za atar chicken — Makes: *4 Servings*
Per Serving: *26g Protein | 552Cal*

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One-pan meals are the absolute best things to make on busy weeknights, but just because you’re pressed for time, that doesn’t mean you’ll be happy with a boring dinner. This sheet pan chicken and veggies with creamy yogurt sauce is packed with bold flavors, crispy and creamy textures, and couldn’t be easier to make—or clean up. Juicy, marinated chicken thighs are paired with crispy chickpeas, tender potatoes, and roasted cauliflower, then topped off with a creamy, tangy yogurt sauce for a weeknight dinner you’ll want to make all the time.

Why You’ll Love This Za’atar Chicken Recipe

Tons of Flavor, Little Effort: With lemon, za’atar, garlic, and tangy yogurt, this one-pan sheet pan meal is super delicious, but so easy to make. Plus, the za'atar-scented drippings with the sumac-coated potatoes are just so good.
High in Protein & Nutritionally Balanced: This recipe is a great mix of protein, fiber, and healthy fats so you’re supporting your health and wellness goals while also enjoying a flavorful meal.
Made with Just One Pan: This entire meal is made on one sheet pan, which makes it so easy to clean up when you’re done.

Ingredients

Za’atar Marinade:

¼ cup za’atar seasoning
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon salt

Main Ingredients:

4-5 bone-in chicken thighs
8 oz cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup chickpeas, drained and patted dry
1 lb small potatoes, halved (you can also use Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small pieces)
Parsley for garnish

Creamy Yogurt Sauce:

½ cup Greek yogurt (or any thick yogurt)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 small garlic clove, minced)
½ teaspoon za’atar spice blend
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons honey
Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Make the marinade: Add the za’atar, oil, lemon juice, and salt to a large mixing bowl or large zipper-topped plastic bag. Give everything a bit of a stir. Set ⅓ of the marinade aside in a separate medium bowl. Add the bone-in thighs to the large bowl or zipper bag and coat well with the marinade. Cover and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes or refrigerate for several hours.
Prep the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the halved potatoes and the marinated chicken thighs (skin side up, if using skin-on chicken thighs) on a large baking sheet with sides (alternatively, you can make this in a cast iron skillet). Pour the remaining marinade from the bowl with the chicken on top of the potatoes and chicken thighs.
Roast the chicken and potatoes: Once the oven has come to temperature, place the sheet pan in the oven (on the center rack) and roast for about 15 minutes.
Add the vegetables: While the chicken and potatoes are roasting, add the cauliflower, onion, and chickpeas to the medium bowl with the reserved marinade. Toss to coat the vegetables. When 15 minutes have passed, take the sheet pan out of the oven and scatter the vegetables on the sheet pan in a single layer around the chicken and potatoes.
Roast the sheet pan chicken thighs: Put the sheet pan back in the oven (on the center rack) and roast for another 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and crispy, the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, and the juices run clear. The chickpeas should be crispy and the vegetables should have some charred edges.
Make the yogurt sauce: While the chicken and veggies are roasting, add the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, za’atar, salt, cumin, honey, and black pepper to a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
Garnish and serve: Remove the sheet pan from the oven, drizzle the yogurt sauce over the top, and garnish with fresh parsley if you’d like. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (Per Serving - Makes 4 Servings) - not including yogurt sauce

Calories: 552
Protein: 26g
Carbs: 39g
Fat: 32g

Swaps & Substitutions

Make the recipe dairy-free: Use a coconut yogurt or another plant-based yogurt instead of Greek yogurt.
Try this with different vegetables: Instead of the potatoes, cauliflower, and onion, try swapping in sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, green beans, or whatever else you like.
Make the chicken extra crispy: Give your chicken an extra-crispy finish by broiling it for the final 2-3 minutes. Just make sure you keep a close eye on it—you don’t want your chicken to burn.

FAQs

Of course! You can definitely use boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or even boneless, skinless chicken breasts) if you’d prefer. Just know that boneless chicken cooks more quickly than bone-in, so make sure you start checking the internal temperature of the chicken after about 20 minutes so you don’t overcook it (though chicken thighs are notoriously hard to dry out, so going a bit beyond 165 should be just fine!).
Za'atar is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern spice blend made with herbs, sesame seeds, sumac, and a mix of spices. Sprinkling it on roasted chicken is one of my favorite ways to use it, but there are so many different ways to put it to use in your kitchen.
Sure! If you’d like, you can marinate the chicken in the fridge up to 24 hours in advance, then cook everything when you’re ready to eat. You can also make this entire dish ahead of time, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. Just make sure if you’re using this recipe for meal prep that you drizzle the yogurt sauce on top right before eating instead of right after it comes out of the oven.
You can serve this sheet pan za’atar chicken and veggies all on its own if you’d like because it’s already a pretty complete meal, but if you’re looking to stretch it (or would just like to add a little variety), consider a side of quinoa or couscous, a simple green salad, or a side of steamed or raw veggies like peas or cucumber.
If you like a little heat, you can definitely make the yogurt sauce spicy. Add a little cayenne pepper, some red pepper flakes, or a bit of hot sauce to the yogurt sauce. You could also drizzle hot sauce over the entire finished dish if you’d like.
If you don’t have za’atar, you can create a similar flavor profile by using a mix of oregano, thyme, ground sumac, sesame seeds, and salt. Alternatively, a Mediterranean spice mix or even just some garlic powder and lemon zest would work too, although the flavor profile will be slightly different.
Fresh cauliflower is going to give you the best results when roasting, but you can use frozen cauliflower if you need to. For your best chance at perfectly roasted cauliflower using frozen veggies, thaw it first, then pat it dry before adding it to the recipe so it doesn’t get too soggy.

This healthy, flavorful sheet pan meal is the perfect thing to shake up your usual weeknight dinner routine. With plenty of protein, fiber, and healthy fats, it’s a well-rounded meal the whole family will love.