Barbecued turmeric chicken thighs

As the sun starts to make an appearance here in the UK (albeit fleeting) we can’t recommend these barbecued turmeric chicken thighs highly enough. They are so simple, you can whip up the marinade in less than 5 minutes, and barbecue them in-between painting fence panels – according to Jim!

Summer vibes

There is nothing better than barbecued chicken thighs. We always recommend skin on for the barbecue and where possible we would encourage you to make your own marinades for any chicken. This one is delicious and brightens up the table with a simple summer vibe.

If you haven’t got a barbie

You can make these turmeric chicken thighs in the oven too. Roast them covered in foil on 150ºC fan/GM 3 for 60 minutes then remove the foil and grill for 5-10 minutes to crisp the skin and to get a bit of charring. If you can’t use a grill you can finish them off on a searing hot griddle pan, skin down in a splash of oil until crispy and gnarly.

Versatile chicken

We served these turmeric chicken thighs with a salad, some leftover baba ganoush, flatbreads and Persian Basmati rice (Chelo) from Sabrina Ghayour’s book Persiana. The chicken is versatile and will go with almost anything so make it your own. It is perfect the next day to bring packed lunch salads to life or you can slice it up and have it on wraps with salad and tzatziki.

Next time you fire up the barbie it is worth ditching your regular sausage and burgers and giving these turmeric chicken thighs a go, you won’t be disappointed!

Turmeric Chicken Thighs

Gemma

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 22 mins

marinade time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 27 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Fusion

Servings 4

Equipment

• barbecue

Ingredients

  

• 6-7 cloves garlic crushed
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp greek yogurt Fage Total is our favourite
• 6-8 chicken thighs skin on

Instructions

 

• Add the garlic, lemon juice, turmeric, cumin, olive oil, salt, pepper and greek yogurt to a large bowl and mix to combine.
• Score the skin of your chicken thighs with a sharp knife. You want to cut through the skin and just into the chicken meat.
• Add your chicken to the marinade and coat the chicken thouroughly. You want the underneath of the chicken to be coated too.
• Wash your hands thoroughly and clean your chopping board in hot soapy water. It's important to take care when handling raw chicken.
• Cover the chicken and place it in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight if you are making this in advance.
• We are pretty keen when it comes to the barbecue and we would always recommend a charcoal barbecue. On this occasion, we could only get lump wood, not Jim's preferred briquettes!
• Light your barbecue and wait for the coals to be hot and ready to cook on. The coals should be glowing hot and there should be no flames. If you are using a gas barbecue I am afraid you are on your own because we are charcoal enthusiasts.
• Place your chicken on the barbecue and do your thing. Jim's trick is to keep turning it. Then put the lid on, leave it and come back to turn again. This ensures an even cook and will help you avoid burning your chicken.
• Cooking times will vary depending on how hot your coal is, how big your chicken thighs are and if there is much wind to compete with. You should always check your chicken is cooked in the centre before you serve and then dress with some freshly chopped coriander and sliced red chilli. Have the sides ready and waiting so you can enjoy the chicken while it's hot!

Video

Keyword barbecue, chicken burgers, turmeric