Name: Tahini Marinated Grilled Chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 9 h
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (89ml) extra virgin olive oil; 3/4 cup (195g) pure ground sesame tahini paste (*See note); 2 shallots, minced; 3 tsp minced garlic; 3 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary; 1/2 cup (13g) fresh parsley, chopped; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp honey; 6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice; 3 tbsp lemon zest; 2 - 3 lbs (32 - 48oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 1 tbsp (1/2 oz) butter; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 1/2 cups (226g) dried couscous; 1/2 cup (142g) plain, unsweetened yogurt, preferably Greek yogurt; 3/4 tsp chili garlic sauce

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Chicken thighs marinated in lemon, tahini paste, garlic, and herbs are grilled and served over couscous with a chili yogurt tahini sauce. Simple, quick, crave-worthy.

Spooning tahini yogurt sauce over tahini marinated chicken and couscous.

Tahini Marinated Grilled Chicken with Couscous

I am having a love affair with tahini lately. I'm enamored with how versatile it's subtle nutty flavor is. I mean, how many ingredients can you think of that are equally at home in a chocolate tart as they are spooned over grilled chicken?

Tahini is just so supportive of other flavors while contributing a nutty uniqueness to everything from chocolate to veggies to chicken.

Tahini Grilled Chicken with Couscous on a plate with tomato and cucumber salad.

Why it's Important to Use Good Quality Tahini

Tahini is, essentially, sesame seed paste. Or, perhaps we should say, sesame butter. It's smooth, creamy, and nutty, but milder and more savory than most nut butters. Good tahini is like peanut butter - so good you want to eat it by the spoonful.

Low quality tahini is bitter. Sometimes to the point that it tastes like there is vinegar in it. It also lacks luxurious creaminess, feeling chalky and grainy in your mouth.

So what kind of tahini do you buy? My two favorite brands are Pepperwood Tahini and Soom Tahini, neither of which are available in my local market, so thank the tahini gods for the internet. Both contain nothing but ground sesame seeds and are luxuriously creamy and delicious.

If you're feeling a bit more industrious, you can also make your own tahini. This is article from the Kitchn that will show you how.

Taking a bite of tahini grilled chicken with couscous.

Tahini Chicken is One of My Favorite Weeknight Recipes

Put the chicken in the marinade in the morning and leave it in the refrigerator to get happy in all that tahini-lemon-garlic-and-herb yumminess. Then throw it on the grill or pop it in the oven that evening, letting it cook while you whip up the sauce and couscous.

What should you serve with Tahini Chicken?

My favorite things to serve with Tahini Chicken are this simple Cucumber and Tomato Salad and Garlic Naan.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad is seriously the best accompaniment to creamy, savory, slightly spicy tahini chicken. Dressed in a mild rice vinegar dressing, with a hint of fresh mint, the salad offers a cool counterpoint that cuts through the richness of the chicken and the sauce.

The salad takes about 10 minutes to make. It's best to let the salad sit for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, so whip it up before you put the chicken on the grill and you'll be good to go.

And, while a plate full of tahini chicken, couscous, and cucumber tomato salad is a feast to rival anything, soaking up the creamy yogurt sauce with a tender piece of naan is hard to pass up. Aside from being available at your local Indian restaurant, naan is generally available in most major markets.

You can also make naan from scratch - a process that sounds super ambitious, but is surprisingly simple and sooooo good when topped with melted garlic butter with flecks of chopped fresh parsley.

And, if you'd rather serve this dish with rice instead of couscous, this recipe for Indian Style Rice is a delicious compliment to the flavors in tahini chicken.

Consider Making Enough Tahini Chicken for Leftovers

Every time I make this chicken, I make enough to ensure ample leftovers, which then become the basis for at least one more meal later that week. Here are 4 great recipes that will put any leftover Tahini chicken you have to great use:

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
20-Minute Garlic Chipotle Pasta with Chicken
Chicken Nachos with Chimichurri Sauce (Use tahini chicken instead of the Chili marinated chicken called for in the recipe.)

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe, leave a comment, or take a picture and tag it @alittleandalot on Instagram.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Tahini Marinated Grilled Chicken

Chicken thighs marinated in lemon, tahini paste, garlic, and herbs are grilled and served over couscous with a chili yogurt tahini sauce. This is one of my all-time favorite weeknight meals, especially in the summer.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Inactive Time 8 hours

Total Time 9 hours

Ingredients

¼ cup + 2 tablespoon (89ml) extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup (195g) pure ground sesame tahini paste (*See note)
2 shallots, minced
3 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tsp salt
1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
½ cup (13g) fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon honey
6 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoon lemon zest
2 - 3 lbs (32 - 48oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon (½ oz) butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups (226g) dried couscous
½ cup (142g) plain, unsweetened yogurt, preferably Greek yogurt
¾ teaspoon chili garlic sauce

Instructions

Make the marinade: Add the olive oil, tahini, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, parsley, soy sauce, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl and stir to combine.
Put the chicken in a shallow baking dish or bowl. Pour all except ½ cup of the marinade over the chicken. Turn the chicken in the marinade to coat each piece completely. Cover the chicken and the reserved ½ cup of marinade and put in the refrigerator. Let chicken marinate for at least 8 hours, and as long as 24.
To Grill the Chicken: Heat an indoor or outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan. Remove the chicken from the marinade, brushing off excess marinade as you do, and cook the chicken on the grill until no pink remains on the inside and the chicken registers 165 degrees on a kitchen thermometer. Alternatively, cut a pice of chicken in half and if there is no pink inside, the chicken is done.
To Bake the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade, brushing off excess marinade as you do, and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, the chicken registers 165 degrees on a kitchen thermometer. Alternatively, cut a pice of chicken in half and if there is no pink inside, the chicken is done.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the couscous: Add 1 ½ cups of water to a saucepan. Add the butter and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat and stir in couscous. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Make the sauce: Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator and pour it into a bowl. Add the yogurt and chili garlic sauce and stir to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, honey, chili garlic sauce, if desired.
To serve: pile some couscous on a plate, top with a piece or two of chicken and a spoonful of sauce.

Notes

My favorite brands of Tahini are Pepperwood Organic Tahini and Soom Tahini. Both are made from 100% ground sesame seeds and have great flavor.

Indoor Grilling Tools

If you prefer to grill your chicken rather than bake it but can't (or don't want to) use an outdoor grill, indoor grilling is a great solution. You can either use an elecrric grill or a cast iron grill pan. See the links below to the ones I have in my kitchen.

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