Middle Eastern Spice Baked Chicken Breasts Recipes

LEBANESE CHICKEN WITH 7-SPICE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 F (see notes for grilling)
• Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and 7-spice mix. Add onion, garlic, preserved lemon and sliced lemon and toss again well. Spread out on a parchment-lined sheet-pan.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes- or until cooked through. Broil for a few minutes to get the skin crispy and nicely golden, turning if necessary (especially if using skin-on chicken)
• While the chicken is baking, warm and toast the almonds/pinenuts in a little butter or olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Place the fragrant chicken on a platter, scattering with the onions and lemon slices (which are edible.) Pour any juices from the pan, over top. Garnish with the toasted nuts and sprinkle with a few parsley leaves.

MIDDLE EASTERN-INSPIRED HERB AND GARLIC CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine chicken with all but 1 teaspoon of the grated garlic (save that teaspoon for the yogurt sauce), the zest and juice of 1 lemon, oil, parsley, mint, thyme, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the sesame seeds and sumac, if using. Cover and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature; you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
• Heat grill or broiler. If grilling, cook chicken over high heat until charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip pieces and continue grilling until just cooked through, another 4 to 7 minutes. If broiling, arrange a rack 3 to 4 inches from flame. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread chicken out in a single layer. Broil chicken, turning halfway through cooking, until well colored and charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes per side. Be careful that it doesn't burn.
• While chicken cooks, place yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserved grated garlic and lemon zest and season to taste with salt. Serve the chicken drizzled with olive oil, remaining lemon juice to taste, black pepper, parsley and sesame seeds and sumac, if using, with the yogurt alongside for dipping.

THE BEST BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the parsley in the center of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and top with the lemon slices. Pour the wine around the parsley. Brush the tops of the chicken with the olive oil and season with the paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Arrange the chicken breasts on top of the lemon slices. Cut an 8-by-10-inch piece of parchment and place it on top of the chicken.
• Bake until the chicken registers 165 degrees F on a digital thermometer, 40 to 45 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. The chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

MIDDLE-EASTERN SPICED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix yogurt, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Marinate chicken in yogurt mixture for 1-2 hours.
• Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute for a few minutes until they are becoming tender. Add chicken/marinade and apricots and continue to cook. After about five minutes, add orange juice and chicken broth. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• With a spoon, add some of the hot cooking liquid to a bowl. Mix with cornstarch until smooth, and return this mixture to the saucepan. Stir constantly until thickened. At this point, you may wish to add additional amounts of cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
• Serve with basmati rice. Note: for additional flavor, cook rice with chicken broth.

MIDDLE EASTERN SPICE BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Place all ingredients, except chicken, in a blender and process until well mixed.
• Pour over chicken and bake at 350 degrees F. for about 50 minutes or until done.
• Serve with the suggested condiments listed in the description above.