Sumac Chicken with Carrots and Chickpeas (Printable)
Juicy sumac-spiced chicken roasted with carrots and chickpeas for a vibrant Middle Eastern dinner.
# What You'll Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
→ Vegetables & Legumes
02 - 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
03 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
04 - 1 red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
→ Spices & Seasonings
06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 2 tsp ground sumac
08 - 1 tsp ground cumin
09 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 tsp ground coriander
11 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
12 - 1 tsp salt
→ Garnish
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
14 - Lemon wedges
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large bowl, combine olive oil, sumac, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, salt, and black pepper. Mix until a smooth paste forms.
03 - Add the chicken thighs to the spice mixture and turn to coat evenly, ensuring the skin and underside are well covered. For deeper flavor, refrigerate and marinate up to 2 hours.
04 - Scatter the sliced carrots, drained chickpeas, red onion, and minced garlic in a roasting pan or large baking dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with a pinch of salt, and toss to combine.
05 - Place the seasoned chicken thighs skin-side up on top of the vegetable mixture in the roasting pan.
06 - Roast for 40–45 minutes until the chicken skin is golden and crisp, the internal temperature reaches 165°F, and the carrots are fork-tender.
07 - Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, and serve with lemon wedges alongside rice, couscous, or warm flatbread.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Everything roasts on a single pan, which means you get maximum flavor and minimum dishwashing, a combination I have come to cherish.
- The sumac transforms ordinary chicken thighs into something that tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did.
02 -
- If you marinate the chicken in the spice mixture for even 30 minutes the flavor penetrates dramatically deeper, and two hours in the fridge turns it into something genuinely special.
- Let the roasted chicken rest for five minutes before serving because cutting in immediately lets all those juices escape onto the pan instead of staying in the meat where they belong.
03 -
- Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels before applying the spice mix because any surface moisture is the enemy of crispy skin.
- Use the leftover chickpeas from the bottom of the pan as a sandwich spread the next day, mashed slightly with a fork and drizzled with any remaining pan juices.