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breast as well.
- Olive oil: Get your hands on a quality extra virgin olive oil if possible and use that in your cooking, you'll notice the difference.
- Garlic: I usually use a lot of garlic in cooking, but for this particular recipe, I only used 2 cloves to make sure it won't overpower the flavor of zaatar.
- Zaatar: This is what's going to give the chicken all the flavor so don't be shy using it.
To make the herb yogurt sauce, you need a few ingredients as well:
- Yogurt: I love using my homemade instant pot yogurt, but you can use Greek yogurt or any other kind of plain yogurt.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a bit of brightness to the sauce.
- Tahini: Yogurt and tahini go very well together.
- Parsley and cilantro: Herbs are essential for this sauce so make sure you use some fresh herbs.
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
Cut small slits on the chicken thighs and set aside. In a large bowl mix extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, zaatar and salt. Place the chicken in the bowl and make sure they're completely coated with the marinade. Cover and marinate for at least one hour up to 6 hours.
Grill the chicken
Preheat the grill to 400°F and make sure the grates are clean. Using tongs and an oiled kitchen paper towel, grease the grates so the chicken won't stick. Place the chicken thighs on the grates and grill for a for about 6 minutes. Flip and grill for another 6 minutes until cooked through.
Serve with yogurt sauce
Make the yogurt sauce by mixing yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, salt, pepper, minced garlic and chopped herbs. Slice the chicken and serve with the yogurt sauce and your favorite side dishes.
Frequently asked questions
This really depends on the heat and the thickness of the chicken. For chicken thighs, it usually takes between 6 to 8 minutes on each side to grill and cook. As for boneless skinless chicken breast, it usually takes about 5 minutes for each side to grill if the piece is not too thick.
The chicken should be pretty firm when poked with finger. You can also use a meat thermometer, the chicken is cooked when the thermometer registers at 165°F.
Yes, you can make this recipe with bone-in skin-on chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts. Cooking time may vary depending on the cut of chicken you're using.
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the microwave, oven or in a pan. Serve the leftovers on salad, in a wrap or with rice.
Serving suggestions
The best way to serve this middle eastern grilled chicken is to have a middle eastern feast! You can make wraps using fresh pita or lavash, hummus, serve with green bean salad, fattoush salad, grilled asparagus or grilled Mediterranean vegetables and maybe even some labneh and toum on the side, you can have a delicious feast in the comfort of your home.
You can also serve this grilled chicken on a plate with some Lebanese rice and vermicelli and tabouli salad, the combination is totally a winner!
Another favorite way to have grilled zaatar chicken is with a side of Mediterranean potato salad or cucumber tomato feta salad, perfect for a summer bbq party.
More grilling recipes
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Grilled Zaatar Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 3 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lemon juice of
- ¼ cup zaatar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Yogurt Herb Sauce
- ¾ cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoon parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Cut a few small slits on each chicken thigh and set aside. In a large bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, zaatar and salt. Place the chicken in the marinade and make sure all pieces are coated with the zaatar and olive oil mixture. Marinade for at least one hour up to six hours.
- When ready to grill, preheat the grill to 400°F and clean the grates. Using tongs and an oiled kitchen paper towel, grease the grates.
- Place the chicken thighs on the grill. Grill for about 6 minutes on one side, then flip and grill for another 6 to 7 minutes on the other side until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Mix yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, tahini, parsley and cilantro in a bowl and serve with grilled zaatar chicken.
Notes
- To make the yogurt sauce, you can use Greek yogurt or any other plain yogurt.
- If you don't have cilantro, use any other fresh herb you have on hand.
- The chicken is fully cooked when it's firm and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers at 165°F.
- I prefer using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, however, boneless skinless chicken breast works too.
Kechi
This is the best Zatar chicken I have seen; perfectly seasoned and grilled. Thanks for sharing 🙏🏾
Marsha
Absolutely love this recipe! Couldn't get enough of the yogurt herb sauce.
Beth
I'm with you and am pretty sure there will be NO leftovers with this meal but by some miracle, there is, I love your idea of having these on a salad - delish!
Angela
Love Zaatar chicken and your recipe is absolute perfection! The flavors are so good. Great served with a greek salad and pita bread. YUM!
Cathleen
You have definitely got me craving this chicken recipe!! Luckily I just bought a LOT of chicken and I had no idea what to use it for. This is the perfect solution! Bookmarked for later 🙂
Beth
Our chicken turned out amazing and full of flavor! Such a delicious and juicy recipe especially this yogurt sauce, so yummy! We'll definitely make this again!
Sharon
This is a classic grilled chicken dish but the yogurt sauce that's added gives it so much added flavor.
Leslie
We definitely love grilling in our family and I'm constantly on the lookout for new grilling recipes. This looks like a must try!
Sarah Baumeister
I love chicken thighs, they are so juicy! The yogurt sauce is delicious, I like to make double.
Donna
My daughter just asked me to make this again. My picky 2 yr old grandson loves it!
Anjali
I love the spices in this recipe, and the yogurt sauce is creamy and delicious!!
Nart at Cooking with Nart
I love good chicken dishes and this is definitely one of them!
Cathleen
This looks amazing!! This recipe makes me really want a grill!! But at least I can make the yogurt sauce 🙂
veenaazmanov
So simple and easy and yet so flavorful. Love the sauce to enjoy this yummy dish.
Angela
Zaatar spice is the best! My chicken turned out super moist and flavorful. Will definitely make again! Thanks so much for sharing.