Crispy marinated chicken atop flavorful orzo pilaf.
Chicken thighs are, hands down, my favorite part of the bird. With just the right amount of fat, bone, and skin, they have tons of flavor and plenty of meat. In this Mediterranean-inspired recipe succulent chicken thighs are marinated with tahini, broiled to get the skin crispy, served atop a bed of orzo pilaf, and drizzled with yogurt sauce for a meal that will rival any takeout—no delivery fee needed.
Tahini Chicken Thighs with Cumin-Carrot Orzo
A tahini marinade loads these chicken thighs up with flavor before broiling them to achieve a perfect crispy skin. They are served atop an orzo pasta speckled with cumin roasted carrots, green olives, lemon, and herbs. A dill-infused yogurt sauce completes the dish for a perfectly balanced weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 lemons
- 3 tsp cumin
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 carrots peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 8 oz orzo
- 1/3 cup green olives cut in half
- 1/2 cup parsley leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl whisk together tahini, juice from 1 lemon, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and set aside.
- Position a rack on the top shelf of oven and preheat to 425°. Lightly grease a large sheet pan. Fill a large pot with salted water and heat on high, covered.
- In a medium bowl toss carrots with 2 tsp cumin, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper. Transfer carrots to prepared sheet pan. Bake on top rack of oven for 15 minutes then toss carrots and add chicken thighs to the sheet pan skin side up. Return to top rack of oven for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, when water is boiling cook orzo per package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water then drain and return orzo to pot. Mix in 1/2 cup pasta water, green olives, zest of remaining lemon, most of the parsley leaves (reserve some for garnish), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add more pasta water as needed if mixture seems dry.
- When done roasting add carrots to orzo. Change oven setting to broil and return chicken thighs to top shelf of oven for 1-3 minutes until skin is crispy and internal temp is 160-165°.
- In a small bowel mix together yogurt, juice from half of the remaining lemon, and dill. Divide orzo amongst plates, top with chicken thighs, a drizzle of yogurt sauce, and a sprinkling of parsley.
Notes
For the green olives I would recommend Castelvetrano olives which are known for their buttery flavor.
