Sheet-Pan Chicken with Chickpeas, Cumin, & Turmeric

I love yogurt marinades because the resulting meat is always extremely tender. This dish was particularly great because it used a yogurt marinade with a short marinating time, only 30 minutes.  It was also a sheet-pan dish which made it a full-flavored weeknight meal.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Alison Roman. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of bone-in, and substituted caraway seeds for the fennel seeds. We ate it garnished with the yogurt sauce and lemony red onions, with Basmati rice and roasted vegetables on the side. Perfect.

• 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chicken, cut into parts (alternatively, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken parts, such as breasts, thighs and legs)
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 ½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt, divided
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric, divided
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds or fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup mint or cilantro leaves, torn
• Basmati rice, for serving

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Combine 3/4 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon turmeric and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. (It should be on the salty side, as this is a marinade.) Add chicken and toss to coat evenly. Let sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature, and up to overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Place oven rack on the top third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
4. Combine chickpeas, fennel/caraway seeds, cumin, remaining teaspoon of turmeric and half the red onion slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
5. Move chickpeas to the outer edges of the baking sheet. Scrape any excess marinade off the chicken, and place the chicken parts in the center.
6. Place baking sheet in oven and bake, tossing chickpeas occasionally, until the skin of the chicken is evenly browned and the chickpeas are golden and starting to crisp, about 30 minutes for boneless meat and up to 45 to 50 minutes for bone-in meat. Be sure to toss the chickpeas occasionally as they roast to encourage them to get coated in the chicken fat as it renders.
7. Meanwhile, toss remaining onion slices with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
8. Combine remaining yogurt with remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
9. Once chicken is ready, scatter with lemony onions and mint or cilantro, as desired.
10. Serve with seasoned yogurt alongside as a sauce.

One Year Ago:

• Pan-Roasted Chicken with Harissa Chickpeas

Two Years Ago:

• Scallops & Polenta

Three Years Ago:

• Indian-Spiced Chicken

Four Years Ago:

• Napa Cabbage Curry
• Pork Tenderloin with Mustard-Wine Sauce

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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