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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Comments
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Jenn,
I’ve made this before and served it right after cooking but am doing a taste of Shabbat dinner and also making your delicious onion braised brisket, which I make the day before and reheat in a 350 degree oven. Can I make this the day before and also just reheat in a 350 oven or will that not work with this chicken recipe? Thank you.
Hi Ilene, Yes, it can be cooked ahead and reheated. I’d skip the broiling step at the end when you roast it. When you’re ready to serve it, reheat, covered with foil, in a 325-degree for about 20 minutes or until heated through, then stick it under the broiler as the recipe indicates to crisp up the skin. Enjoy!
Made this for Christmas Eve and everyone loved it. Great recipe for gatherings because it can be prepped the night before.
I’m planning to make this recipe for Christmas. As there will be 13 adults and 6 small children, I think I need to triple the recipe. Based on an earlier comment, I should be able to put two portions in my oven. Do you think it would work to bake the third portion in an electric roasting pan and put it under the broiler at the end?
Thank you for your advice!
Hi Ruthie, I’ve never used an electric roaster, so I can’t say from experience, but I think it should work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
On Christmas Day I did use my electric roasting pan to bake the third portion of the chicken and it worked great! After taking the other two from the oven first, I put this one under the broiler for a couple of minutes and it was just fine. It was a big hit with the family as I knew it would be, since I’ve made this recipe twice before. Thanks for your help!
Ruthie
So glad the electric oven worked out — thanks for taking the time to let me know! 😊
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!
🤣🤣
Hi Jenn
I am baking this Friday. Can I marinate this for two days or better not too because of the citrus?
Hi Barb, Sorry I’m just seeing this! I think it’d be okay.
Made it for first night Rosh Hoshanah. It was a huge hit! Perfect recipe as it has dates and carrots and sweetness.
Hi Jenn,
Is it OK to line the sheet pan with parchment paper? Also, can I substitute the mustard with Dijon mustard?
Yes and yes 🙂
I want to make this for tomorrow. Other than not having crispy skin, is there any reason I can’t use boneless, skinless thighs? The group I am serving would definitely prefer that.
Hi Tess, I think this is best with bone-in chicken, but I think you’d be able to get away with boneless thighs. I would maintain the recipe, but check the chicken about 10 minutes before the recipe is done to see if it is fully cooked. If it is, remove it from the baking sheet and let the remaining ingredients roast for 10 more minutes. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Is this really over 1000 calories per serving? Something seems off about that.
Hi Dev, I just double-checked the nutritional information and it is correct. I know it does seem like a lot but keep in mind that it’s a main course and side dish in one — also, the number includes the chicken skin, which adds a lot of fat and calories.
Hi Jenn,
Will this recipe work with skin on boneless chicken breasts? If not can you modify in any way my family loves this recipe but it was daunting with all the chicken pieces last year. thanks so much!
happy holidays!
Hi Abbie, I don’t recommend boneless breasts for this recipe — sorry!
Hi Jenn! Your recipes never fail me, always delicious and easy to understand. Thank you! I’m planning to make this chicken for Passover. I’ll be doubling the recipe. For the baking and broiling steps should I use glass Pyrex pans (maybe 2), or a gigantic metal roasting pan with a non-stick finish?
Hi Sandy, you can get away with either (and so glad you like the recipes)!