Saffron Chicken

The chicken mariantes overnight (or at least 30 minutes) in a flavourful, well-seasoned marinade of bloomed saffron, yoghurt, garlic, and lemon juice that deliver the perfect combination of acidity, sweetness, and umami - absolutely irresistible. I go for chicken thighs with the skin on and bone in, because they are nearly impossible to overcook and stay incredibly juicy. However, you can use only chicken breasts if you prefer. Adjust the cooking time and oven temperature accordingly.

	Herby Labneh Dip
0.5 g Saffron threads 1 tbsp Warm water 180 g Greek yoghurt 2-3 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced Juice of 1 lemon ½-¾ tsp Sea salt ½ tsp Freshly milled black pepper 1.2-1.5 kg Chicken thighs 3 tbsp Butter, melted 1 tbsp Chopped parsley Lemon wedges	200 g Labneh (or Greek yoghurt) 15 g Mint leaves 10 g Parsley, stems removed and packed 1 Jalapeño or habanero, deseeded 1 tbsp Olive oil 1 Garlic clove Pinch of sea salt

In a large bowl, combine the saffron threads with warm water. Let it stand for 5 minutes to bloom the saffron so it releases its gorgeous golden colour.
Add in the yoghurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix until combined. Add the chicken thighs and mix very well, until all the chicken thighs are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight, if possible.
Half an hour before cooking, bring the chicken to room temperature. Preheat oven to 220C/430F.
Place the marinated chicken thighs in a large baking tray and spoon the melted butter over. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
For the dip, add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and blend for together. Taste, add a bit more sea salt if needed.
Garnish the chicken with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges and labneh dip.

18 comments:

J.P. Alexander 29/5/26 00:33: Gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso.
Tom 29/5/26 00:40: ...I have eaten plenty of chicken, but not saffron.
Linda's Relaxing Lair 29/5/26 01:08: This looks succulent. I have never tried saffron so far, but I definitely love ❤️ chicken.
Brian's Home Blog 29/5/26 02:12: That sure is pretty, yum!
My name is Erika. 29/5/26 02:15: I might leave out the hot pepper, or maybe just a little less. I love that there's also lemon in this too. It looks so yummy. Have a super Friday.
Rainbow Evening 29/5/26 03:55: love chicken.....
but, never tasted Saffron Chicken.... must be delicious...
yummy...
Modrina Neba - Blue Sky 29/5/26 05:28: I love chicken in 100 ways :)) Have you ever eaten it in a salad? It's excellent. Sending a Friday hug!
Tandy (Lavender and Lime) 29/5/26 05:42: I would also use chicken thighs for this. It all sounds so good!
Christine 29/5/26 08:00: Yummy
Margaret D 29/5/26 09:00: Looks good and I bet it tastes good too, Angie.
Lola Martínez 29/5/26 10:11: Me gusta esta otra forma de cocinar el pollo, también la salsa que lo acompaña. Estoy segura que en algún momento lo cocinaré para probarlo.
DEZMOND 29/5/26 10:34: Wishing you a nice weekend ahead, I made some red lentil patties for lunch with potato/carrot/garlic mash and will be baking some beer sesame cornflour sticks tomorrow.
David M. Gascoigne, 29/5/26 11:35: I don’t think we have saffron in the house, but I could increase my line of credit to buy some!
Paola 29/5/26 12:49: Sembra molto molto buono!
Judee 29/5/26 17:47: My mother in law always used saffron. I find it too expensive. Your chicken dish must be delicious.
Ananka 29/5/26 17:52: Looks good :-D
Bill 29/5/26 22:31: Looks delicious, Angie.
Shirsty A. 29/5/26 23:42: I just spent the day helping a friend with a wood floor refinishing in Denver. What a day. I sent a text to my husband complaining about the work. He texted me back with a picture of this recipe. Absolutely made my day. Thank you for making a recipe that my husband can make.