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A robust garlicky marinade infused with one of my favorite warm spice mixes, baharat, gives juicy baked boneless chicken thighs a Middle Eastern twist. The most delicious chicken and potatoes you’ve ever tasted!
Eastern Europe Chicken thighs without bones
The ideal chicken thighs for the home chef are those that are boneless and skinless. They’re easy to use, cheap, and almost impossible to make a mistake with!
Chicken thighs have likely been served in one of my many preparations—grilled with a side of garlicky yogurt, browned in a pan with caramelized onions, or baked to juicy perfection—to anybody who has dined at my table.
The third kind includes today’s savory roasted boneless chicken thighs with potatoes; baharat is the marinade’s main ingredient! This Middle Eastern spice combination is like magic, and you’re missing out if you haven’t tried it yet!
Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and other aromatic spices are often used in Baharat, which means “spice blend” in Arabic. Similar to allspice in sweetness and warmth, but with a richer depth!
Grilled meats (especially lamb), poultry, stews, soups, sauces, and even roasted veggies are some of the many dishes that baharat is used to season in North African and Middle Eastern kitchens.
If you’d rather not grind and mix your own baharat, you may get my preferred blend at our online store.
The dressing
What really sets this dish apart from the others is the flavorful Middle Eastern marinade made with an abundance of fresh garlic and baharat, which is applied over boneless, skinless chicken thighs along with a few tiny potatoes. The ingredients for the marinade are as follows:
Juice from one lime wedge may make chicken more juicy and tasty.
Our Hojiblanca Spanish extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), which has a fruity flavor and a hint of bitterness, is perfect for this marinade.
The marinade has just the right amount of garlicky flavor without being overpowering, thanks to the minced garlic. You’ll need 10 to 15 cloves, or almost one entire head, of garlic.
To add umami and a vibrant color, use tomato paste.
This roasted boneless chicken thighs dish would not be complete without the main ingredient, baharat, which is both sweet and spicy and bursting with warm, comforting flavor.
Use ½ to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, adjusting the amount according on your preferred level of spiciness. If you want a milder flavor, you may easily omit it.
The chicken just needs 15–20 minutes to marinate at room temperature, not hours.
Baking chicken thighs in the baharat style: the recipe
The preparation of this one-pan supper is a breeze. The recipe is provided for your convenience (printer-friendly):
Get the baharat marinade started. Put 2–3 limes, half a cup of extra virgin olive oil, 10–15 minced garlic cloves, 4 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 teaspoons of baharat, and half a teaspoon to a teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional) into a big mixing bowl.
Marinade the chicken in baharat sauce in a glass dish using a wooden spoon. Adjacent to the basin is the baharat spice combination from Mediterranean Dish.
Peel and chop the shallots and potatoes. Baby potatoes, 1 pound, cut in half. In addition, thinly slice three big shallots and chop them in half. Put them in a basin and add about 1/4 cup of the baharat marinade. Mix well. Stir to combine. In a baking dish that has been gently greased, lay out the potatoes and onions. I used a cast-iron pan that measured 9″ by 13″. Ten minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit on the middle rack of a preheated oven.
Mix the baharat marinade with the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle kosher salt on both sides. Season with pepper. Place the veggies in the oven at the same time. Combine it with the marinade in the mixing dish and stir until the chicken is well covered. After bringing it to room temperature, let it marinade for about 15 minutes. (Cooking the chicken for two to four hours in the fridge is an option if you’re in the mood).
Get the sesame seeds toasty. Turn the heat up to medium-high in a small cast-iron skillet. Throw in three tablespoons of sesame seeds and keep stirring until they start to get a little bit color. Be careful not to leave sesame seeds alone on the burner since they burn rapidly.
Prepare the baharat chicken and bake it. With oven gloves on, carefully take the baking dish out of the oven and place the marinated, boneless chicken thighs in the center, sandwiched between the veggies. Cook the chicken in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until done. (When using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of cooked chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.)
Finish with a garnish. Tossed sesame seeds and parsley make a nice garnish for the chicken and potatoes. Hope you savor it!
Insights into the art of boneless chicken thigh cooking
For a minimum of fifteen minutes, marinate the thighs. Because they don’t become dry quickly, chicken thighs are very forgiving. But I find that letting them rest in a marinade for a short period of time adds more flavor and moisture. (If you’d want to get a head start, marinating the boneless thighs for two to four hours will help them absorb more of the flavors, but it’s not necessary).
Get out your meat thermometer. It might be difficult to determine whether chicken thighs are cooked through when they are well-done since they may still seem somewhat pink. With a meat thermometer, you won’t have to guess. Keep in mind that the chicken will continue to cook for a few more minutes after removing it from the oven, but when you stick the thermometer into the thickest portion of the bird, it will read 165 degrees F, indicating that it is cooked.
Strategies for planning ahead
I only said that you may marinate the chicken for two to four hours in the fridge if you want to get a head start.
Another option is to prepare the shallots the night before and refrigerate them in an airtight container. I think it’s best to wait until just before roasting the potatoes to chop them. The color of potatoes changes from white to gray-brown because they oxidize quickly. They are perfectly edible, but they sure don’t look good.
Garnish with
Because it only requires one pan, this chicken and potato supper may stand on its own. Start with a large salad—fattoush, this robust bean salad, or even just a basic tomato salad—to provide color and texture.
Pork thighs and potatoes cooked in the oven might also go well with couscous or rice (for my carbohydrate-loving pals).
