This recipe is a true combination of some of my favorite flavors. Pan-seared chicken pieces are marinated in a sweet and zesty honey za’atar sauce. The chickpeas add delicious texture to the dish, while the fennel slowly caramelizes and sweetens up in the oven.
This recipe is currently on my top 5 chicken recipes I’ve ever made, and comes together to easily! It could be made for a large crowd or family dinner served with your favorite side dishes.
I love this over fluffy jasmine rice with a side of my roasted eggplant or harissa roasted carrots. We enjoyed it for shabbat a couple of weeks ago, and I can’t wait to make it for Passover next week!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces: this recipe can be made with up to 6 pieces of chicken- I used a combination of thighs and drumsticks
- Fennel: fennel is such a good way to add more flavor to any dish. It gets sweeter when cooked and compliments the marinade flavor so well
- Chickpeas: the chickpeas add the perfect texture to this recipe
- Honey za’atar sauce: made from honey, fresh squeeze lemon, za’atar and a few simple spices. This versatile marinade can be used for chicken, salmon or even veggies
- Start by searing the chicken in a heated skillet with oil until browned
- Remove the chicken from the pan and add in the chickpeas. Give them a toss for 2 minutes then add in the cut up fennel pieces
- Layer the seared chicken over the veggies and pour your marinade over the top
- Cook covered on 400 F for about 40 minutes, then cook uncovered on 425 F for 15 minutes
- Garnish with fresh parsley, lemon juice and a pinch of flakey salt
I used my stove-top to oven braiser pan for this recipe for minimal clean up. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can sear the chicken in a large skillet, then transfer everything to an oven-safe baking dish or sheet-pan to finish cooking
Plate the chicken on a serving dish topped with the chickpeas, fennel and extra sauce. This flavor-packed recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser- I can’t wait for you guys to try it!
Serve with:
Orange Zested Rice
Roasted Eggplant with Miso Tahini
Harissa Roasted Carrots
Honey Za’atar Chicken with Fennel
Ingredients
- 5 -6 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, I used thighs and drumsticks
- 2 fennel bulbs, cut into pieces
- 1 can chickpeas (15 oz), drained
- Olive oil
- Fresh parsley, to top
- Lemon juice, to top
- Flakey salt, to top (optional)
Honey Za’atar Marinade
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp za’atar spice
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
- *To save time, you can skip the searing part altogether and instead, layer the fennel, chickpeas and chicken in the pan, pour the marinade on top and follow the cooking instructions. I prefer the added step of searing the chicken, but both will be delicious
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Trim the stems off of the fennel bulbs then slice each bulb into smaller wedges
- Prepare the honey za’atar marinade by combining the sauce ingredients together and whisking together until evenly incorporated
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat then drizzle in about 2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot, sear your chicken skin-side down on medium/high heat for about 3-4 minutes, then flip and sear for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate
- To the pan, add in the chickpeas and toss together for 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Layer the fennel on top then place the seared chicken into the pan. Lightly drizzle everything with olive oil
- Pour the honey za’atar marinade over the skillet evenly
- Cover the pan with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes
- Raise the oven temperature to 425 F. Remove the lid from the pan and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes
- Once ready, transfer the chicken to a serving plate and top with the fennel and chickpeas, chopped parsley, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and pinch of flakey salt
This was a really great recipe – met with critical acclaim 🙂 🙂 from various friends who shared the meal. I used chicken fillets which i seared first as per recipe and i added a couple of slices of mandarin on top of the fennel, under the chicken , as it went into the oven. So , i thought it looked very appealing as well having excellent flavour. The fillets were still tender and not dry.
Thank you for the recipe.
This is my favorite recipe ever. I make it when I host and everyone always loves it!!
Thank you, Esther! So glad to hear that 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it, Lela!