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    Za'atar Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

    Updated July 15, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    We’re back at it with the easy sheet pan dinners, and tonight we’re dressing up basic cauliflower and chicken with our latest favorite secret ingredient in this za’atar chicken sheet pan dinner.

    Chicken leggs with za'atar and cauliflower roasted on a sheet pan with fresh parsley

    A Simple Sheet Pan Dinner, With Middle Eastern Flair.

    A complete meal—low-carb, balanced, delicious—that cooks on just one pan in about 40 minutes and requires almost no prep? Uh, yeah. That doesn’t sound like it could possibly be a real thing. BUT IT IS! This simple chicken thigh recipe is just that easy. Truly—just arrange the chicken thighs and cauliflower on a sheet pan, add a bit of seasoning and bake. It’s the ultimate almost-not-a-recipe recipe. And our super flavor-giving trick? A quick-to-make pour of za’atar oil, drizzled over the whole meal right as it comes out of the oven. It gives the whole thing loads of fresh, bright, herby flavor—and who doesn’t love that?

    za'atar and oil in a shallow bowl with a spoon

    What Is Za’atar?

    Za’atar is an irresistible Middle Eastern spice blend that is worth getting to know, because it will make just about anything in your kitchen taste extra delicious! Za’atar is so flavorful, it’s essentially the only spice we’re using on this simple cauliflower and chicken sheet pan dinner recipe. Like most spice blends, the exact combination of spices in a container of za’atar varies a bit from jar to jar, but typically it’s made of up of at least:

    • Dried oregano
    • Thyme
    • Marjoram
    • Sumac
    • Toasted sesame seeds
    raw chicken legs, cauliflower, za'atar, shallots, garlic, salt and olive oil in small bowls

    OK—Za’atar! Got It. What Else Do I Need?

    Not much! A bit woodsy, a bit tangy (sumac give the za’atar a lemony quality) and herbal, the za’atar gives this sheet pan dinner so much flavor, you don’t need much else. All you’ll need is:

    • Chicken thighs
    • Olive oil
    • Cauliflower
    • Shallots
    • Garlic cloves
    • Salt
    shallots and cauliflower on a sheet pan with oil and za'atar
    chicken, cauliflower and shallots on a sheet pan
    chicken roasted with cauliflower and shallots on a sheet pan
    roasted za'atar chicken and cauliflower on a sheet pan topped with parsley

    How To Make This Easy Chicken Sheet Pan Recipe

    Do you have a sheet pan? Do you have an oven? Do you know how to turn it on? OK great! Then you will be able to make this easy chicken dinner. Promise! Here’s how to do it:

    1. Coat the chicken thighs and cauliflower florets with some za’atar, salt and olive oil. Toss with a few shallots and spread it all out on a sheet pan.
    2. Bake! Now you get to chill for 30 minutes.
    3. While the chicken bakes, whisk together some za’atar oil—basically just oil, garlic, za’atar and salt.
    4. When the chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of 165°, they’re done! Pull them out of the oven.
    5. Drizzle with za’atar oil to finish, and then dig in.
    za'atar chicken in a roasting pan with cauliflower and shallots next to a bowl of za'atar oil

    Make A Night of It!

    Served as-is, this sheet pan chicken recipe makes for a balanced, easy weeknight meal. But with big flavors, and gorgeous roasty chicken pieces, it’s also perfectly fit for company. Just spruce it up with some Middle Eastern side dishes to make it feel a bit more well-rounded. We love to serve these chicken thighs with:

    zaatar chicken sheetpan dinner with caulilfower and shallots on a white baking dish next to za'atar oil

    Tools You’ll Need:

    za'atar chicken sheetpan dinner on a white plate

    Do You Za’atar Now?

    Snap a photo of your finished za’atar chicken sheet pan dinner and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can celebrate your kitchen victories. Happy eating!

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    Za'atar Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe

    Updated July 15, 2025

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  35 min
    • Calories:  412
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    Description

    We’re back at it with the easy sheet pan dinners, and tonight we’re dressing up basic cauliflower and chicken with our latest favorite secret ingredient in this za’atar chicken sheet pan dinner.

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters
    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons za'atar
    • 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
    • 3 large shallots, quartered

    Za'atar Oil

    • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons za'atar
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

    For serving (optional)

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center position.

    2. Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. 

    3. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and za’atar.

    4. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss the cauliflower and shallots with half of the za’atar mixture. Coat the chicken with the remaining mixture and arrange skin side up between the vegetables. Sprinkle the chicken all over with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

    5. Make the za’atar oil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, za’atar, salt, and garlic until combined.

    6. Drizzle the chicken with the za’atar oil and serve with hummus, tahini sauce, tzatziki or couscous, if desired. 

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 412
    • Protein 46 g
    • Carbohydrates 15 g
    • Total Fat 19 g
    • Dietary Fiber 4 g
    • Cholesterol 200 mg
    • Sodium 550 mg
    • Total Sugars 6 g

    Za'atar Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

    Questions & Reviews

    Rated 5 stars by 14 readers

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    • Justin

      The skin was not crispy after I cooked it for 40 min at 425 degrees, any tips? The flavor was good but the skin was slack

      Hmmm. Not sure why exactly. Could be your oven...what I like to do if this ever happens, is remove the veggies once they are tender and then boil the chicken until the skin is crispy.

    • Deirdre

      Can I use chicken breast instead?

      Sure! You just won't need to cook it quite as long.

    • Karen

      What is Zaatar and where can it be purchased

      Za'atar is a spice blend that is used most often in Mediterranean and and Middle Eastern cooking. You can get it at fred meyer, walmart, world market and amazon. Hope you enjoy Karen!

    • Debbie

      Can I use potatoes and carrots with onions instead?

      Sure!

    • Donna

      I’d like to add baby carrots, crushed mint leaves, and golden raisins to the sheet pan. What’s your opinion?

      Go for it! Hope you enjoy Donna!

    • Sera

      If using boneless chicken thighs, do you have a recommendation as to how to adjust cooking time appropriately? Thank you!

      I would roast the cauliflower (tossed with all the oil) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven add the chicken and put it back in the oven for 20 dish minutes until your chicken is 165°F and the cauliflower is tender and slightly charred. Enjoy!

    • Sheila

      Za’atar Chicken looks amazing
      Would it spoil the flavor if I omit sesame seeds

      No, it will be fine. Hope you enjoy!

    • Tamara

      Can you use chicken tenders instead of chicken thighs? My family doesn't like chicken thighs.

      Sure!

    • Natalie

      LOVED this recipe, such a fun way to use up the rest of the za'atar in my pantry. The only modfication I would make is to use much less salt. I only used about 1tsp in the first marinade and then 1 tsp in the za'atar oil and that was still borderline too salty for me (someone who LOVES salt). Otherwise, the chicken was moist and flavorful and the cauilflower and shallots roasted wonderflly. Served over couscous with a side of hummus!

    • Taylor

      This is so easy and so good!!! Its my new go to meal for company!!!

      thanks Taylor, glad you enjoyed!

    • Kelly

      Loved this! I used boneless chicken thighs and as suggested, started the cauliflower 15 minutes before adding the chicken. Also: for the pescetarian in the house, used the za'atar oil blend on pan-fried haddock, which was lovely too. I haven't seen za'atar in my local major grocery stores but got it at a Middle Eastern deli in my neighbourhood.

      Thanks Kelly! We are so glad you loved this!

    • Christin

      This recipe was fantastic! All four kids loved it--no left overs from a double recipe. I made it exactly as is.

      Thanks Christin, we are so glad your family loved it!

    • Lauren

      Seriously so good!!!! Tip: Def go easy on salt. The cauliflower and shallots were a heavenly addition!

      Thanks Lauren, glad you enjoyed it!

    • Lynn

      This was excellent! So simple to cook, and very, very delicious. I used large slices of eggplant instead of the cauliflower, and added some larger slices of red onion. The chicken turned out moist and flavorful, and the eggplant & onions were perfect with the Za'atar sauce. I'll cook this one again!

      Thanks Lynn, so glad you loved it!

    • Lindsay

      This was amazing! A new go-to. Added roughly shredded Brussels to the cauliflower. Also, I agree with Kathy Lynn and used less salt. Served over couscous. Thank you for the great recipe!!

      Thanks Lindsay, so happy you loved it!

    • Kathy

      This was really delicious. I cut the salt based on other reviews, and my salt loving husband thought it was well seasoned. Next time I will double the veggies as they are my favorite. This will go in my rotation!

      Thanks Kathy, so glad to hear it's going into rotation!

    • Lori

      Delicious!

      Thanks Lori!

    • Cheryl

      Only used bone in chicken thighs. Loved it, added fresh tomatoes as they were going soft. Next time I may add potatoes to roast with the cauliflower. I used the garlic oil on the cauliflower and chicken because I didn't think it had enough seasoning.

      Will definitely make it again.

      Thanks for trying this Cheryl! We are so pleased to hear you'll be making it again!

    • B

      Fantastic. Agree wtih the other reviewer that it needs much less salt. But this is a keeper, and an easy pleaser for company, as well. I've passed it on, and others have also loved the recipe.

      So glad you enjoyed! We tend to be heavy salters since the skins absorb so much of that salt, often leaving the meat under seasoned.