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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Wowie zowie, Junie B. Jones! (Hope you get the literary reference. If not, have I got a great children’s author for you.) This is fabulous. The chicken was tender with just-crispy skin and the vegetables? The vegetables! Great marinade, super flavor, a great combination of sweet and hot. Going into my repertoire to be made again and again.
Hi, when I make Chicken Marbella, I use chicken on the bone that has had the skin removed. Can I do this with your recipe? Would basting it help?
Hi Sarah, It will work, but I think it’d be best to cook the chicken with the skin on, and then remove the skin before serving.
Love your website, everything I have tried is terrific. I usually make beef tenderloin for Christmas with mashed potatoe casserole but would like to try sweet & spicy chicken instead, would this work with a potato casserole? Thanks and happy holidays! My goal/ NY resolution is to try one of your recipes weekly!
Sure Jackie, I think it would work nicely with a potato casserole. And I love your New Year’s resolution :)– Happy holidays!
Made this at the weekend for friends and got lots of compliments. It was simple to make but packed lots of flavour. I served it with braised pearl barley and green beans and it made an easy, no fuss lunch.
This recipe is high in carbs at 59g, how can I cut down on the carbs for a type 2 diabetic? I would like to try it, but need a modification, please.
Hi Dianne, I haven’t tried this with less honey, but cutting back on it will help to reduce the carbs a bit. A few readers have commented that they’ve used less honey and have been happy with the results. Hope that helps!
is the nutrition info accurate? the sodium and calories seem way high
regina
Hi Regina, I know it seems high but keep in mind that it is a main course and a side dish in one.
Out of this world! Great combination of flavors made for a succulent dinner. Lots of ingredients but simple prep. I didn’t bother to pre-mix the marinade just mixed it all in the ziplock bag the chicken was going to marinade in! Big hit at our house- rated top 5 meals of all time…
This dish was excellent and I would not change a thing. Make sure you cook couscous or rice to sop up the sauce. This is a keeper
I made this recipe for just my husband and me so we had plenty of delicious leftovers. Since we like dark meat, I used all dark meat except for one breast. I had a huge bag of carrots so I added an extra cup of carrots but other than that I followed the recipe as it was written. That is one thing that I love about your recipes–they have been tested and actually work! A great dish and I’ll be making it many times.
Is it possible to make this recipe using a whole chicken? It is what I have in the fridge and I am not adept at cutting it into pieces. How would I change the cooking time regarding the carrots and onions? Thanks.
Hi Danielle, Yes, just use the cooking directions for this chicken recipe. You can cook the carrots and onions the whole time the chicken is cooking. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, would this recipe work as well with Cornish hens?
Thanks.
Sure, Tom — I think that’d work well.