Gather all the spices you need to make Chicken Baharat.
A big part of any Mediterranean dish are the ingredients used to create them. These additions give Middle Eastern cuisine the flavorful taste that most people are familiar with. One particular ingredient, called Baharat, is used to marinate chicken and create a truly delightful meal. Find out everything you need to know about this key ingredient and how to make Chicken Baharat, an exquisite meal that will send your taste buds to heaven.
What is Baharat?
Baharat is a word that translates to “spices” in Arabic. Much like the name implies, it is a combination of spices favored in the Mediterranean region. Some of the most common ingredients found in Baharat include the following:
- Allspice
- Black peppercorns
- Cardamom seeds
- Cassia bark
- Cloves
- Coriander seeds
- Cumin seeds
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
Some countries change the ingredients based on their preference. For example, Turkish cuisine favors mint as the main ingredient, while others like Tunisia uses a mix of dried rosebuds and cinnamon. Depending on the dish, some chefs will either rub the Baharat mixture into meat or combine it with olive oil and lime juice to create a marinate.
Prepping Your Meal
If you are ready to make a delicious meal at home using Baharat, then we have the perfect recipe for you – Chicken Baharat. This is a savory meal, perfect for any lunch or dinner. First, you are going to need a few ingredients get started on this great at-home Chicken recipe, including:
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 mint sprigs
- 6 cilantro sprigs
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons Baharat
- 9 oz. carrots
- 1 zucchini
- 1 yellow squash
- 4 oz. grape tomatoes
- 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoons red pepper flakes
Start prepping this meal by preheating the oven to 400 degrees and adding foil to a baking sheet. Next, rinse your chicken and place it aside on a plate. You are also going to clean your produce ingredients (mint, cilantro, carrots, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes). Once they are clean, mince the garlic, stem and chop the mint and cilantro.
Season the chicken with the Baharat spice, half of your garlic, half of your mint, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the chicken in olive oil and leave it to marinate for 15 minutes. While your dish marinates, you are going to prepare your vegetables and fruits by skinning and cutting the carrots into slice pieces, dicing the zucchini and squash and cutting the grape tomatoes in half.
This recipe calls for a cilantro sauce. You can create this sauce by combining cilantro with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the zest from half of a lemon. Add salt of pepper to taste, and mix the ingredients together. After you are done with that, set it aside for later.
Making Chicken Baharat
Now comes the fun part, when it’s time to cook. Return to your chicken after 15 minutes of marinating. You are going to add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan and heat it on a stove top at medium-high heat. Add your chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Next, add the chicken to your baking sheet and leave it in the oven for 10 minutes.
The only thing that is left to do is cook the vegetables. Using the same pan as before, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add your carrots, zucchini, and squash. Leave it alone for 3 minutes then stir it for 5 more minutes. After you are done cooking the veggies, add more garlic, as well as tomatoes, then season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
Enjoy Your Meal
Once everything is thoroughly cooked, you are ready to eat! Just transfer your vegetables and chicken to a plate. You can add a little bit of lemon juice to the vegetables to add more flavor. At Bodrum, our Chicken Baharat is a thinly pounded grilled chicken breast, marinated in Baharat spices, served with rice & small mixed greens. Try it out for yourself by visiting us at our restaurant in upper Manhattan.
