Dark meat adds juiciness and B vitamins.
This colorful dish is ideal for entertaining, and it’s deceptively simple to put together. Antioxidant-rich pomegranate seeds, dates, and pistachios dress up the rice. “You can also swap the rice for shredded kale, Swiss chard, or cabbage and serve it as a salad,” says Laura Rege, a New York City-based recipe developer. North African spices, including coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon, bring a rich earthiness to the chicken.
Photography and styling by Jenny Huang
Ingredients
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine rice, 1 cup water, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the chicken spices with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon oil and season with the spice mixture. Toss carrots with one more tablespoon of oil and season with salt.
Step 3
Arrange the chicken and carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake about 25 minutes, until chicken registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
Step 4
Stir the dates, pomegranate seeds, parsley, pistachio, and lemon zest and juice into the rice. Serve with chicken thighs.