Grilled Za’atar Chicken With Garlic Yogurt and Cilantro

My recipe for Za’atar - save for multiple uses. Mix w/EVOO for non dairy rub. Rub on and under skin. Ingredients 1. 1 tablespoon dried thyme- crushed (or sub oregano) 2. 1 tablespoon cumin (see instructions about whole or ground) 3. 1 tablespoon coriander. 4. 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds. 5. 1 tablespoon sumac. 6. ½ teaspoon kosher salt. 7. ¼ teaspoon or more aleppo chili flakes- optional. Aleppo substitute, mix regular paprika with a small measured amount of cayenne pepper. To taste.

Yes, whole milk yogurt is a thing. Try Fagé yogurt and you’ll never buy another store brand again.

Love the Za’atar spice blend. Before adding any dry herb or herb blend always rub it vigorously with the bottom of your palms. It releases the oils. The shelf life for many herbs is 3-6 months at best. Longer if refrigerated. Recipe cooking times should be backed up by temp readings with all meats. There are many reliable ones available. I’ve used a probe connected digital one for 5 years on a regular, active cooking basis. Test it’s accuracy with boiling water.

In a shocking development, I actually had every one of these ingredients on hand. Made it tonight, it was delicious. Definitely a keeper.

Another plug for Fage whole milk yogurt (labeled as 5%). I eat it plain out of the container (and use it in other ways too) and it is so creamy and rich that I don’t miss any additional sweeteners. My local Whole Foods usually has it. Try it and you may never be able to eat another kind. ;-)

I baked the thighs at 425F for 40 minutes and they came out juicy and delicious. Served with roast asparagus and couscous for a delicious meal.

It’s great, but why boneless skinless thighs? Just broil skin side down till almost done, and flip for a bit to get lovely, delicious, crispy skin. P.S.: the marinade is great for lamb chops, too! Thanks (as usual), Melissa.

Trader Joe’s carries Za’atar.

Pretty good! The broil time was NOT sufficient though; the smallest chicken thighs were done after 8 and 8, but the larger ones were still raw inside. I finished the large ones in a 425 oven for about 12 minutes and that did it. I also added a touch of honey and parsley to the yogurt mixture to balance the extra clove of garlic I threw in, and the sauce ended up very zingy and nummy.

Whole milk yogurt is heaven. Brown Cow is a favorite. Recipe doesn't mention the Arabic zaatar's description or where to buy it..

I had to look up the definition of za'atar! Ithink it's funny that so many readers needed help finding whole milk yogurt. Am I the only one who needed to learn about za'atar?

I've made this several times and LOVE the results! Since the marinade and the sauce are basically identical, I make it just once and spoon about one third into a separate container before adding the meat; the sauce mellows as it sits all day in the fridge. I suggest making extra - the sauce is magnificent on any form of roasted veggie. The other tinkering I've done is to add some additional seasonings, such as a bit of harissa for heat and smoked paprika for smokey tones. Always comes out great.

Cut down the salt significantly, used my own 2% Greek yogurt, and chopped up some preserved lemon to add to the lemon zest. Boneless chicken breasts and drumsticks all came out tender and juicy. The yogurt sauce was an added plus!

Whole-milk yogurt? There is such a thing?

Great recipe! Added a bit of lemon juice to the marinade and accidentally used Greek yogurt but it was still amazing.