Sweet & Spicy Roast Chicken with Carrots, Dates & Pistachios
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
When I make chicken marbella for company, I often make it ahead, bake it, freeze it and then just reheat when it’s time to eat it. Would that work with this recipe?
Hi Jane, I haven’t frozen this, but I think it would work. 🙂
Thanks! I’ll let you know how it works.
The chicken turned out perfectly and very delicious. My children love it!
I have made several times and it’s wonderful! Will be serving it to guests tomorrow evening for an informal dinner party. Do you have a wine suggestion?
Hi, glad you like this! If you’d like to go with white, I think a chardonnay would be nice. If you’re going red, the dish would pair nicely with a pinot noir
OMG WONDERFUL RECIPE!! I’ve made this for 6 people and they raved how awesome it was! Your taste buds are hit in every direction possible!! I cook a lot and this stands out against everything else and not to toot my own horn but I am a great cook. I’ve made this recipe 3 times already and I just made it once again this time doubled everything and I hope it comes out the same way PERFECTLY and UNBELIEVABLE TASTE taking your taste buds in every direction! Good Job To This Chef!!
Hi Jenn, I made this dish twice before. This time, I decreased the red pepper flakes by half. I’m something of a “wuss” when it comes to heat and food! I served it with rice. The second time, I made it exactly as is written, and served it with couscous. Perfect! This time: I made changes in order to meet some current diet restrictions. I doubled the marinade, and roasted in a 13 x 9 pan. I added halved Brussels sprouts 3/4 cup, Broccoli flowerettes3/4 cup, and 1 cup small, halved Mushrooms. All were marinated with chicken EXCEPT mushrooms. Everything else was as written. I didn’t really miss the starch sides, and loved the veggies!
Just found this site and recipes looks awesome. Can I use butternut squash instead of or as well as carrots?
Sure, Antonia – I think that’d work well. 🙂
Jenn,
I made this for the second time and it was another huge hit. My holiday menu had this dish, your brisket atop onion recipe, your balsamic honey brussel sprouts, and honey cake. Needless to say, I rave about your recipes and book any chance I can get. Thank you for making creative, delicious cooking so much fun.
Hi Jen, I accidentally left out carrots, onions and dates from marinade. I marinated the chicken overnight. Is there way to rectify this? I love your blog and bought your book. Thank you for many wonderful recipes!
Hi Elena, Totally fine to just add the carrots, onions and dates right before cooking. Hope that helps!
Thank you for your reply, Jennifer. It came out great! New family favorite! I skipped the dates, but otherwise followed the recipe. Added carrots and onions about 2 hours before cooking (misread the instructions by mistake) and it was still delicious!
Delicious!
My concern about marinating chicken in lemon juice for such a long period of time is that the acidity makes the chicken rubbery. I’ve had this experience , when I’ve made chicken off the bone . Any thoughts?
Hi Sara, I have that same issue with boneless chicken breasts but here the chicken is cooked on the bone so you won’t have that problem. Hope you enjoy it if you try it!