Pellet Smoker Cooking: Za'atar Sheet Pan Chicken & Red Potatoes

Feb 28 2017

It has been a while since I did Za’atar chicken. Za’atar is a Middle Eastern seasoning, there are many different versions, and most are made with toasted sesame seeds and a mix of herbs. What I used tonight was Israeli. Ingredients are sesame seeds, sea salt, sumac and olive oil. This makes a great seasoning for flat bread too.

I bought a whole fryer chicken; spatchcocked and air dried in the fridge overnight. About 3 hours before cooking I cut it up and in a plastic bag with half the seasoning mix to marinate. With the other half of the seasoning mix I added the red potatoes and cut up onion I added to the recipe. They both went in the fridge.

The recipe said bake at 400 deg. for 35 to 45 minutes. I added the chicken to the sheet pan and seasoned with more Za’atar. I baked them at 400 deg. for 10 minutes in my convection oven then added the potatoes and onions for another 35 minutes. I was afraid if I did it all from the start the potatoes would be overdone but I think it would have been fine.

I had baked some cheese and garlic butter corn muffins using Jiffy mix. We both had a salad too; I had tomatoes, blue cheese dressing and some fresh ground Moroccan harissa.

Chicken was great, tender, juicy and the skin was eatable; you need that to get the benefit of the Za’atar seasoning.

Click Here for printable chicken recipe

Chicken after air drying overnight