This sumac chicken thighs recipe is a simple and super flavourful dinner. We marinade the chicken thighs in a beautiful sumac sauce and grill them on the BBQ. Serve it with yogurt and our fresh herb salad.
Sumac Chicken Thighs Marinade
In a big bowl, combine the ingredients together. Add the chicken thighs and coat well with your hands. You’ll need:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Sumac and paprika
How Long Should I Marinade the Chicken?
I recommend you let it rest in the fridge for about 4 hours. If you are short in time, make sure you marinade for at least 30 minutes or for a maximum of 12 hours.
What is Sumac? Where to Buy it?
Sumac is a spice with a tart lemon taste. It has a dark red colour and is often used in Middle Eastern cuisine.
You can easily find sumac in most grocery stores.
Cooking Options
I prefer cooking the chicken on the grill, but here are some options:
- BBQ: Preheat at 400F-450F and cook skin side down for 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook for 4-5 more minutes until cooked.
- In a pan: make sure the pan is hot. Sear the chicken skin side down for 4-5 minutes, flip and cook for 4-5 more minutes, until cooked.
- In the oven: Bake at 400F for 35-40 minutes.
Conservation
You can store the chicken in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend storing the yogurt and herb salad separated.
Serve the chicken with:
- Smashed Potatoes with Romesco Sauce
- No Yeast Naan Bread (Ready in no time!)
- Panzanella Salad with Nectarines and Fresh Mozzarella
Sumac Chicken Thighs with Yogurt and Herb Salad
4
servings15
minutes10
minutes30 min
to 12 hoursThis sumac chicken thighs recipe is a simple and super flavourful dinner. We marinade the chicken thighs in a beautiful sumac sauce and grill them on the BBQ. Serve it with yogurt and our fresh herb salad.
Ingredients
- Chicken
8 chicken thighs with skin (880g-1kg)
¼ cup of olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp of sumac
½ tbsp of paprika
1 ½ tsp of salt, pepper to taste
- Yogurt
1 ½ cup of plain greek yogurt (5%) or labneh
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of ½ a lemon
- Herb Salad
Dill: one handful of dill, roughly chopped (½ cup)
Mint: leaves of 3-4 sprigs (½ cup)
A drizzle of olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
4-5 radishes, finely sliced
- To garnish: grilled white sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade for the chicken. In a big bowl or pan, mix the olive oil, garlic cloves, lemon zest, sumac, paprika, salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs and rub the chicken with your hands to make sure it’s well coated. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours to 12 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the BBQ at 400F-450F.
- In a small bowl, prepare the herb salad by combining all the ingredients. Season well.
- To another bowl, mix all the ingredients for the yogurt. Season well.
- Cook the chicken skin-side down for 4-5 minutes. Flip it and cook for 4-5 minutes more, until cooked. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve the chicken on a big plate with the yogurt and herb salad. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and a drizzle of olive oil. Season to your preference.
Notes
- Sumac is a spice with a tart lemon taste. It has a dark red colour and is often used in Middle Eastern cuisine. You can easily find sumac in most grocery stores.
- If you are short in time, make sure you marinade for at least 30 minutes.
