Za’atar Spiced Grilled Chicken breasts are tender and juicy thanks to a simple marinade of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and za’atar.
Za’atar is one of my favorite spice blends of all time which is why it thrills me beyond belief to see it becoming trendy these days. The truth is, when I open up a bag of fresh za’atar, the earthy, smoky aroma immediately transports me back into my Great Aunt Vieve’s kitchen.
I have countless memories of being a little girl watching her as she masterfully sprinkled za’atar over her famous Middle Eastern Salad with Lemon, Mint and Garlic.
If you’re not familiar with za’atar, think of it as an all-in-one Middle Eastern spice blend, similar to my All-Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend. In addition to spicing up any salad, it is an ideal rub for grilled meats and vegetables.
When combined with olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh garlic it turns chicken breasts into a tender, juicy, and flavor-packed weeknight dinner the whole family will devour. Be sure to grill a little extra chicken – it’s great the next day in sandwiches, salads, or pitas.
Your fork is waiting.
Za’atar Spiced Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 six ounce boneles sskinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup za’atar
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a large glass baking dish or resealable plastic bag.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, za’atar, garlic, salt and pepper then pour marinade over the chicken. Move chicken breasts around to ensure they are evenly coated in mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Grill chicken breasts on medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees or higher. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving to allow juices to re-distribute.
Nutrition
Dave
I’ve never seen za’atar that doesn’t include salt, so I omit the salt altogether. Salt is easy to add, hard to remove!
Liz DellaCroce
Oh interesting!! Mine has no salt!
Graciela Lara-Valverde
I have used Za’atar for many years and from different countries and none have had salt
Liz DellaCroce
Yes that’s correct – it’s a spice without salt.