Sheet Pan Tzimmes Chicken



Total Time: 1 hr
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Serves: 4
Easy


We took the main elements of traditional tzimmes—root vegetables and dried fruit—and used them to build an easy sheet-pan dinner with the addition of chicken. Carrots and dates provide classic tzimmes sweetness, and we semi-pickle the dates to punch up their flavor (they’re added toward the end of cooking so they don’t burn). A flourish of fresh figs at the end provides more natural sweetness and makes a beautiful addition. Bone-in chicken breasts stay moist and juicy in the dry heat of the oven, even without their skin. They’re typically quite large, so we cut them in half.
Ingredients
  • 4 sprays cooking spray
  • 1 lb uncooked carrots
  • 1 medium uncooked red onion
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1½ lbs uncooked skinless chicken breast with bone, (2 breasts)
  • ⅓ cup dried dates, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 6 medium fresh figs, halved
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, leaves (optional)

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a large sheet pan with cooking spray.
  2. Cut the slender ends of the carrots into 2-in-long pieces. Cut the larger ends of the carrots in half lengthwise, then into 2-in-long pieces. Peel the onion, leaving the root end intact (to help wedges stay together); cut onion into wedges. Place the carrots and onion wedges in a large bowl and drizzle with oil; toss gently to coat. In a small bowl, combine the salt, cumin, pepper, and cinnamon. Sprinkle 1 tsp spice mixture over the vegetables; toss gently to coat.
  3. Arrange the chicken on the cutting board, bone side down. Using a large, sturdy chef’s knife, cut breasts in half, pressing firmly on the knife with your body weight to cut through the bone. Arrange the chicken pieces on the prepared pan; sprinkle with the remaining spice mixture. Arrange the vegetables around the chicken on the pan.
  4. Bake the chicken mixture at 400°F for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the dates, 1 tbsp water, and vinegar; microwave on High until mixture comes to a boil, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Let stand at room temperature.
  5. After the chicken mixture has baked for 25 minutes, remove the pan from the oven (leave oven on). Gently stir the vegetables and sprinkle with the dates. Return the pan to the oven; bake until the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; sprinkle figs over the top. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
  6. Serving Size: 1 chicken piece and about 1 cup vegetable mixture. Delicious!