Persimmon Date Preserved Lemon Chicken

This Persimmon Date Preserved Lemon Chicken is a festive feast that’s foolproof. This sounds like a dish that would have you nervously Googling “how to plate like a Michelin chef.” But here’s the kicker: it’s ridiculously easy. Like, laughably easy. And the results? Utterly fancy. Actually, the ingredients do the fancy part, not some magical preparation.

Start by giving those chicken thighs and drumsticks a spa day. They soak up olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, kosher salt, and pepper while you wield your knife on the supporting cast. Ripe, squishy Hachiya persimmons? Slice them up—they’re sweet, jammy, and almost too pretty to eat (almost). Red onions? Slice into rings of glory; their mild sweetness gets even better in the oven. Dates? Chop those chewy nuggets of caramel goodness. Preserved lemons? Dice them small; their salty-tangy punch is a flavor explosion waiting to happen.

Toss and bake!

Now toss the whole gang together on a trusty sheet pan. Obviously, we’re skipping bowls because fewer dishes = more holiday cheer. Pour any leftover preserved lemon juices over the top because, well, why wouldn’t you? Into the oven, it goes. Then, the Persimmon Date Preserved Lemon Chicken magic happens while you kick back with a mug of something warm and spiced.

As it bakes, the chicken turns golden and crispy, while the persimmons caramelize into sticky-sweet jewels. Then, the red onions soften and soak up the chicken juices, and the dates practically melt into a syrupy delight. And those preserved lemons? They’re the salty-sour zingers that keep everything balanced.

This Persimmon Date Preserved Lemon Chicken dish doesn’t just taste like the holidays—it is the holidays. It’s perfect for Hanukkah, Christmas, or even New Year’s Eve when you’re too tired to fuss but still want applause-worthy results. As a result, Guests will think you spent hours. Little do they know you barely broke a sweat.

Make it. Love it. Take all the compliments. You deserve them.

Print

Persimmon Date Preserved Lemon Chicken

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Jewish

Keyword chicken dinner, chicken recipes, persimmon chicken, preserved lemon chicken, sheetpan chicken

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Servings 6

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

• 3.5-4 chicken pieces skin on
• Olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 large persimmons
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 2 preserved lemons
• 2 red onions

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
3. Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry.
4. Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet.
5. Coat with olive oil and lemon juice.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Slice the persimmons into rounds, then in half.
8. Cut the dates into pieces.
9. Chop the preserved lemons into small pieces.
10. Peel and slice the onions into rinsing.
11. Distribute the persimmons, dates, onions, and preserved lemons over the chicken,.
12. Bake for 45 minutes.
13. Transfer to a platter or serve right out of the sheet pan.

So, do you like this Persimmon Date Preserved Lemon Chicken? Also, check out some of these other delicious recipes:

LEMON PISTACHIO PERSIMMON MUFFINS

PERSIMMON WALNUT MARZIPAN STOLLEN

PRESERVED LEMON POTATO KUGEL