I shamelessly stole this idea. Yep this delicious Middle Eastern Chicken & Broccoli Magic Meal did not come from my brain.
It was happily crowd sourced from my Joyful Cooking students.
But given that one of the things I teach them is to ‘steal with pride’ it seems fitting to publish our combined efforts.
If you don’t have preserved lemon you can make your own or see the variations below for alternatives that don’t require a few weeks.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken thigh or small breast fillets
- 250 g / 9 oz frozen broccoli
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon preserved lemon diced (optional)
- handful roast pistachios chopped
Instructions
for AIR FRYER
- Line 1/2 your air fryer basket with baking paper so the broccoli won't fall through the holes. Cover with frozen broccoli in a single layer. Place chicken on the wire next to the broccoli making sure the chicken is spread out in a single layer.
- Set the air fryer to 200C (400F). Cook for 10 minutes.
- When the timer goes, check the chicken. - it may need a few minutes longer depending on how thick the fillets were.
for OVEN
- Turn your oven to 250C (480F). Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper.
- Place chicken on the tray. Place the frozen broccoli next to the chicken.
- Pop tray in the oven and set your timer for 12 minutes. Put your feet up.
- When the timer goes, check the chicken. - it may need a few minutes longer depending on your oven.
To serve (both methods)
- Mix tahini with 2 tablespoons water and a pinch of salt to make the sauce.
- When the chicken is cooked and the broccoli is hot. Place in a bowl. Drizzle over the tahini sauce.
- Sprinkle over roast pistachios and preserved lemon (if using).
Variations & Substitutions
vegetarian – diced firm tofu or drained canned chickpeas crisped in the air fryer / oven would be awesome here! They won’t take as long to cook and will need a splash or spray of oil. If using tofu be prepared to add some extra salt or preserved lemon.
different protein – ground (minced) chicken or beef, salmon or white fish fillets, sausages, meatballs, eggs (will only need 5 minutes to cook in individual ramekins or tea cups (grease first!).
different sauce – hummus or pesto or greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt or babaganoush.
different vegetables – frozen spinach, frozen peas, frozen corn, frozen baby green beans, frozen kale, frozen cauliflower ‘rice’, frozen broccoli are all great! Feel free to use fresh veg as well if you don’t mind chopping.
more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with steamed rice, cooked noodles, pita or wraps or roast sweet potato.
more substantial (low carb) – good with a hunk of avocado. And some roast almonds, cashews or macadamias.
flavour bombs – fresh herb like coriander (cilantro), mint or basil. Freshly ground black pepper, chilli flakes, roast nuts, roast seeds, shredded seaweed snacks or nori sheets.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
chicken thigh or breast fillets – freeze them.
frozen broccoli – will keep in the freezer for months
soy sauce / sesame oil / pickled ginger – keep in the pantry.
Problem Solving Guide
bland – more salt or preserved lemon! Or add in a flavour bomb.
too dry – overcooked chicken. Next time get it out earlier. For now a little olive oil will help. And next time use chicken thigh fillets because they’re less likely to dry out.
no oven OR air fryer – pan fry the chicken until cooked through and then cook the frozen broccoli in the same pan.
taking too long – different ovens / air fryers vary in heating speed. And once you open the door to check it takes time to come back to temperature. So be patient!
Prep Ahead
You can but I’m not a big fan of the flavour of reheated chicken. Just cook as per the recipe but get the chicken out of the air fryer / oven before it’s fully cooked. Keep the cream separately. Either keep at room temperature if it’s only a few hours before serving or refrigerate if longer. Then to serve pop back in the air fryer (or 3-4 minutes) or a super hot oven (250C / 480F) for 5-10 minutes until everything is hot.