After I graduated high school, I spent the summer in Morocco and Southern Spain. One of the things I will never forget is the way that Moroccans play with the sweet and savory. I had this chicken pastilla that was herby and savory AND dusted in powdered sugar. I had fluffy couscous with sweet root vegetables, caramelized onions, and golden raisins. Tagine with savory meat, olives, sweet carrots and a deeply spiced broth. There were many savory and sweet flavors bouncing off of each other, it was such a delight! This is an attempt at capturing some of those memories in my own kitchen.
Here I want to share with you my favorite Mediterranean chicken recipe. It’s reminiscent of chicken shawarma, with its complex seasonings and crispy charred texture. It has Ras El Hanout in it, which is a deep Moroccan spice mix with 10+ spices in it, including earthy cumin, spicy cinnamon, sweet cloves, and fragrant cardamom. This spice mix is absolutely delightful. You can purchase it pre-mixed or mix your own, which I usually do! Everyone has a slightly different take on what goes into it, so play around with it or use what you have and see how it tastes :)
Alongside the chicken I always serve yogurt tahini sauce. The simplest recipe ever, just Greek yogurt and tahini mixed together :) And I sprinkle a little EVOO and za’atar on top for some excitement :) The tahini-yogurt balances out the deeply spiced and blackened chicken to make flavors that just sing.
Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
3 lemons
plenty of olive oil
plenty of salt
black pepper
2 TBSP Ras el Hanout spice mix:
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmecg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp cayenne
fresh herbs like parsley, mint & cilantro
Yogurt Tahini Sauce:
1 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup tahini
olive oil (optional)
1 tsp Za’atar (optional)
Directions:
In a gallon sized ziplock bag, add chicken thighs, 1-2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 2-4 glugs of olive oil, the juice of 2 lemons, and 2 TBSP Ras El Hanout. Close the bag and massage the chicken with the all the spices, oil, and lemon juice until the chicken is evenly coated.
Marinade the chicken for at least an hour, up to overnight in the fridge.
After the chicken has adequately marinated, toss it on the grill, allowing the outside to get a nice even char, while the inside reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
While the chicken is grilling, mix greek yogurt and tahini together in a small bowl. Then drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of Za’atar.
Let the chicken rest on a plate for 5 minutes, then thinly slice it. Squeeze lemon juice all over the chicken, then sprinkle with herbs and serve with yogurt tahini sauce.