Harissa Grilled Chicken – Recipe!

It’s still summertime and warm weather hasn’t quite subsided yet, so it’s a good night for Harissa Grilled Chicken.  It’s super tender and juicy with a touch of heat and gorgeous umami flavors.

A good jar of harissa is found at many grocery stores or you can make your own and is a beautiful blend of peppers and spices that always seem to add the right flavors to any protein.  It’s a simple solution to marinade and with a few other pantry items added, it creates a delicious tasting chicken.  I’ve tried a few brands and so far, they all seem to produce a slightly spicy, yet tangy, piece of poultry that caramelizes beautifully when cooked on a moderately hot grill.

The key to good grilled chicken is to have an indirect heat area under one grate where no immediate fire is below.  That way, when your chicken is seared and mostly cooked through, you have a place to finish cooking the chicken without it burning, or getting too dark.  That’s not to say, a little charring on the outside, isn’t fabulous.  The harissa in the marinade provides a subtle heat, not too hot, but just right, giving the chicken the perfect note of smoky flavor.

Ingredients

4-6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

4 chicken drumsticks

1/2 cup harissa

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped – if desired

(Serves 4-6)

To Prepare:

1. Unwrap chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a large bowl or dish, add harissa, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and oil, stir.
3. Add chicken, tossing in marinade to coat.  Cover dish with lid or plastic wrap and place in refrigerator at least 4 hours, up to 12 hours.
4. Remove chicken from refrigerator and heat grill to 375 degrees, leaving one section of grill with no fire underneath.
5. Place chicken over fire side of grill and cook for 10 minutes.  Flip over and cook other side for 10 minutes, checking to make sure grill doesn’t get hotter than 375 degrees during grilling.
6. Move chicken to indirect heat side of grill and continue to cook for 7-10 minutes longer or internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
7. Remove chicken from grill and place on board.  Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.  Enjoy!