Let me introduce you to my chicken tray bake made with dates and sweet potatoes! This chicken and date casserole features chicken thighs, olives, capers, and dates for a sweet, tangy and cozy one-sheet pan meal. The balance of flavors and the sticky, gooey, caramelized dates make this tray bake the quintessential hearty, delicious, and family-friendly meal.
This chicken and date casserole brings together bone-in chicken thighs, sweet Medjool dates, and the tangy richness of olives and capers. It’s a dish that feels luxurious and comforting without being too heavy, and it’s become a go-to for our family celebrations, especially around holidays like Passover and Easter.
I grew up with casseroles as the centerpiece of family dinners, and this one has become a favorite. My inspiration for this dish came from a family tradition, but I made it my own by adding a bit of sweetness from Medjool dates and some tangy twists with capers.
Delicious Holiday Roast Chicken Tray Bake
As we gather during the holidays, I find myself thinking back to cozy evenings at my parents' house, and this one-pot chicken with dates and caramelized lemon brings that comfort and nostalgia right to the table. It's the perfect meal to enjoy while reminiscing about the stories that shaped who we are as a family.
The combination of chicken thighs, briny olives, and sweet dates creates a comforting and deeply flavorful dish that’s perfect for the holidays. It's become the unspoken rule that this is the main for our Passover or Easter family dinners - a staple at our gatherings, with my kids alway asking for "sweet chicken."
Ingredients Highlights for Chicken Traybake
Besides a bunch of spices, like cilantro, bay leaves, garlic, red wine vinegar, molasses, capers, and wine, the star of the show are the dates and the chicken of this sheet pan traybake recipe!
Medjool Dates
Medjool dates are the star of this chicken and date casserole. These dates are prized for their large size, soft and chewy texture, and rich natural sweetness. Unlike other varieties of dates, Medjool dates have a unique caramel-like flavor that becomes wonderfully jammy as they cook. Their plumpness and moisture help balance the savory ingredients like olives and capers, creating that perfect sweet-savory harmony in the dish. Medjool dates are also packed with nutrients, offering a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them a healthy addition to your meal.
These are my favorite dates to cook with, whether it's a dinner dish, or a dessert like sticky date pouding or a Quebec pouring chomeur with homemade date syrup.
Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs
For the chicken, we recommend using bone-in, skin-on thighs, but chicken breasts can also work. This cut of chicken is preferred because it has a higher fat content, which keeps the meat tender and juicy during cooking. The skin helps lock in moisture, giving you a crisp, golden exterior while keeping the meat underneath incredibly succulent. The bone helps ensure the chicken stays moist and cooks evenly, making it an essential choice for a dish like this where flavor and texture are key.
Plus, chicken thighs have a more forgiving cooking time compared to breasts, reducing the risk of overcooking and ensuring a juicy, flavorful result every time, which is why I also use it for my French onion chicken skillet and buttermilk chicken recipe.
Directions to Prepare Moroccan Chicken and Date Recipe
Prepare the Skin-On Chicken Thighs
Score the chicken thighs or a whole chicken a few times to help the marinade soak in. Rub the chicken with salt and pepper before marinating.
Marinate the Chicken and Prepare Dates
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In a large bowl, combine garlic, cilantro, vinegar, olive oil, olives, capers, Medjool dates, bay leaves, and lemon slices. Pour on top of the chicken and mix well to coat. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days for the best flavor.
Arrange the Sweet Potatoes
Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges and place them along the sides of the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake the Casserole
Place the whole chicken or chicken parts, along with the marinade ingredients, on the baking sheet, letting it overlap with the sweet potatoes. Whisk together red wine and date molasses, and pour over the chicken.
For this recipe, baking the chicken at 400°F (200°C) is ideal. And why 400°F and not 350°F?
The higher temperature helps achieve that beautifully golden-brown, crispy skin on the chicken thighs while ensuring the meat stays juicy and tender. At 400°F, the chicken cooks evenly, and the flavors from the marinade. Bake the chicken for about 50 minutes, basting it two or three times throughout to keep it moist and flavorful.
This will result in perfectly cooked chicken with a crispy exterior and juicy, tender interior. If you bake at a lower temperature like 350°F, the chicken will take longer to cook, and you might miss out on that crisp skin and caramelized edges.
Serve with Lemon and Cilantro
Remove the dish from the oven and transfer everything to a large platter. Sprinkle fresh cilantro or some lemon slices on the side, and serve alongside roasted carrots for a perfect meal.
This casserole pairs wonderfully with sides like roasted vegetables, couscous, or a simple cucumber salad. You could also serve it with some air fryer asparagus for extra greens.
Top Tips for Perfect Chicken and Date Casserole
- Marinate Overnight: For maximum flavor, let the chicken marinate overnight.
- Score the Chicken: Scoring helps the marinade penetrate and ensures even cooking.
- Use Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken: This keeps the meat juicy and helps achieve that illustrious golden-brown color.
- Baste for Extra Flavor: Baste the chicken during cooking to keep it moist.
Storage Directions
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on medium heat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
This casserole freezes well! Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then pop it back in the oven to reheat until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid has reduced.
Other Casserole Recipes to Try
If you loved this chicken dish, try some of my other casserole recipes for cozy, one-pot meals. This chicken hashbrowns casserole and salmon-cauliflower casserole have the same weeknight-friendly vibe and comforting flavors, while this cheesy cabbage casserole, cauliflower casserole, and spring pasta bake combines nostalgic flavors and textures with a healthy (cabbage) twist. Stay tuned for more easy comfort food classics that will be perfect for your next family dinner or date night!
- Slow Cooker Sausage Biscuit Gravy Casserole
- Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole (No Canned Soup!)
- Hot Chocolate Cobbler Recipe
- Pancake Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Recipe
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Chicken and Date Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, breasts or drumsticks skin on and bone-in, scored a few times
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- ¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup pitted green olives
- 5 tablespoons capers plus 2 tablespoon of their brine
- 1 cup Natural Delights Medjool dates pitted and quartered lengthwise (equal to 7 individual dates or 120g)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup dry red wine (120ml)
- 2 large sweet potatoes or 4 small cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons date molasses can be replaced with pomegranate molasses, regular molasses or maple syrup
Instructions
- Prepare a large baking pan or baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper.
- If you have time to marinate the chicken, place chicken pieces in a large bowl and add the garlic, cilantro, vinegar, oil, olives, capers, Medjool dates, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. If you are cooking the chicken straightaway, then rub the chicken with the salt and pepper prior to placing it in the marinade of garlic, cilantro, vinegar, oil, olives, capers, dates and bay leaves. Stir everything to combine, cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours, and up to two days.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spread out the sweet potatoes along the sides of the baking sheet. Arrange chicken thighs, along with all the marinade ingredients, letting it overlap with the sweet potatoes. Whisk together the wine and molasses and pour over the meat. Drizzle sweet potatoes with 3-4 TBs of olive oil and sprinkle generously with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Place Ottolenghi Chicken Marbella with dates in the oven and cook for 50 minutes, basting two or three times, until the meat is golden brown on top and cooked through.
- Remove tray from the oven, transfer chicken, sweet potatoes and everything else to a large platter, sprinkle with some fresh cilantro, and serve.
