Baked lemon chicken recipe with dates is a no-fuss recipe that’s slightly sweet and tangy. Made with naturally sweet dates and caramelized lemons, it’s a great dish for a weeknight meal or for entertaining.
You might not think you need another roasted chicken recipe, but trust me you’ll want to add this baked lemon chicken recipe with dates to your rotation. It’s a simple recipe that takes just a little prep to start with and then the flavors magically come together in the oven for an awesome dish.
I adapted this recipe from Alison Roman’s new cookbook, Nothing Fancy that I got for Christmas. I have her previous book, Dining In and love every recipe that I’ve tried from it, so it’s no surprise that this one is also fantastic. You will also see her recipes in the NY Times.
Most chicken recipes with dates are Moroccan inspired dishes with Moroccan spices like ginger, cinnamon, coriander and cumin. However, this recipe is completely different, the only seasoning is thyme and salt and pepper. The chicken is infused with the juices of the cooked dates and caramelized lemon slices along with some shallots.
Braising the chicken thighs first keeps them crispy even after they’ve baked. You really need the skin to get all the luscious chicken flavor, so don’t use skinless chicken thighs.
Why you’ll love it
- This is a healthy dish that’s perfect for dinner or serving to guests.
- This meal is so full of flavor with caramelized lemon and medjol dates, a combination that might be new to you!
- Everyone can use a new chicken dish.
What you’ll need
- Chicken thighs – purchase a pack of thighs with bone in and skin on for the tastiest dinner
- Lemon – slice into round slices for tangy flavor baked into the kitchen
- Shallots – this is a smaller onion that’s mild in flavor
- Medjol dates -make sure they’re pitted
- Fresh thyme – fresh works best in this recipe but you can use dried in a pinch.
- Urfa chili (or 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes)- learn about urfa chili below or red pepper flakes are a substitute
- Pantry staples – olive oil, flaky sea salt, salt and pepper
How do you make chicken with lemons
Step 1
Place chicken thighs with the skin and bone, skin side down in a hot Dutch oven or skillet with a lid. Let them brown for about 5 minutes then gently turn them over. Scooch them to the side of the pan so that there is room in the pan to caramelize the lemons and shallots.
Step 2
Add lemon slices and halved shallots to the hot Dutch oven and let them sizzle and cook until browned.
Step 3
Spread out the chicken thighs and add dates, a little water and sprinkle with red pepper flakes or black pepper, cover and bake covered for 20 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the lid and sprinkle with olive oil and bake for an additional 15 minutes uncovered. A meat thermometer should read 175º.
This is a dish I’ve made a million times since Christmas. I’ve made it for weeknight dinners and doubled the recipe so that I could take a batch to a friend recovering from surgery. Most recently my running group wanted to get together for dinner and couldn’t get a reservation anywhere last minute so we chose someone’s house and I made this.
I just browned 12 chicken thighs in two batches and then added them all to my Dutch oven. I cooked them in the oven for the first 20 minutes and then took it to my friends house and cooked it for the additional 15 minutes right before we were ready to eat. Everyone loved it and I put it all together in no time. It was great with some homemade dinner rolls on the side.
Recipe Notes
- You can cup up a whole chicken into pieces and braise those instead of just purchasing chicken thighs.
- You can make this ahead of time and wait to cook it for the final 15 minutes prior to serving.
- This is great served over a bed of rice.
What can you serve with lemon chicken with dates
This is what I served with chicken and dates for our spur of the moment dinner party that everyone loved.
- A slightly sweet dinner roll
- Simple asparagus and mushrooms would keep the theme of healthy and tasty
- A healthy broccoli salad offers a lot of crunch and color to the meal
- A dense chocolate cake to finish up the meal for those with a sweet tooth!
What type of dates should you use for this chicken recipe
For this braised chicken with dates, I recommend using Medjol dates which can be found in the produce section of most groceries.
What is a Medjol date
Medjol dates are a large rich date with a soft and chewy texture. They are grown on palm trees in Arizona, California and Florida and originated in Moroccan. Naturally sweetened dates are not dried so it’s best to store them in the refrigerator or freezer. Want to learn more about this amazing fruit, Eating Bird Food has an interesting post.
Alison Roman suggested sprinkling Urfa pepper instead of red pepper flakes or black pepper to the top of the chicken. I wasn’t familiar with this pepper so I did some research and thought it would be worth experimenting with it. I really enjoy the subtle flavors of it, it’s not as spicy as some peppers but has more depth. I first made these with red pepper flakes before I tried Urfa pepper, both ways were delicious.
What is Urfa pepper
Urfa pepper is from Turkey and comes in irregular sized flakes that you can sprinkle on anything you would add black pepper to. If you just smell the jar, it has a slightly sweet chocolate aroma.
When added to food it’s not as spicy as red pepper flakes but adds more heat than traditional black pepper. I couldn’t find it in my grocery stores, so ordered this Urfa Pepper on Amazon and I love it. If you want more information before adding a new spice to your crowded spice cabinet, Food and Wine has a great article about it.
If you find yourself cooking with chicken a lot and want to know for sure that your chicken is cooked thoroughly, head to my informational page on ways to make sure your chicken is cooked all the way but still remains juicy and delicious.
FAQs and tips
Urfa pepper is from Turkey and comes in irregular sized flakes that you can sprinkle on anything you would add black pepper to. It has a slightly sweet chocolate aroma.
Medjol dates are a large rich date with a soft and chewy texture. They are grown on palm trees in Arizona, California and Florida and originated in Moroccan. Naturally sweetened dates are not dried so it’s best to store them in the refrigerator or freezer.
Yes, you can use boneless chicken but the dish won’t be the same result as I’m sharing. You will have to bake the chicken a few minutes longer as well and you won’t get that amazing crispy skin.
No, you will loose out on what gives this dish so much flavor. The extra step of braising the chicken creates that beautiful caramel color and crispy exterior on your chicken.
Yes, you can braise and bake the chicken, then leave it in your dutch oven with the cover on at room temperature. Warm it in the oven for 10-15 minutes before you’re ready to serve.
Love dates, here are some more recipe ideas
If you like lemon and chicken, you might like these recipes
- Lemon chicken picata
- Roasted chicken with lemon and potatoes
- Garlic and lemon chicken
- Pasta with chicken and lemon
Baked Lemon Chicken Recipe with Dates
Ingredients
- 6-8 chicken thighs with bone and skin
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 1 lemon cut into slices
- 2 shallots halved lengthwise
- 6 medjol dates pitted
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon urfa chili or 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- flaky sea salt
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Salt and pepper chicken and place skin side down in Dutch oven. Cook without moving for about 5 minutes until the skin is brown. Turn over in the Dutch oven so they are skin side up. Add lemon slices, and shallot, moving the chicken to the side so that the lemons come in contact with the bottom of the pot. Let it cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add dates, thyme and water. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with Urfa chili or red pepper flakes and place the lid on the Dutch oven. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes until almost cooked through.
- Remove the lid and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the chicken. Continue to cook uncovered until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- This is great served over rice.
- You can cup up a whole chicken into pieces and braise those instead of just purchasing chicken thighs.
- You can make this in advance and wait to cook it for the last 15 minutes before you are ready to serve it.
- You can make it spicy by using red pepper flakes instead of black pepper.
Nutrition
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Is there a way to read the reviews for each recipe? In the past I was able to read them but now they don’t appear. Your recipes are great and I like to read others’ comments and suggestions.
Any reviews will be at the very bottom of the post. There haven’t been any reviews for this recipe. I would love for you to add one if you make it.
I made this tonight, and it was delicious. I had made a chicken thigh with medjools some years ago, but couldn’t find the recipe, so a search with these ingredients led me to you.
Just one confusing note. I had to go to the narrative portion of the post to find out when to put the Dutch oven IN the oven. I suggest you revise step 3 in the recipe to make that clearer.
Oh, sorry…one more. In step 2, it doesn’t say to turn the chicken over for the 2 minutes. It does in the narrative above.
I hope that’s helpful. Thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks Janice, sometimes when you make something a million times, it’s hard to remember that others can’t read you mind!