Sweet & Spicy Roast Chicken with Carrots, Dates & Pistachios
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This sheet-pan roast chicken dinner is the perfect no-fuss dish for company. Everything can be prepared and assembled a day in advance, so all that’s left to do at dinnertime is pop it in the oven.
Don’t you just love discovering new “keeper” recipes? The first time I made Melissa Clark’s fabulous sweet and spicy roast chicken recipe from The New York Times, I knew it’d be a family favorite for years to come. The chicken is immersed in a honey, citrus, and chili-infused marinade, and then roasted on a sheet pan with carrots and dates.
Before serving, herbs, scallions, and pistachios are added for freshness, color, and crunch. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also the perfect no-fuss dish for company. Everything can be prepared and assembled a day in advance, so all that’s left to do at dinnertime is pop it in the oven. Serve with couscous and a green vegetable and dinner is done!
Table of Contents
“I told the family I would clear up after dinner so I could have a quiet moment alone with the leftovers. Such a delicious dish!”
What You’ll Need To Make Sweet & Spicy Roast Chicken
The original recipe is wonderful as printed but, as with any recipe, each time I’ve made it, I’ve tweaked it to suit my style and my family’s taste. What follows is the version I make today.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by making the marinade: whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, mustard, honey, red pepper flakes, garlic, thyme, and salt.
Place the chicken, carrots, onions, and dates in a large sealable plastic bag. Add the marinade and seal shut. Massage to make sure everything is evenly coated with the marinade, then marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Transfer all ingredients from the bag, including the marinade, to a rimmed sheet pan. Turn the chicken skin side up.
Roast until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn on broiler (leave pan on middle rack), and cook a few minutes more, or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Watch very carefully: the honey in the marinade can cause the skin to burn quickly!
Transfer the chicken, carrots, onions and dates onto a platter, along with the sauce in the pan. Sprinkle the parsley, scallions and pistachio nuts over top and serve.
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Sweet & Spicy Roast Chicken with Carrots, Dates & Pistachios
This sheet-pan roast chicken dinner is the perfect no-fuss dish for company. Everything can be prepared and assembled a day in advance, so all that’s left to do at dinnertime is pop it in the oven.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, from 2 oranges
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 6 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2½ teaspoons salt
- 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks and breasts)
- 3 cups ¼-inch sliced carrots
- 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup thinly sliced dried dates
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley, for garnish
- 2 scallions, light and dark green parts, thinly sliced, for garnish
- ¼ cup chopped salted pistachios, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the marinade: In a medium bowl whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, mustard, honey, red pepper flakes, garlic, thyme, and salt.
- Place the chicken, carrots, onions, and dates in a large sealable plastic bag. Add the marinade and seal shut. Massage to make sure everything is evenly coated with the marinade. Place the bag on a rimmed sheet pan to protect against leakage and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Transfer all ingredients from the bag, including the marinade, to a rimmed sheet pan (do not line the pan with foil). Turn the chicken skin side up. Roast until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. About halfway through cooking, stir the carrots so that they don’t burn around the edges of the pan.
- Turn on broiler (leave pan on middle rack), and cook 1 to 3 minutes more, or until skin is golden brown and crispy. Watch carefully: the honey in the marinade can cause the skin to burn quickly.
- Transfer the chicken, carrots, onions and dates onto a platter, along with the sauce in the pan. Sprinkle the parsley, scallions and pistachio nuts over top and serve.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 1,022
- Fat: 62g
- Saturated fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 59g
- Sugar: 49g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 60g
- Sodium: 1306mg
- Cholesterol: 227mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Why is it not OK to line the pans with aluminum foil?
Hi Barrie, When I tested this recipe I tried it with foil and had a problem with it sticking, so decided to go without it. Also, you’ll get a bit better caramelization without the foil. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy if you make it!
I made the marinade yesterday so I could marinate the chicken overnight this would be my Rosh Hashanah dinner. I tasted the marinade after I poured it over my chicken and it was way too salty. 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt was too much. Then I noticed the original recipe called for 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt in water to blanch the lemons not to put in the marinade. I had to start over and I was not happy
Guess reading the recipe thoroughly is best.
I always read it 2-3 times and the. Double check each step until I’ve made it several times and have a real feel for the recipe.
Hi Olivia – I am making this for my first time tonight for guests (did the marinade last night) and saw your comment about too much salt. I read the recipe through several times and it doesn’t talk about blanching the lemons. Was there a different version of the recipe at one time? Anyway I did use the 2 1/2 tsp salt in the marinade so keeping fingers crossed it won’t be too salty.
Hi Kim, I’m weighing in too late to help but this recipe was adapted from a recipe in the New York Times, and in that recipe, they blanched the lemons. Hope the chicken came out OK for you!
Hi again. Is it ok to marinade the chicken for almost a whole 24 hours? Just want to make sure before I put it together.
Thanks
Sure, that should be fine — enjoy!
It was delicious, and so easy to have all prepared.
I stuck to the recipe exactly and it was perfect. Thank you ♡
Do you think this recipe would work grilling the chicken instead of baking?
Unfortunately not. Sorry!
Hi Jen,
We have a family member with a carrot allergy, what would be a good substitute?
Much thanks,
Lisa
Hi Lisa, parsnips would work nicely in place of the carrots. 🙂
Easy. Delicious. Guest worthy. Served it with sides of mashed potatoes (for the gluten free crowd), couscous, and green beans. Followed it with your warm lemon pudding cakes. Amazing meal.
This chicken dish was a huge hit at our Passover seder last night. It was so easy to have the pan ready to go into the oven at the right moment and the chicken was truly delicious served over quinoa. Our guests asked for the recipe. One member of our group cannot eat dates, so I separately marinated and cooked one chicken breast for her and substituted figs for the dates. Everyone was happy. We’ll definitely make this again!
Hi Jen. Is it ok to marinate for two nights or is that too much?
Sure, you can get away with 2 nights but I wouldn’t push it beyond that.
Hi Jenn. I am making this recipe for the first time and Im excited to try it! I am bringing this to my in-laws house for Passover.. Can I cook it at home first and finish it by broiling it there? Should I transport it in the sheet pan or can I travel with it in a big serving dish?
Hi Karen, assuming you have a quick drive to your in-laws, it would be fine to do the baking part at home and finish it off under the broiler once you get there. And I’m sure it will be easier to travel with it in a serving dish, so I would go that route. Hope everyone enjoys!