Sheet Pan Za’atar Chicken Dinner with Roasted Chickpeas and Tahini Sauce

An easy sheet pan chicken dinner recipe that is ideal for meal prep as everything is cooked on one pan!  Picture juicy Za'atar chicken thighs roasted to perfection alongside healthy vegetables and crispy chickpeas, then drizzled with homemade Tahini sauce. A gluten-free clean eating recipe you’ll be making over and over again!

Why I love Sheet Pan Chicken Dinners, and so should you:

One of the perks of being an adult? Finding yourself wondering what the heck to make for dinner. Every. Single. Night... Being an adult comes with many oddities; like having your favorite stovetop burner; being strangely offended when you randomly pull your least favorite spoon out of the cutlery drawer; and now, breaking out in enthusiasm over “sheet pan” dinners.

Is throwing dinner on a sheet pan really that awesome?? Kind of! For me, the discovery of sheet pan dinners was a total game-changer in the daily battle to eat clean. Why are they so awesome? Well, you can literally take any protein, mix it up with a healthy vegetable, some spices and some delicious sauce, and voila – the dinner is in the oven. You did it once again.

There’s something so simple and charmingly rustic about all the food laid out on a huge sheet pan. Colorful, whimsical and charred in all the right places. There’s also the not so uninteresting fact that you don't have to scrub and wash multiple pots and pans. I’m all about that minimal clean-up so I can get back to more important/fun things in life.

Let's talk about this Sheet Pan Za'atar Chicken Dinner:

I am seriously excited to share this chicken dinner recipe with you! This recipe for One Pan Za’atar Chicken is something I’ve been making for quite some time now and I. LOVE. IT!

Picture juicy Za'atar-spiced chicken thighs roasted to perfection alongside broccoli, cauliflower, and red onions. To take things to the next level, we also add some crispy oven-roasted chickpeas to the mix. I am a big fan of any recipes with chicken AND chickpeas because double protein = double win, right?

All of that healthy goodness is topped with a creamy homemade lemon tahini sauce that you whip up within minutes while your Za'atar chicken and veggies are cooking away in the oven. Start to finish, this Sheet Pan Za’atar Chicken takes about 40 minutes! I kid you not.

This easy sheet pan chicken recipe is the ideal meal prep dinner as everything is cooked entirely on one pan!  A gluten-free and clean eating recipe you’ll be making over and over again!

How to make this Sheet Pan Za’atar Chicken Dinner:

Step 1 - Preheat your oven to 440F/220C

Step 2 - Place chicken thighs in a bowl with za’atar, lemon juice, ½ tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss until chicken is well coated. Cover, place in the fridge and marinate for 20 minutes.

Step 3 - Prep the veggies and chickpeas. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into small florets, and the onion into large slices. Pat dry the chickpeas. To do this easy and mess-free, I like to place them in a clean kitchen towel. Discard any skins that come off. The dryer the chickpeas, the crispier they will be.

Step 4 - Spread veggies florets on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon good olive oil, and sprinkle with some salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Step 5 - Using your hands, toss so that all the veggies are coated with olive oil. Spread all veggies in a single layer, making sure they don’t touch but leave some room on the side for the chickpeas. Also prepare a little nest in the middle of the sheet pan for the chicken thighs. Arrange the chickpeas next to the veggies, in a single layer. We set them aside so that we can add the seasoning easily at the end!

Step 6 - Bake everything for 20 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through and the veggies are charred. Watch the timer - we want a juicy chicken, not dry!

While the chicken and veggies are cooking, prepare the tahini sauce.

How to make Tahini Sauce:

Step 1 - Place tahini paste, garlic and lemon in a bowl.

Step 2 - Gradually stir in ice water, starting with ¼ cup, until you reach a smooth sauce consistency that you can drizzle. I used about ½ cup but the exact quantity will depend on the brand and texture of the sesame paste.

Tip: The tahini paste will harden once in contact with water -don't panic, it’s normal. Just keep stirring and adding water as needed and it’ll be perfectly smooth.

How to serve this Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner:

Remove sheet pan from the oven. Sprinkle chickpeas with paprika. Set aside the chicken and toss to combine the veggies with the chickpeas. Spoon the veggies and chickpeas onto a plate, top with chicken and drizzle with tahini sauce.

How to store roasted chickpeas?

Without the use of desiccants, no homemade oven-roasted chickpea is going to stay perfectly crisp. However, I find that they stay pretty crispy when stored at room temperature, placed in a bowl with a paper towel laid across the opening to keep critters away. That way, they should last a couple of days with no problem.

What is Za’atar and can I make it myself?

“Za’atar”, which actually means “thyme” in Arabic, is an aromatic Middle Eastern spice blend that combines toasted sesame seeds, dried thyme, dried marjoram, and sumac.

I love this spice blend for its wonderfully herby and earthy flavor. Za’atar is very versatile and complements many savory meals. Mix a couple of teaspoons with some good olive oil and spread it over pita bread, drizzle it on Greek yogurt, hummus or on top of your bowls.

While you can get ready-made Za'atar at most grocery stores you can also easily make it yourself.  For ½ cup of Za'atar, mix

• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons sumac
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Store your homemade za’atar in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Can I use chicken breasts?

Yes! But you need to tweak the recipe a little bit. Cut the breast into 1-inch cubes before marinating it. Start by cooking the veggies + chickpeas first for 10 minutes and then add the chicken for an additional 10 minutes or so (until it’s no longer pink inside and veggies are charred).

Tips for making this Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner recipe:

• If using chicken thighs, make sure they are skinless and boneless. I don’t recommend bone-in thighs because they take a lot longer to cook and the veggies would burn.
• If you do use bone-in thighs, remove the veggies and chickpeas before continuing.
• The key to beautifully roasted veggies is to spread them out on the baking sheet so that they do not touch.

5 from 6 votes

Print

Sheet Pan Za’atar Chicken Dinner with Roasted Chickpeas and Tahini Sauce

An easy sheet pan chicken dinner recipe that is ideal for meal prep as everything is cooked on one pan!  Picture juicy Za'atar chicken thighs roasted to perfection alongside healthy vegetables and crispy chickpeas, then drizzled with homemade Tahini sauce. A gluten-free clean eating weeknight dinner recipe you’ll be making over and over again! High in protein and you can even make this low-carb by skipping the chickpeas. 

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Middle Eastern

Keyword recipe for roasted chickpeas, sheet pan dinners, za’atar chicken recipes

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 646 kcal

Author Marie

Ingredients

• 3 cups cauliflower cut into small florets (tip: prepare veggies and chickpeas while chicken is marinating)
• 3 cups broccoli cut into small florets
• ¼ red onion cut into large slices
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• black pepper
• 1 cup chickpeas drained and rinsed
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 2 skinless boneless chicken thighs see notes to use another cut of chicken
• 1 tbsp za’atar spice mix
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Tahini Sauce

• ½ cup tahini paste
• 1 small garlic pressed or minced very thinly
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup ice water
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• pinch of cumin

Instructions

1. Preheat oven at 440F/220C.

2. Place chicken thighs in a bowl with za’atar, lemon juice, ½ tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss until chicken is well coated. Cover, place in the fridge and marinate for 20 minutes.
3. While the chicken marinates, prep the veggies and chickpeas. 

   Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into small florets, and the onion into large slices. 

   Pat dry the chickpeas (I like to place them in a clean kitchen towel - easy and mess-free), discarding the skins that come off. The dryer the chickpeas, the crispier they will be.

4. Spread veggies florets on a large baking sheet. 

   Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper. 

   Using your hands, toss so that all the veggies are coated with olive oil.

   Spread in a single layer, making sure they don’t touch (it’s key for beautifully roasted veggies!) but leaving some room on the side for the chickpeas and prepping a little nest in the middle for the chicken thighs.

5. Spread chickpeas next to the veggies, in a single layer (we set them aside to add the seasoning easily at the end!).
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through (we want a juicy chicken, not dry!) and the veggies are charred.
7. While the chicken and veggies are cooking, prepare the tahini sauce. 

   Place tahini paste, garlic and lemon in a bowl. Gradually stir in ice water, starting with ¼ cup, until you reach a smooth sauce consistency that you can drizzle (I used about ½ cup but exact quantity will depend on the brand and texture of the tahini paste). 

   The tahini paste will harden in contact with water - it’s normal. Keep stirring and adding water as needed and it’ll be perfectly smooth (see step by step pictures in the post).

8. Remove sheet pan from the oven. Sprinkle chickpeas with paprika. Set aside the chicken and toss to combine the veggies with the chickpeas.
9. Spoon the veggies and chickpeas onto a plate, top with chicken and drizzle with tahini sauce.

Recipe Notes

• If using thighs, make sure they are skinless and boneless. I don’t recommend bone-in thighs because they take a lot longer to cook and the veggies would burn. If you do use bone-in thighs, remove the veggies and chickpeas before continuing.
• Can I use chicken breasts? Yes! But you need to tweak the recipe a little bit. Cut the breast into 1-inch cubes before marinating it. Start by cooking the veggies + chickpeas first for 10 minutes and then add the chicken for an additional 10 minutes or so (until it’s no longer pink inside and veggies are charred).

Nutrition Facts

Sheet Pan Za’atar Chicken Dinner with Roasted Chickpeas and Tahini Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 646 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 107mg36%

Sodium 794mg35%

Potassium 1584mg45%

Carbohydrates 51g17%

Fiber 15g63%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 41g82%

Vitamin A 1200IU24%

Vitamin C 213.6mg259%

Calcium 228mg23%

Iron 8.8mg49%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner Recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

More healthy sheet pan dinners you will love:

• One Pan BBQ Chicken Dinner
• Easy Baked Chicken Thighs
• Baked Herbed Salmon 
• Sheet Pan Mustard Chicken Thighs