Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs with Baharat
Not your average chicken and potatoes dinner, thanks to one of my favorite spice blends, baharat. A combination of warm spices including cardamom, cinnamon, and coriander, baharat turns these baked boneless chicken thighs into something special! No need to marinate the chicken for hours, either; 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature in the bold Middle Eastern marinade is plenty! Add a big salad like fattoush or a simple tomato salad to start the meal!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 pound baby potatoes, (halved)
- 3 large shallots, (halved, and cut into thick slices)
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, (about 1.5 pounds)
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, (toasted)
- Parsley for garnish
- Juice of 2 to 3 limes
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 10 to 15 garlic cloves, (minced)
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Baharat
- ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1
Set a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- 2
Prepare the marinade. In a large mixing bowl, add the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, Baharat, and red pepper flakes. Mix to combine.
- 3
Season the potatoes with kosher salt and toss them with about ¼ cup of the marinade mixture and arrange them, along with the shallots, in the bottom of a lightly oiled baking pan (I used a 9”x13” cast iron pan).
- 4
Place the baking pan with the potatoes and shallots on the center rack of your heated oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
- 5
Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry and season on both sides with kosher salt, then add the chicken to the mixing bowl and toss until the chicken is well-coated with the marinade. Set aside for 15 minutes or so.
- 6
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the sesame seeds. Toss constantly until the seeds gain a little color. This will not take long. Sesame seeds burn very easily, so don’t leave them unattended. Set aside once toasted.
- 7
Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven and nestle the chicken between the potatoes and shallots. Return the baking pan to the oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- 8
Remove from the heat and finish the chicken with a generous sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and parsley. Enjoy!