Za’atar Ras-el-hanout Chicken Spinach Dish (Middle Eastern African Fusion Chicken Dinner)
Middle Eastern herb mix, Za’atar, mingles with African spice mix, Ras El Hanout, in this 8-ingredient, keto, delicious, and easy Za’atar Ras El Hanout Chicken Spinach dish, perfect for lunch or dinner.
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This Za’atar Ras El Hanout Chicken Spinach dinner is a flavor-packed dish. It is so tasty and pairs well with roti, rice, quinoa, or couscous.
My daughter says that she feels like she is on an episode of Guy’s Grocery Games when she goes grocery shopping with me. I usually have a list and race down only those aisles I need to. Then it’s through checkout and I’m homeward bound!
However, the other day I had some time to kill, and found myself wandering down the spice aisle at The Dekalb Farmer’s Market. This isn’t a sponsored post, but in my opinion, the Dekalb Farmers Market has one epic spice lineup. And, not only do they carry a vast array of spices, but they are so reasonably priced as well. While wandering that spice aisle, I came across containers of Za’atar & Ras El Hanout.
Growing up in the Middle East, I was fortunate to have tried a variety of dishes at restaurants flavored with Za’atar or Ras El Hanout.
Since attaining adulthood, I’ve always been curious about experimenting with Za’atar & Ras El Hanout, so this was my chance!
What is Za’atar?
Za’atar is a highly aromatic spice mix, usually consisting of sumac, sesame seeds, and herbs like oregano, thyme, and marjoram. It is popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. It is bold, vibrant, earthy, tangy, and toasty. Za’atar made in different areas tends to differ as the ingredient composition tends to vary.
Za’atar-spiked olive oil is delicious on bread, as is za’atar-spiked cream cheese. It works well on everything from eggs to veggies to Cacio e Pepe chicken breasts.
What is Ras El Hanout?
Ras-el-hanout is also a highly aromatic spice blend popular in African cuisine. It is bold, savory, smoky, slightly sweet, complex, and simple, all at once. It is usually a blend of sweet and savory spices such as cardamom, ginger, coriander, fenugreek, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, turmeric, and nutmeg, to name a few.
Ras El Hanout can differ in composition from region to region; for example, Ras el hanout in Tunisia might differ in taste from Ras el hanout in Morocco.
But, no matter the region, it is a delicious spice blend that can elevate any dish it is added to. And while I have tried many, there is not one I have not loved to use either as a rub on chicken, pork, lamb, beef, or in stews and sautes like this.
I brought home bottles of both and got to experimenting. One night, I baked up some chicken drumsticks – I rubbed a couple of them with Za’atar & another couple with Ras-el-hanout. My daughter ended up LOVING the drumsticks flavored with Za’atar & I loved those with Ras El Hanout.
Well, last night I figured I’d try combining aromatic and inviting Za’atar & Ras El Hanout together in a rub for some chicken things.
Now, this Za’atar Ras El Hanout Chicken Spinach dish isn’t a recipe that requires exact measurements. If you want to add less or more Za’atar or Ras El Hanout or choose not to use your teaspoon or tablespoon to measure these quantities out, go for it!
What are the ingredients needed to make this Za’atar Ras El Hanout Chicken Spinach dish?
You will need the following 8 main ingredients, along with some kosher salt and black pepper:
- Olive oil
- Red onion
- Za’atar
- Ras El Hanout
- Smoked paprika
- Chicken thighs
- Lime or Lemon
- Fresh spinach
I also garnished this dish with some fresh parsley.
Instructions
- Mix the Za’atar, Ras El Hanout, and smoked paprika together in a bowl.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the packaging. I used boneless, skinless thighs in this recipe. Trim any extra fat (if you choose to) and cut each thigh in half so it cooks thoroughly. Then, rub chicken thighs with Za’atar, Ras El Hanout, and smoked paprika mix. (*See Notes for an easy way to do this).
- Peel and chop the onion.
- Add oil to a pan over medium-high heat and add chopped onion to it. Saute onion for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, so it doesn’t burn.
- Then, add in the rubbed chicken thighs and saute 5-7 minutes on one side, until golden.
- Squeeze in the lime juice (or lemon juice), then flip the chicken and saute another 5-7 minutes.
- Add in the spinach and cook a couple more minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
- Serve warm with rice, naan, or roti.
Recipe tip
If you don’t want to get down and dirty and rub the spice mix into the chicken thighs with your hands, you can easily mix the chicken thighs with Za’atar, Ras El Hanout, and smoked paprika by placing all the ingredients in a plastic gallon-size bag. Shake well and make sure to distribute the spices around the chicken – makes for mess-free chicken rubbing!
Getting back to this Za’atar Ras El Hanout Chicken Spinach dish/dinner…
Y’all! These chicken thighs were so so darn delicious!
And, while they were sautéing, and the aroma filled our kitchen, my mouth began to water.
When we took our first bite of this Za’atar Ras El Hanout Chicken Spinach dinner… aaaahhh….wow!
What to serve this dish with…
We enjoyed this Za’atar Ras El Hanout Chicken Spinach with some roasted broccoli and some Sri Lankan thosai my mom sent home.
This dish pairs well with rice, roti, quinoa, couscous, or any other grains.
It can also be served with purple sweet potatoes, some navy bean falafel, and some sautéed celery for a fun and unique meal option.
Variations
This Za’atar Ras El Hanout Chicken Spinach dish is a simple and easy dish. It contains only 8 ingredients and is a tasty blend of protein and greens.
However, this dish can also be made with some more added veggies. Toss in some diced tomatoes, chickpeas, carrots, and/or green peas to add some color and make this dish the star of your supper club!
This spiced chicken and spinach dish is not very hot. So, if you would like to add some more heat to this dish, add in 1/2 a teaspoon of red pepper flakes or cayenne powder.
Dried raisins or dried apricots can also be added to this dish to add a sweet spin to all the spices in it.
Thanks so much for stopping by. If you make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think of it, or tag your creation on social media with @savoryspin or #savoryspin. For more fusion, spice-filled, recipe ideas, please subscribe and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion
- 2 tsp Za’atar
- 1 tsp Ras El Hanout
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 4 boneless chicken thighs
- juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh spinach
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix the Za’atar, Ras El Hanout, and smoked paprika together in a bowl.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the packaging. I used boneless, skinless thighs in this recipe. Trim any extra fat (if you choose to) and cut each thigh in half so it cooks thoroughly. Then, rub chicken thighs with Za’atar, Ras El Hanout, and smoked paprika mix. (*See Notes for an easy way to do this).
- Peel and chop the onion.
- Add oil to a pan over medium-high heat and add chopped onion to it. Saute onion for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, so it doesn’t burn.
- Then, add in the rubbed chicken thighs and saute 5-7 minutes on one side, until golden.
- Squeeze in the lime juice (or lemon juice), then flip the chicken and saute another 5-7 minutes.
- Add in the spinach and cook a couple more minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
- Serve warm with rice, naan, or roti.
Notes
Nutrition
Thought ras el hanout is an African spice mix….no? I love both zaatar and ras el hanout!!! This looks like a really mouthwatering meal.
Oh how I miss the Dekalb Farmer’s Market! I’m jealous that you had some extra time to wander there. This dinner looks absolutely fantastic, and I know I would devour it in no time. And I bet the leftovers are great, too!