Brown Sugar Spiced Chicken Thighs with Moroccan Carrots & Chickpeas
This sheet pan dinner will get you and your taste buds dancing. It is full of fun flavors that waken you up with each bite. The chicken gets a brown sugar spice rub and the carrots and chickpeas get tossed with more warming spices. They both bake together in the oven while you prepare the accoutrements. Plate it on top of a lemony yogurt, garnish with pistachios and parsley and finally drizzle with some hot honey.
4-5LargeCarrotspeeled & sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1Can Chickpeasdrained and rinsed
1LargeShallotsliced into 1/4 inch slices
1tspCumin
1/2tspCinnamon
1/2tspGarlic Powder
1/4tspTumeric
dashCayenne
1/4cupPistachioschopped
2TbspParsley
Lemon Yogurt Sauce
1/2cupFull Fat Greek Yogurt
1 tspLemon Zest
Lemon JuiceJuice from 1/2 of a lemon
1tsp Honey
Hot Honey
1/2cupHoney
1 1/2TbspCrushed Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
Chicken + Carrots & Chickpeas
Preheat the oven to 425° and align two racks at the 1/3rd and 2/3rds mark.
On a sheet pan, combine the chickpeas with the sliced carrots and shallots. Generously drizzle with oil and sprinkle the spices overtop (cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, turmeric and cayenne). Mix until everything is well coated.
Trim & Pat Chicken Dry - Trim the skin on the chicken thighs and pat dry with a paper towel on both sides.
Oil & Rub - Drizzle with 2 Tbsp Oil and sprinkle over the brown sugar, onion powder, ginger, cayenne, allspice and salt and pepper. Rub the oil and spices all over the chicken thighs until well coated. Place the chicken thighs on a baking rack on top of a baking sheet.
Transfer the baking sheets to the preheated oven - Place carrots on the bottom rack and the chicken on the top rack.
Bake for 35 minutes at 425° or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reads 175°.
Make the Yogurt Sauce
In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup of the yogurt with 1 tsp lemon zest, juice of half the lemon and about a tsp of honey. Mix to combine.
Make the Hot Honey
In a pan combine the honey with the crushed red pepper flakes and set over low heat until small bubbles form. Allow to gently infuse flavor for 5 min.
Serve
To Plate I like to do a smear of the yogurt sauce on the plate then pile on some of the carrots and chickpeas, a piece of the chicken and drizzle with hot honey. Garnish with pistachios and parsley.