Recipe

Za'atar Roasted Chicken with Flatbread & Yoghurt Sauce

Name: Za'atar Roasted Chicken with Flatbread & Yoghurt Sauce
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 4 tbsp za'atar (bought or homemade); 4 tbsp good olive oil; 1 lemon, zested and halved; 2 cloves garlic, finely grated; Sea salt and black pepper; For the yoghurt sauce: 300g full-fat Greek yoghurt; For the yoghurt sauce: 1 clove garlic, finely grated; For the yoghurt sauce: juice of ½ lemon; For the yoghurt sauce: 2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil; For the yoghurt sauce: sea salt; To serve: 4 flatbreads or pittas; To serve: large bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped; To serve: small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked; To serve: 1 cucumber, sliced (optional); To serve: lemon wedges; To serve: dried chilli flakes (optional)

Chicken thighs rubbed generously with za'atar and olive oil and roasted until the skin is golden and fragrant, served with warm flatbread, a sharp yoghurt sauce and herbs. Good hot, better at room temperature, excellent the next day.

Serves 4

Ready in 1 hr

Keeps 3 days fridge. Yoghurt sauce keeps 3 days separately.

Level Easy

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 tbsp za'atar (bought or homemade)
4 tbsp good olive oil
1 lemon, zested and halved
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
Sea salt and black pepper
For the yoghurt sauce: 300g full-fat Greek yoghurt
For the yoghurt sauce: 1 clove garlic, finely grated
For the yoghurt sauce: juice of ½ lemon
For the yoghurt sauce: 2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
For the yoghurt sauce: sea salt
To serve: 4 flatbreads or pittas
To serve: large bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
To serve: small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
To serve: 1 cucumber, sliced (optional)
To serve: lemon wedges
To serve: dried chilli flakes (optional)

Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend typically containing dried thyme, sumac, sesame seeds and salt — the exact balance varies by producer and region. The sumac provides tartness, the sesame adds body, the thyme gives the herby base note. Good za'atar bought from a Middle Eastern food shop or deli will be more fragrant and complex than supermarket versions. It can also be made at home: combine 3 tbsp dried thyme, 2 tbsp sumac, 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp fine salt. The marinade here benefits from at least 30 minutes of contact time before the chicken goes in the oven; overnight is better.

Method

Mix the za'atar, olive oil, lemon zest, grated garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt and a good amount of black pepper in a large bowl. Score each chicken thigh two or three times through the skin with a sharp knife — this helps the marinade penetrate and prevents the skin from curling in the oven. Toss the thighs thoroughly in the za'atar mixture, pressing it into the cuts. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Heat the oven to 210°C / 190°C fan. Arrange the marinated chicken thighs skin-side up on a roasting tray with a little space between each. Squeeze the halved lemon over them and add the squeezed halves to the tray. Roast for 35–40 minutes until the skin is deeply golden, the za'atar is beginning to catch at the edges, and the juices run clear when the thickest part of a thigh is pierced.

Make the yoghurt sauce while the chicken cooks: whisk together the Greek yoghurt, grated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and a generous pinch of salt until smooth. Taste — it should be sharp, creamy and distinctly garlicky. Adjust with more lemon or salt if needed. Keep refrigerated until you're ready to serve.

Rest the chicken on the tray for 10 minutes after removing from the oven — this distributes the juices and makes the chicken more pleasant to eat warm or at room temperature. While it rests, warm the flatbreads in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 30–60 seconds each side until pliable and slightly charred at the edges. They can also go directly into the turned-off oven for 3 minutes.

Spread most of the yoghurt sauce in a generous layer across a large platter or wide serving board. Arrange the rested chicken thighs over and alongside the yoghurt. Drizzle the remaining yoghurt sauce over the chicken. Scatter the chopped parsley and mint leaves generously over everything. Add cucumber slices alongside, lemon wedges for squeezing, and a pinch of dried chilli flakes over the top if you like heat.

Bring the platter and warm flatbreads to the table together and let everyone serve themselves, tearing bread and wrapping it with chicken, yoghurt and herbs. This dish works equally well warm or at room temperature — it's one of the few chicken dishes that is actively better after it's had a chance to rest.

✦ Chef's note

Za'atar from a Middle Eastern food shop or deli will almost always be better than the supermarket version — look for one that's fragrant and herby rather than predominantly sesame. To make your own: combine 3 tbsp dried thyme, 2 tbsp sumac, 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp fine salt. This dish works very well with a whole spatchcocked chicken in place of thighs — butterfly the chicken, press it flat, cover with the za'atar mixture and roast at 210°C for 45–50 minutes. The yoghurt sauce is also excellent alongside grilled vegetables, as a dip with bread, or spooned over roasted aubergine. Leftover chicken keeps in the fridge for 3 days and is excellent cold, shredded into flatbread with extra yoghurt and herbs.