Oven Baked Chicken & Veggies

This is the easiest way to make chicken savory, spicy, and bright with minimal effort. It’s a beautiful way to present chicken as well so please give it a shot. There’s about 10-15 minutes of prep depending on how quickly you can work in the kitchen and then the oven takes care of the rest. It’s my go to for any quick weeknight dinner.

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Serves: 2

Time: 75 minutes

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Ingredients

• Bone-In Chicken Thighs

• 1 Yellow Onion

• 7-8 Garlic Cloves

• 0.5 Red Bell Pepper

• 0.5 Green Bell Pepper

• 1 Jalapeno

• 2 Lemons

• 1 cup Cilantro (chopped)

• 0.5 cup Olive Oil (divided)

• 2.5 tsp Salt (divided)

• 1.5 tbsp Mama’s Chicken Spice (Zawi)

• 2 tbsp Neutral Oil

• 1 cup Basmati Rice

• 2 cups Water

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Instructions

Thinly slice the onion and bell peppers. Finely mince half the garlic or grind into a paste with a bit of salt. Add the chicken thighs to a large mixing bowl along with the onion, bell peppers, and the garlic. I did not have a bowl large enough so I seasoned the onion and peppers separate from the chicken. Season with 1 tsp salt, mama’s chicken spice, and a quarter cup of olive oil. Mix well and place in a large baking dish lined with parchment paper. Place in a 400F oven for 1 hour.

Wash the basmati rice a few times until the water runs clear. Then place a medium pot on high heat for a couple minutes then drop to medium. Add the neutral oil and allow it to heat up for a minute or so. Add the washed rice and a tsp of salt. Mix well and toast until the rice is well coated in the oil. Add the water, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.

Roughly chop the jalapeno and cilantro and place in a food processor along with the remaining garlic. Squeeze the juice of both lemons into the processor and pulse until you have a slightly chunky consistency. Pour into a small mixing bowl, add a half tsp of salt, and mix well.

Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

Plate the rice, then chicken and veggies, and finally the spicy lemon cilantro mix on top. Garnish with Aleppo pepper and more cilantro and enjoy.