The Egyptian Epicurean

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Za'atar chicken with tahina dip

Carol Mahna

Looking for a tasty, simple, healthy-ish dinner but not so sure what to make? I put this one together on a whim because I was feeling exactly that. You can marinade a day in advance or make it on the night (what I did!) and it came out so juicy. You can even leave out the tahina if you can’t be bothered, but I highly recommend that you don’t.

Pounding the chicken to the same thickness not just cooks it evenly but also much quicker. I add roasted garlic to this tahina recipe to give it a smokier flavour but you can also use raw garlic. Leave me a comment down below if you give it a go!

Recipe

Za'atar chicken with tahina

For 2 people you’ll need:

The chicken:

  • 2 skinless chicken breasts

  • 1/4 cup (20g) za’atar

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

The tahina:

  • 1/2 cup (80g) tahini

  • 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled

  • 1/4 cup (40ml) warm water

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 1 tsp salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of parchment paper and pound to an even 1/4 inch thickness using a rolling pin or meat mallet.

  2. In a small bowl, mix the za’atar and olive oil together creating a paste and toss the chicken in it. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place on a baking tray.

  3. Wrap the garlic cloves in foil and add it to the same tray as the chicken. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add all ingredients for the tahina except the garlic which we’ll add at the end. The tahini will separate at first but don’t panic, keep mixing until it turns creamy and slightly lighter in colour.

  5. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and set aside. Peel the garlic and add to the food processor. The tahina consistency depends on how you prefer it, you may need to add more water if you want it thinner.

  6. Serve with couscous, salad, pita or all 3. Sprinkle with a bit more za'atar, drizzle tahina on top and serve hot. Bel hana!

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'Bel hana' is a shorter version of 'bel hana wel shefa' which roughly translates to 'with happiness and good health' and the Egyptian way of saying Bon Appetit.

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