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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This was amazing. I used all bone-in (skin removed for health reasons) chicken thighs. Thank you.
Wow! This was absolutely delicious! I didn’t have lemon on hand so used lime and omitted the mustard since I’m not a fan… so easy and so yummy! I expected the chicken to be good but the onions and carrots are addictive. Definitely making it again.
In general I absolutely love your recipes. They are reliably excellent and easy to follow. I feel confident experimenting with new flavors and dishes and my family asks if they are one of your recipes before trying something new. Thanks so much for sharing them on your website and cookbook.
❤️
Do you think sliced prunes could be subbed for the dates without altering the flavor or texture of the dish? This isn’t chicken marbella which typically is made with prunes, but it’s similar.
Sure, Sadie, I think prunes would work nicely here. Enjoy!
Hi Jennifer,
I made this recipe last night and it was delicious. My husband also loved it. Will definitely make it again. I do have a question about the 425 temp tho. I wondered if my oven was too hot. I didn’t need to broil as after 40 min everything was done and we temped the chicken to about 180 Wondering why you suggest no foil in the pan? was that because the onions and carrots need to carmalize? What about using non stick foil? My enamel pan that came with the oven was very difficult to clean Thanks for your reply
Hi Donna, I only broil it to quickly crisp the skin so I think your oven is fine. I found the onions and carrots stuck to foil, but other readers have said that they used it with good results. I think you could use parchment paper without any issues.
My mom has made me many Jenn recipes, but this one most recently. We worship Jenn. She is our idol, mother goddess, chieftain, alpha, omega, beginning and end. THANK YOU JENN, GOD BLESS AMERICA
❤️
Having this Sunday for late Hanukah party. Don’t see oven temp for roasting for 40-45 min and a few minutes under broiler. What temp should my oven be, please?
Cheryl B.
Hi Cheryl, It’s in the middle of the recipe – 425°F. Hope you enjoy it!
This is a keeper that is definitely going into the rotation. I cooked for 30 minutes at 425 and then 20 minutes with convection to get the crispy skin without risking burning under the broiler. Made couscous with homemade chicken stock to accompany. The only change I made to the recipe was using agave syrup instead of honey. An excellent dish.
this recipe is AMAZING i loved it so much. my only issue is my personal dislike of eating bone-in chicken. can anyone recommend cooking instructions if i were to make it w boneless thighs??
Hi Stephanie, Glad you enjoyed it! Although I think this is best with bone-in chicken, you may be able to get away with boneless thighs because they have more fat/moisture. I would maintain the recipe, but check the chicken about 10 minutes before the recipe is done to see if it is fully cooked. If it is, remove it from the baking sheet and let the remaining ingredients roast for 10 more minutes.
Hi Jenn,
Thank you very much for this awesome recipe. I tried it last night for our Anniversary dinner and came out really well. Akhi and I loved it 😍. I used whole chicken instead and put half of a lemon inside it
Thanks again
Ash
2 questions:
1: Can I used crushed whole mustard seeds in place of whole grain mustard, and if so, how much?
2: What’s the rationale for not lining the sheet pan with foil?
Hi Ryelle, I wouldn’t recommend using crushed mustard seeds in place of the mustard here – sorry! And regarding the foil, I’d been nervous to use foil here because of the honey, but many readers have used nonstick foil with success so think it’s fine. Enjoy!