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!
“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
Step 1: Make the marinade. Whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, mustard, honey, red pepper flakes, garlic, thyme, and salt.
Step 2: Marinate everything. 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.
Step 3: Roast. 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.
Step 4: Finish under the broiler. Turn on broiler (leaving the 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!
Step 5: Serve. 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. Enjoy!
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
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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I’d like to make this recipe this weekend and serve it next weekend. Can I freeze the chicken in the marinade and cook before serving?
Sure, Renee, I think that should work. Hope you enjoy!
This just didn’t quite work for us.
It was fine, but nothing special. I’m not a good enough cook to say what was missing, but it felt like something was omitted.
I made this for a dinner party for 8 and it was a HUGE success. I chose this because most of the prep could be done the day before so my tiny kitchen wasn’t cluttered with pots and pans! I also knew I could serve this without testing it out before as your recipes have NEVER failed me and this passed the test. I had a couple from Spain who were new to Boston and they said not only was it the best dish they have tasted so far but it reminded them of a Morrocan dish from home. I used bone in thighs for portion control so I could plate the dishes easily to my guests as they sat down to dinner. I served with couscous (perfect for thighs to rest on) and your arugula salad. I am happy I doubled the recipe as I am now enjoying the leftovers immensely.
Can I substitute dried figs for the dates? Would it be too sweet?
I think that should be fine, Jenna. Enjoy!
This dish was incredible! I was looking for something to serve for Easter dinner that was not turkey or ham. Decided to give this a try. Everyone absolutely loved it. I served it with couscous and steamed carrots. The sauce was amazing – I had three servings of couscous just to soak up the sauce. Will definitely make this again.
I just made this for company and they liked it. My husband really loved it, me too. I followed your recipe and found it to be such a great make ahead meal. I especially loved the toppings, and the presentation was lovely. I made the green beans and served it with brown basmati rice. I will make it a lot. I love your recipes!
I couldn’t find the right chicken for this recipe so I bought a 4 lb package of thighs (with skin). Will the cook time be the same? Thank you! Really looking forward to making this.
Hi Carol, are the thighs bone-in? If so, they would cook for the same amount of time. Hope you enjoy!
Yes, they’re bone-in. Thank you for writing back so quickly. I’ll marinate tonight and cook tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll be amazing!
Marinaded overnight and had it for dinner last night with some smashed red potatoes. OMG this is fingerpicking good. I added more crushed red pepper as I like spicy and this was the perfect combination of sweet (but not sickly sweet) and spicy. Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Hi Jenn! Thanks so much for your amazing, flawless recipes. I’m looking for a great roast chicken for Passover. I typically make Marbella, but would love to try something new. There are a lot of restrictions for my dish – no dairy, nothing too sweet (as not to compete with the tsimmes) and no rosemary or sage can be used. Is this a good alternative? How spicy does it end up? Hoping to make something the preschoolers at the table will eat. Finally, will this work without skin if I don’t broil at the end? If you have other Passover recs, I’d love them! Thanks so much! – Marissa
Hi Marissa, this is definitely a nice alternative to Chicken Marbella. It has a nice balance between sweet and savory; If you’re concerned about it being too sweet and competing with the tsimmes, you could cut the honey back just a bit. Regarding using skinless bone-in chicken, you could probably get away with it, but I think you’d need to add a few more tablespoons of olive oil to make up for the fat in the skin – otherwise, the chicken might be dry and the sauce off balance. Hope that helps!
I’m embarrassed to ask this question but here goes: I’m new to cooking. If you can believe I’ve never roasted bone in, skin on chicken before. Someone told me once that it will make a terrible mess of your oven and the fat will splatter everywhere. So, I wonder: If I make this recipe, will it splatter all over my oven and make a huge, hard to clean mess for me to clean up after my guests leave?? I’d like to move past my fears, so I appreciate any and all answers/tips advice. I love this site and every single recipe I’ve ever tried—and so have my guests. Thank you, Jenn.
No need to be embarrassed! This should not make a mess of your oven; the baking sheet will get pretty dirty with this, but if you’d like to avoid scrubbing it after dinner, cover it with non-stick foil before putting the ingredients on. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you, Jenn. You are simply the best. This site and your recipes are a sheer joy and supreme pleasure. Nothing makes me happier than creating one of your dishes for people to enjoy. Thanks for ALL you do. You are truly incredible and I have so much respect for your talent and kindness.
Thank you, Diane, for such kind words – you made my day! 💕