This Mediterranean rooster recipe stars tender rooster breasts baked with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon, and feta for a wholesome one-pan dinner. Cooked in simply half-hour!
Right here’s a one-pan recipe that’s vivid and daring with no tough steps or hard-to-find components: my baked Mediterranean rooster! After growing Mediterranean weight loss plan recipes for years and not too long ago testing tons of for my upcoming Mediterranean weight loss plan cookbook, I’ve been hooked on dinner concepts with zingy flavors and minimal dairy.
What makes this Mediterranean rooster recipe work is the layers of taste: the cherry tomatoes burst right into a shiny sauce, the Castelvetrano olives add richness, and the capers make salty pops. It’s so scrumptious, at any time when I make it for dinner it disappears in a flash!
Components You Want
This recipe is straightforward; the secret’s within the mixture of recent components:
- Boneless, skinless rooster breasts: Search for breasts which are roughly the identical measurement so that they cook dinner evenly. You’ll pound them to a good thickness to make sure the meat stays juicy whereas the greens roast.
- Olive oil: Used each for the greens and brushing the rooster.
- Spice mix: My customized spices create layers of Mediterranean taste with none recent herb prep.
- Cherry tomatoes, shallot, garlic: These kind the vegetable base and
- Lemon slices: As they roast, the lemon releases oils and infuses citrusy taste all through.
- Castelvetrano olives and capers: One of these buttery, delicate Sicilian olives are my favourite for cooking: Castelvetranos add richness with out overwhelming all the pieces else. Capers present bursts of tangy brightness.
- Feta cheese: Only a trace of feta makes a wealthy, salty garnish, but it surely’s not required for the flavour.
Professional Suggestions for Good Mediterranean Hen
Listed here are a number of methods for making this recipe:
- Pound the rooster evenly. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to softly pound every breast till it’s roughly the identical thickness all through. That is key for baked rooster as a result of totally different thicknesses cook dinner at totally different charges.
- Watch the broiler fastidiously. These closing 2 to 4 minutes beneath the broiler are when the magic occurs: the rooster these good charred spots that aren’t attainable with baked rooster. Each broiler is totally different: set a timer and peek by way of the oven door often.
- Let it relaxation. That is one thing I discovered from my husband Alex: letting the rooster relaxation for five minutes permits the juices to redistribute. It actually does make for moister, extra flavorful meat!
This recipe suits right into a Mediterranean weight loss plan meal plan as a result of it’s go recent greens, makes use of olive oil as an alternative of butter, and depends on herbs and spices for taste as an alternative of heavy sauces. It’s additionally naturally gluten-free and simply dairy free with out the feta.
Methods to Serve It
The sauce that develops on the backside of the pan is nice for serving alongside, although it’s greatest to take the items of rooster out of the dish with a slotted spoon. The greens make a form of pure vegetable aspect, however for a filling meal I normally serve this with:
For an entire Mediterranean weight loss plan meal, begin with simple stuffed dates and end with recent fruit or one other Mediterranean weight loss plan dessert. This rooster additionally pairs nicely with different Mediterranean weight loss plan recipes if you happen to’re meal planning for the week.
Recipe Variations to Strive
Listed here are a number of methods to customise this recipe when you’ve tried the unique model:
- Greek-style: Use recent dill as an alternative of parsley for garnish and extra feta cheese.
- Italian: Tear up some recent mozzarella and add it over the last 5 minutes of baking. End with recent basil.
- Spicy: Add ½ teaspoon pink pepper flakes and add sliced pepperoncini to the vegetable mattress.
- Artichokes: Stir in 1 cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts with the opposite greens.
- Protein swap: This method can work with different proteins. Strive salmon fillets (bake for 12-Quarter-hour) or boneless rooster thighs (bake for 25-28 minutes).
Storage and Reheating
Retailer leftovers refrigerated for as much as 4 days. To reheat, use a lined skillet over medium low warmth with a splash of water or broth.
I’ve not examined this particularly, however you possibly can freeze the rooster for as much as 3 months: the vegetable texture would develop into softer after freezing.
Leftover rooster could be nice on a sandwich the subsequent day on ciabatta with some arugula (and possibly garlic aioli?). It’s additionally nice chopped and tossed right into a grain bowl with farro.
Dietary Notes
This Mediterranean rooster recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free with out the elective feta cheese.
Baked Mediterranean Hen
This Mediterranean rooster recipe stars tender rooster breasts baked with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon, and feta for a wholesome one-pan dinner. Cooked in simply half-hour!
- Prep Time: Quarter-hour
- Cook dinner Time: 20 minutes
- Complete Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Class: Most important Dish
- Methodology: Baked
- Delicacies: Mediterranean
- Food regimen: Gluten Free
- 4 boneless, skinless rooster breasts (about 8 ounces every)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- Freshly floor black pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 massive shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small lemon, thinly sliced into rings (seeds eliminated)
- ¼ cup ripe inexperienced olives (like Castelvetrano)
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 1 teaspoon every garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and dried tarragon
- Freshly floor black pepper
- 1 oz feta crumbles, elective
- Contemporary chopped parsley or basil, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Transfer an oven rack to the higher third of the oven to assist with the ultimate broil.
- Pat the rooster breasts dry with paper towels. Utilizing a kitchen mallet or rolling pin, flippantly pound the thick finish of every rooster breast till they’re roughly the identical thickness all the way in which throughout, about ¾-inch thick. This ensures they cook dinner evenly alongside the greens.
- In a 9 x 13″ baking dish or massive rimmed baking sheet, stir collectively the halved tomatoes, sliced shallot, minced garlic, lemon slices, olives, capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, oregano, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and recent floor black pepper. Brush the pounded rooster breasts with 1 tablespoons olive oil, then rub the spice combination generously over either side of the rooster.
- Nestle the seasoned rooster breasts on high of or snugly between the greens and feta within the baking dish. Bake for 18 minutes.
- Flip the oven to Broil on excessive. Broil the pan for two to 4 minutes, conserving a detailed eye on it. The rooster ought to develop golden brown edges, however watch out to not burn the garlic. The rooster is completed when the inner temperature reaches 165°F.
- Take away from the oven and let the rooster relaxation within the pan for five minutes to permit the juices to redistribute. Garnish with recent parsley or basil and feta crumbles if desired. Add rooster to a plate and use a slotted spoon to take away some veggies to serve alongside.
