Mediterranean Chicken Thighs with Lentils & Greek Olives

This one-pot meal of Mediterranean Chicken Thighs is braised for 45 minutes in the oven with green lentils & veggies. The chicken thighs are well seasoned with Mediterranean spices like Za’atar, sumac, smoked paprika and other spices. Garnish with pitted jumbo premium Chalkidiki olives, lemon zest, and some lemon thyme herbs. If you like this recipe, why not be part of our newsletter community

📝 Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1-1/2 cups carrots in bite-size pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup green lentils
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 Fresh lemon thyme sprigs
• 4 Tablespoons za'atar
• 1 teaspoon smoked ground paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup pitted Greek Green Olives
• Lemon zest
• Fresh lemon thyme sprigs

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. 2Combine in a small bowl the za'atar, sumac, smoked paprika, coriander, oregano, cumin, sea salt & pepper.
3. 3Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs. Rub them with the Mediterranean spice mixture getting into all the crevices. You will have some leftover (unused) spice mix. Keep it aside.
4. 4In a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 Tablespoons of EVOO over medium-high. Brown chicken in two batches, placing skin side down for four minutes and then three minutes on the other side. Transfer to a plate.
5. 5Sautee the onions and carrots for 4-5 minutes and add some of the spice mix, garlic, tomato paste, and lentils. Make sure to mix well.
6. 6Add the chicken broth. Taste if needs more seasoning, and add more Mediterranean spice mix if so.
7. 7Bring the chicken thighs back to the pot and arrange them to make sure that most of the meat gets submerged in the liquid
8. 8Throw in the bay leaves and a couple lemon-thyme herbs (or regular thyme). Bring to simmer and cover.
9. 9Braise in the oven for 45 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender (at least 175°F).
10. 10Transfer chicken to a platter. Strain remaining mixture, reserving liquid. Add lentils and vegetables to chicken on platter and cover to keep warm.
11. 11Return liquid to pot and boil over medium-high heat for around 10-15 minutes until reduced by half.