Season the chicken

• Place the trimmed chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl.
• Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the salt, black pepper and lemon juice.
• Stir in the yogurt to tenderize the chicken and boost flavor.

Add the spices

• Add the dried thyme, garlic powder, smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper, cayenne, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Mix thoroughly so the chicken is evenly coated.

Marinate

• Mix in the thinly sliced red onion.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight; longer marinating deepens the flavor.

Bring to room temperature and preheat

• Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 218 °C (425 °F).

Bake

• Pack the marinated chicken and onion tightly into a loaf pan.
• Bake uncovered until fully cooked and deeply golden on top.

Drain and slice

• Remove the pan from the oven and tilt it over a bowl to drain the excess juices, keeping the liquid for drizzling or broth.
• Flip the chicken loaf onto a cutting board and slice into thin strips or bite-sized pieces.

Serve

• Serve as-is, in a salad, in a grain bowl or wrapped in pita.
• For crispier edges, broil the sliced chicken on a sheet pan for 2-3 minutes before serving.