These Oven Roasted Middle Eastern Chicken Breasts pack a flavor punch like you will not believe. Marinated in a punchy concoction of seasonings like paprika, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon, and then oven-roasted to perfection, these chicken breasts hold in all of their moisture and make a great addition to a salad, wrap, or on top of a bed of rice. Perfect for meal prepping and packing lunches for the week ahead.
Oven Roasted Middle Eastern Chicken Breasts
These marinated chicken breasts have become a staple in our house.
They are so easy to pull together, and the taste is just phenomenal!
You will need:
- smoked paprika
- ground cumin
- ground turmeric
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
- fresh lemon juice
- olive oil
- garlic
- chicken breasts
- onion
I know at first glance it might seem like a lot, but believe me, most of these ingredients are things you will more than likely have hanging out in the spice drawer already, so you should be just fine.
How do I Enjoy These Oven Roasted Middle Eastern Chicken Breasts?
Ok, first and foremost, if you haven't tried out my Chicken Shawarma Salad then that's a good place to start. Combine a layer of crispy lettuce with a veritable herb garden of tabbouleh, some garlic yogurt sauce, and a dollop of hummus and you have your new FAVORITE meal right there.
Otherwise:
- Pair it with some store-bought tabbouleh. Trader Joe's has a great cauliflower version I am quite partial to;
- Serve it for lunch in a wrap (or a nice pita if you can find a good one) with some baby spinach leaves or arugula, some sliced tomatoes, and a smear of hummus;
- Plate it up plain with some steamed brown rice and a quick garlic yogurt sauce;
- Avoiding carbs? Wrap it in a lettuce leaf and go to town;
- Thinly sliced on a homemade pizza;
- Speaking of pita bread, you can always make your own: Savory Experiments has a great little recipe for homemade pita bread here.
What About Meal Planning?
Oven Roasted Middle Eastern Chicken Breasts are a great addition to your meal planning rotation. I cook up a batch on a Sunday night and then serve it up in sandwiches/wraps and/or salads for my hubby's lunch on Monday and Tuesday.
Can This Be Made Ahead And Frozen?
You can buy some fresh chicken breasts and pop them in a Ziploc bag with all of the marinade ingredients and store them in the freezer until ready to cook up. It couldn't get easier!
And there we have it. Your new meal planning chicken recipe of choice 🙂 I love hearing from you, so be sure to pop back and leave a comment if you try it out.
Need More Amazing Chicken Recipes?
Of course you do, chicken is a must for easy weeknight dinners!
Check these recipes out:
- One Pan Lemon Parmesan Chicken with Garlic Butter Veggies
- One Pan Creamy Garlic Chicken with Potatoes and Garden Herbs
- Crusted Sage and Macadamia Nut Chicken Breasts
- Baked Chicken Leg Quarters from Feast For A Fraction
Happy Eating.
Recipe
Oven Roasted Middle Eastern Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb (about 500g) chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 onion sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- In a large bowl whisk together the spices, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Add in the chicken and onions and give everything a good mix, making sure the chicken is well coated.2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoons salt, 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, ½ cup olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 lb (about 500g) chicken breasts, 1 onion
- If you have time to leave the chicken to marinade then awesome, do that. I never do so I always cook it straight away and it is still fantastic.
- Add everything to a baking dish and pop into the preheated oven for 40-45 mins, or until the chicken is brown and crispy on the edges.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for about 5 mins before cutting it into slices.
Notes
- Pair it with some store bought tabbouleh. Trader Joe's has a great cauliflower version I am quite partial to;
- Serve it for lunch in a wrap (or a nice pita if you can find a good one) with some baby spinach leaves or arugula, some sliced tomatoes and a smear of hummus;
- Plate it up plain with some steamed brown rice and a quick garlic yogurt sauce;
- Avoiding carbs? Wrap it in a lettuce leaf and go to town;
- Thinly sliced on a homemade pizza.
- Store: allow the chicken to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: this also freezes well. I like to slice and freeze in portions, however, cooked breasts can be stored whole also.
- Meal prepping: the chicken can be placed in the marinade a couple of days before cooking if you like to meal prep. It can also be frozen uncooked in the marinade for up to 3 months if stored correctly.
Allyssa says
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Glenda says
I make a Middle Eastern seasoning blend that is very similar to the herbs and spices you use in this recipe. It's one of my favorite ways to cook chicken! Absolutely delicious and incredibly simple!
Akua says
I did not have chicken breasts so I used skinless boneless chicken thighs and they were delicious. Definitely a keeper.
Amanda says
I love the flavor profile here. I adore middle eastern food but never get a chance to eat it. I can't wait to make this and eat it with everything!
Carmy says
Love the idea of wrapping this up in lettuce! I need to try these mix of spices on a chicken breast. It sounds absolutely delicious.
Donna1 says
It's a great way of keeping dinner a little bit lighter without missing out on any of the flavor!
Amy Nash says
These chicken breasts look absolutely fantastic! I love the big, big flavors and think that these would also be wonderful combined with pasta and a creamy sauce or put on a sandwich!
Donna1 says
Yum, I don't think I would have thought to combine it with a creamy pasta, but now that you have mentioned it I can't get it out of my head! Happening next week 🙂
Marisa Franca says
We love making extra chicken so we have leftovers for lunch. This chicken recipe looks like it is packed with flavor and it would be so delicious as a weeknight meal and then as a great lunch. This recipe is definitely on my to-make list.
Donna1 says
Extra chicken makes for such a quick and easy lunch doesn't it!!
Sean@Diversivore says
Love a good make-ahead, prep-friendly chicken meal. I have to say, not only do the flavours sound amazing, but you've cooked this perfectly. I don't often see a chicken breast that looks so perfectly succulent (yet crispy!). Fantastic stuff!
Donna1 says
Oh thank you, I try 🙂
Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says
I meal prep chicken of some sort every week to add to salads and the like all week long. The flavors in this recipe are versatile enough to go well in many things. Having you list options for what to do with it is also helpful. Your Chicken Shawarma Salad sounds delicious!
Donna1 says
Thank you 🙂 Meal prep chicken is such a help in the kitchen, especially on a busy week.
Sarah says
I love how versatile these chicken breasts are! It's awesome to have a protein ready that goes with so many different things. And I really want to try that Trader Joe's cauliflower tabouleh- it would be perfect with this!
Donna1 says
Oh it's so good! I may have become a little bit obsessed with it 🙂
Sues says
Sometimes I think chicken breast is super boring, but this looks anything but boring!! I love all the awesome flavors in this chicken and how many different dishes you can make with it!
Donna1 says
I know right, sometimes I get in such a rut with chicken breasts as well, so I always like to have a handy spice conception up my sleeve to keep it interesting!
Julia says
You are right - this chicken has very punchy flavours! I love the addition of smoked paprika. Thank you for your tips on freezing these right in the marinade - what a great idea! I am trying to get into meal planning so these delicious chicken breasts will definitely be on the menu!
Donna1 says
Meal prepping has been such a revolution for me, it's makes those hard and busy weeks that little bit more bearable!
Michele Hall says
This sounds so delicious ! I have all of the spices in my cupboard to make them I will definitely be placing this on our weeknight meal plan! Thanks
Annissa says
What a great combination of spices! I eat low carb, so I really appreciate the low carb serving ideas. I’m going to have to check out the cauliflower tabbouleh at TJ’s!
Donna1 says
I am trying very hard to include more carbs in my diet for my husbands sake (although I think I will always be a 'give me all the carbs' kind girl), so I have been trying to come up with some creative ideas to keep it interesting 🙂
Kathy McDaniel says
I am always looking for good chicken breast recipes and this one sounds incredibly tasty! All the spices make for one amazing dish for sure! I love the fact that I can marinate the chicken and freeze it for later use. That makes weeknight meals so much easier.
Tracy says
Everything in that seasoning is right up my alley! We use a LOT of paprika and cumin in this house! I can't wait to try these. Have you ever cooked them on the grill?
Donna1 says
No not yet, but summer is coming and that grill will be on ALL the time 🙂
Gloria says
Oh my this looks delicious and juicy. Love the sounds of the spice combination. Roasting is great, especially for rainy days in the summer. This would be great as a main, put in sandwiches, salads or even on top of pasta.
Neha Mathur says
I am drooling by just looking at the pictures. This is going to my dinner today. Thnx for sharing the wonderful recipe.
Donna1 says
Very welcome 🙂
Jenna says
YUM! That looks so tasty! Great recipe
-Jenna