This slow roasted Persian style chicken is juicy, flavourful and impressive- Yet is SO simple to whip up! Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, it’s gluten free, paleo and dairy free!
This month’s recipe redux theme-
A Food Memory For Which You Are Thankful
In the US, November marks the Thanksgiving holiday. But many of us are especially thankful for food memories we have shared with friends or relatives throughout our lives. Was it a special meal you ate as a child? Or, maybe it was a food you grew and harvested with your own children. Please share one of your favorite food memories and the healthier “redo” of the recipe.
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Recipe development and experimentation is something I genuinely enjoy most of the time.
Sometimes, nothing beats making a family favourite recipe passed down from one generation to the next.
No fancy adaptions.
No complicated processes.
No ingredients which require you to sell your soul to obtain.
Just a classic, family meal made with love.
I always knew whenever we’d be having ‘chicken night’ as I used to call it. It was often on weekends when Mum didn’t have work and she’d spend a solid four hours straight in the kitchen with Celine Dion playing in the background. From around 3pm, mum would turn on the oven, collate her herbs together and begin to assemble this dish.
My sister and I would be oblivious to all of this- all we thought was ‘mum’s in the kitchen for a long time’ and the end result was chicken. Good chicken.
Scrap that- The most delicious chicken.
My mum had a special way of serving it to us- the table would be set and there would be the standard sides with any Persian meal- Pita bread, natural yogurt, homemade pickles and a very simple green salad tossed with lemon juice and olive oil. On each plate was a mount of buttered, basmati rice ready for the main attraction to be placed upon it- The slow roasted chicken.
It was like a system in place- Get my plate, add the chicken, put some pickles and a dollop of natural yogurt and it was time to dig in. I can recall that every Persian dish followed this process to a T- the main, the pickles, the yogurt– It was as though it was ingrained.
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Persian Slow Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram chicken thighs chopped roughly
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 can of diced tomatoes 400 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon pure saffron
- 1 tablespoon Norbu natural sweetener or 2 tsp natvia or sweetener of choice
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Butter oil or cooking spray
- Torn spinach for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. In a large baking dish, generously coat it with butter, oil or cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped chicken thighs, onions, minced garlic and mix well. Stir through the diced tomatoes. Add in the turmeric, saffron, norbu natural sweetener/natvia/sweetener of choice and salt and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add the chicken mixture into the greased baking dish. Gently pour the chicken stock over the chicken mixture evenly. Place in the oven and cook for approximately 1 hour, gently stirring halfway. Chicken is cooked when you insert a skewer, and juices are clear. Alternatively, you can cut the centre piece and ensure it isn't pink.
- Remove from oven and cover with tin foil for 10 minutes to rest. Serve immediately, or allow to cool completely.
Notes
I made this dish after asking you, the readers, what you wanted. I ate it over three nights and froze the leftovers. I bought a small tub of natural yogurt, a jar of pickles, a bed of (microwaved) basmati rice and some pita bread. Not because I wanted those sides particularly much- but because it was ingrained in me to do so.
What is a childhood meal which brings back recipes for you?
What were typical side dishes for you growing up?
Ever eaten homemade pickles?
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This chicken recipe looks and sounds sooo good ! I was scared that it required a slow cooker but thank you for this method instead so I can actually make it!! I love how those dinner ritual are ingrained into you, that’s so interesting.
I can’t remember such a special ritual or routine. We often ate the same things in a maybe 2 week cycle. I loved my mum’s spaghetti with meat sauce and pancakes (savoury and sweet, for dinner, lol).
I’ve never had homemade pickles but wanted to make them for so long now! I really should make them once, it’s not difficult I think.
No worries- it really is so ingrained in me still! Pancakes for dinner both ways sounds delicious- and homemade pickles are amazing- my mum and grandma have jarfuls!
The flavor combination is mouth watering!
Thanks so much, Jill!
I would love to try your mom’s cooking,..this sounds divine! Growing up, we used to eat this Ghanian chicken curry almost every Sunday made from peanuts. We’d serve it with rice & a variety of toppings including coconut shreds, peanuts, onions, and papaya…so effing delicious!
More incentive to come to Australia! Wow, a curry with peanuts in it? i’m intrigued! Off to google now because it sounds good!
This looks fabulous Arman!
I was always the one cooking growing up. My mom never made anything special, haha!
Really? Wow, no wonder you are a talented chef!
MUST TRY THIS. Totally making this, when I have time to actually think about meals again. Love all the flavors. Must have with like a quart of tabbouleh though.
omg, YES. Try Persian style tabbouleh (with added red onions, garlic salt and a dash of yogurt).
Holy Cow! This looks fab… I used to eat homemade pickles that my grandpa would make. I loved them!
Thanks Bridget! Great to see you back here- hope you’ve been well!
This looks delicious! The sauce sounds so flavorful!
Thanks Kelly! It really is for such a simple mix of herbs!
I really love it when bloggers share their family recipes. It’s like getting a “secret” recipe.
This sounds so good too. I love turmeric.
Thanks Dannii- more to come (hopefully!)
My mum was born in Persia (way back in the 30’s when it was still Persia!) though she was a displaced Russian but to her dying day still spoke a bit and loved Persian things…including the food of course. Most of my sandwiches were in pita bread though stuffed randomly (:
We had Russian homemade goods though such as borscht (days in fridge made it even better) and lots of other such goodies.
Ahhh…the taste of home!
WHAT! No way- thanks for letting me know! And my grandma has Russian/Turkish roots too!
Hahahahahahaha that is awesome- I grew up thinking pita bread was the ‘standard bread’ and then got bullied at school. And Borscht- oh man, my grandma makes the best! This comment from you is awesome!
Now I have a craving for a homemade pickle! You talk about this chicken all the time and I can see why, it looks incredible and I can only imagine how it tastes.
It’s funny how food traditions get ingrained in us, I was getting ingredients for tacos last weekend and put a can of olives in my basket, not because I like olives on my tacos but because that’s one of the toppings my mom always had for us growing up.
Thanks, Sarah! Hope you try it out- it’s gluten free 😉
Naw, olives and sarah = new association.
This sounds soooooo soooooo good! Unfortunately I am VERY hungry right now and just seeing this sends me a bit over the edge! And those pictures! LOVE THEM! So pretty! Very very good job!
Thanks Juli! My mum was clearly Paleo before it became mainstream 😉
You know what ingredient I might sell my soul to obtain? That magic fiber they put in quest bars… just being honest! Pinning your delicious chicken recipe!
Really! hahaha- Apparently it is available to buy (not in Australia though. Australia has nothin. Fail Whale).
It looks really simple and fun. Your photography is so great and if I didn’t like Persian chicken, would have changed my mind looking at these.
Thanks Hollie!
Oh Arman this looks so good! And I love that it all goes in a pot, in the oven and cooks away!
Did your mum ever make Persian lamb? I had that in Abu Dhabi – I still have dreams about that dish, encrusted with pomegranate jewels!
YES! My mum makes the best lamb dishes- which taste so good after being slow cooked for the day!
Yummm, oh man this looks so good. I love that your mom listened to Celine while cooking haha. My mom used to make a beef stroganoff that was so good when I was growing up.
Haha, please don’t tell me you do too…it seems like many mums made beef stroganoffs!!