Persian Chicken Thighs
with cauliflower rice / cucumber and pomegranate salad

Name: Persian Chicken Thighs
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/2 Onions, medium, sliced; 1/4 cup Oil, olive; 2 Tbsp Lemon juice; 1 tsp Cumin, ground; 1 tsp Turmeric, ground; 1 tsp Salt; 1/4 tsp Cinnamon, ground; 1 lb Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless; for roasting Foil (opt); 1 lb Cucumbers, diced (preferably a seedless variety, like English cucumbers); 6 leaves Mint, fresh (opt), chopped; 1/4 cup Pomegranate seeds (look for these removed from the pomegranate shells in the produce section; sub chopped nuts or skip); 3/4 cup Pistachios, shelled; 1 Tbsp Oil, olive; 1 Tbsp Lemon juice; 12 oz Cauliflower florets; 1 Tbsp Butter

Active: 40 Total: 60

Original GF Paleo Vegetarian

This colorful meal was last featured in 2021. A lemon and spice marinade tenderizes and flavors the chicken, which is then finished on a sheet pan.

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

Persian Chicken Thighs:

Onions, medium - 1/2 , sliced
Oil, olive - 1/4 cup
Lemon juice - 2 Tbsp
Cumin, ground - 1 tsp
Turmeric, ground - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Cinnamon, ground - 1/4 tsp
Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless - 1 lb
Foil (opt) - for roasting

Cucumber and Pomegranate Salad:

Cucumbers - 1 lb , diced (preferably a seedless variety, like English cucumbers)
Mint, fresh (opt) - 6 leaves , chopped
Pomegranate seeds - 1/4 cup (look for these removed from the pomegranate shells in the produce section; sub chopped nuts or skip)
Pistachios, shelled - 3/4 cup
Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp

Cauliflower Rice:

Cauliflower florets - 12 oz
Butter - 1 Tbsp

Prep

Cauliflower rice - Pulse florets in a food processor until broken up into ‘rice’-sized bits. Cook rice in one of two ways: 1) Microwave for 4 to 5 minutes and then fold in butter. Season with some salt and pepper; or 2) Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add butter. Saute cauliflower in heated butter for ~5 minutes, until tender but still crunchy. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Watch this video for the full how-to on cauliflower rice. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Onions - Slice onions. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Marinate chicken - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating while chicken marinates.) Combine onions, olive oil (portion for chicken), lemon juice (portion for chicken), cumin, turmeric, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add chicken and tenderize with a fork. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Cucumbers / Mint - Prep as directed. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

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Make

Heat oven to 425F / 218C.
Line a sheet pan with foil (optional, but will make clean up easy) or brush with some cooking oil. Spread chicken and onions out on prepared sheet pan (no need to drain off marinade). Season with some salt and pepper.
Transfer sheet pan with chicken and onions to the oven. Roast until chicken is cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes (depending on size). The chicken is done when it reaches 165F / 74C degrees.
When chicken is nearly done roasting, toss together cucumbers, mint (if using), pomegranate seeds, pistachios, olive oil (portion for salad), and lemon juice (portion for salad). Season with some salt.
If cauliflower rice was made ahead, reheat in the microwave.
Serve chicken and onions over cauliflower rice with salad on the side. Enjoy!

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