Barbecued Chicken Thighs

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Barbecued Chicken Thighs

Ingredient Notes

Sumac:

Sumac is a ground dried berry with a bright, citrusy-sour flavour that is central to Middle Eastern cooking. It’s the spice that gives this marinade its distinctive sharpness. You’ll find it in Middle Eastern grocers, good spice stores, and most large supermarkets. If you can’t source it, a teaspoon of lemon zest added to the marinade is a reasonable substitute, though the flavour is different rather than identical. Don’t confuse it with sumac mixed spice blends; you want pure ground sumac.

Plain yoghurt:

Full-fat plain yoghurt gives the best result here because the higher fat content helps the marinade coat the chicken evenly and carry the spices. Full-fat Greek yoghurt works equally well and produces a slightly thicker coating that chars beautifully. Low-fat yoghurt is more watery and the marinade tends to slide off the chicken before it gets onto the grill. Avoid flavoured yoghurts entirely.

Chicken thighs (boned, skin off):

Boned, skin-off thighs are the right cut for this recipe. They have enough fat to stay moist through the direct heat of a grill without flare-ups from skin dripping onto the flame. They cook more evenly without the skin than breast, and the higher fat content means they’re more forgiving if the timing is slightly off. Ask your butcher to debone them for you if you can’t find them pre-boned. If you do use skin-on thighs, watch for flare-ups and cook skin side up to start.

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Ingredients

BBQ CHICKEN THIGHS

4 chicken thighs, boned & skin off
150g plain yoghurt
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sumac
½ tsp chilli powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to season

GRILLED VEGETABLES

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise, seeded
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
steamed rice, to serve

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Large bowl (for marinating)
BBQ with grill plate and flat plate
Tongs
Tray (for resting)
Zester or fine grater

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Directions

MARINATE THE CHICKEN

Place the chicken in a large bowl with the yoghurt, lemon zest and juice, cumin, coriander, sumac, chilli powder, garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss well to combine and completely coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, up to overnight.

PREP VEGETABLES

Slice the seeds off the zucchini and place on a tray. Separate the onion layers and add to the tray along with the asparagus.
Drizzle with the oil and season with salt.

GRILL CHICKEN AND VEG

Preheat a BBQ grill to high heat. Place the chicken on the grill, skin side down (even though there’s no skin, just the side the skin was on).
Cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes, with the lid down. Turn over when browned and the chicken releases from the grill and continue to cook a further 6 minutes, or until cooked through.
Transfer to a tray and rest for a few minutes.
Place the zucchini and asparagus on the flat plate of the BBQ and cook with the lid down for 2-3 minutes, until starting to brown.
Turn to cook the other side and add the red onions to the flat plate.
Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until charred and softened. Transfer to a tray and zest the lemon over the vegetables, then season with cracked black pepper.
Serve the chicken and vegetables with lemon wedges on the side and steamed rice.

Notes

Chef Tips

Don’t move the chicken until it releases

Place the chicken shiny side down on a hot, oiled grill plate and leave it completely alone. The yoghurt marinade will stick initially, and if you try to move it too early you’ll tear the crust off. After 5-6 minutes the crust will caramelise and the chicken will release cleanly on its own. That’s when you flip it. If it’s still sticking, give it another minute. Trust the process.

Marinate overnight for best results

An hour is the minimum but overnight is genuinely a different result. The yoghurt keeps working slowly in the fridge and the chicken surface dries out slightly, which means better char and a more concentrated spice crust when it hits the grill. Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking so it comes up to temperature and cooks evenly all the way through.

Storage

Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot pan for 2-3 minutes per side or in an air fryer at 180°C (355°F) for 5 minutes to restore some of the crust. I’d avoid the microwave as the yoghurt coating gets rubbery and the texture suffers. The uncooked marinated chicken can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking.

FAQs

Can I make this without a BBQ?

Yes. A cast iron grill pan or heavy carbon steel pan over high heat works well. Get the pan very hot before the chicken goes in. Cook in batches if needed rather than crowding the pan, as too many pieces at once will drop the temperature and the chicken will steam instead of char. A hot oven grill on its highest setting is another option if you don’t have a grill pan.

Can I use chicken breast instead?

I’d recommend against it. Breast dries out quickly over the high direct heat of a grill and doesn’t have the fat content to stay moist the way thigh does. If you do use breast, butterfly each piece to an even thickness of around 1.5cm and reduce the cook time to 4-5 minutes per side. Watch it closely.

How do I know when the chicken is cooked through?

The safest method is an instant-read thermometer. Pull the chicken when the thickest part reads 74°C (165°F). Let it rest on a tray for 2-3 minutes first before checking, as the temperature evens out during resting. Juices should also run clear when you cut through the thickest part, with no pink visible.