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The Ultimate Za’atar Chicken with Cucumber-Watermelon Salad

A forkful of the finished Za'atar Chicken and watermelon salad.

A light and flavorful Mediterranean-inspired dish featuring pan-cooked za’atar-seasoned chicken breasts. The chicken is served over a creamy sauce made from hummus and Greek yogurt, and accompanied by a refreshing cucumber and watermelon salad tossed with fresh mint and lemon juice. The entire dish is finished with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts for a crunchy texture.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons za’atar spice blend, plus more for topping
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 4 Persian cucumbers
  • 2 cups diced watermelon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup torn fresh mint or cilantro
  • 1/3 cup hummus
  • 1/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Rub them all over with the za’atar spice blend and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.
  2. Toast the pine nuts in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes until golden. Season with salt and transfer them to a small bowl.
  3. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until browned on the bottom.
  4. Flip the chicken, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking for 8 to 10 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest.
  5. Prepare the Salad and Sauce: While the chicken is cooking, halve the cucumbers lengthwise and slice them 1/2-inch thick. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers with the diced watermelon, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, and fresh mint or cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
  6. In a separate small bowl, stir together the hummus and yogurt.
  7. Assemble and Serve: Spoon the hummus-yogurt mixture onto four plates.
  8. Slice the rested chicken and place it on top of the hummus sauce.
  9. Drain any excess liquid from the cucumber-watermelon salad and add a portion to each plate.
  10. Sprinkle everything with the toasted pine nuts and an extra dash of za’atar before serving.

Notes

  • Although the recipe title says ‘Grilled,’ the instructions describe a pan-cooking method using a nonstick skillet.
  • Toasting the pine nuts before using them brings out their nutty flavor.
  • Letting the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing is important to keep it juicy.
  • Draining the excess liquid from the watermelon salad before plating helps to keep the dish from becoming watery.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/zaatar/