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A close up of grilled sumac chicken thighs on a serving platter with pickled red onions, grilled lemon halves, tzatziki sauce, and pita bread.

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sumac, Pickled Onions, and Charred Lemon

Inspired by Palestinian Musakhan, these juicy grilled chicken thighs may be easy but they're anything but simple: A bold marinade loads them with warming, bright, and citrusy flavors. Serve on a sunny day family-style, making room on a big platter for freshly grilled pita bread, tart sumac pickles, and creamy tzatziki. Doesn't get much better!

A close up of grilled sumac chicken thighs on a serving platter with pickled red onions, grilled lemon halves, tzatziki sauce, and pita bread.

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sumac, Pickled Onions, and Charred Lemon

By Author

Category

Entree

Cuisine

Middle Eastern

Author:

By Author

Servings

6 servings

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Calories

198

Marinating Time

30 Minutes

Total Time

50 Minutes

Inspired by Palestinian Musakhan, these juicy grilled chicken thighs may be easy but they're anything but simple: A bold marinade loads them with warming, bright, and citrusy flavors. Serve on a sunny day family-style, making room on a big platter for freshly grilled pita bread, tart sumac pickles, and creamy tzatziki. Doesn't get much better!

Ingredients

For the Marinade

1 medium yellow onion, quartered
3 large garlic cloves
2 teaspoons sumac, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 lemon, juiced
Extra virgin olive oil
8 to 10 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Kosher salt
Black pepper

To Serve

2 large lemons, halved
Pita bread
Pickled red onions
Tzatziki sauce

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Directions

Make the marinade. To the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, add the onion, garlic, sumac, Aleppo pepper, coriander, allspice, lemon juice, and enough olive oil to generously coat the chicken (I used 1/4 cup). Close the lid and pulse several times until well combined into a thick, chunky marinade.
Season the chicken.Pat the chicken thighs dry and season very well on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
Marinate.Place the chicken in a zip-top bag and pour the marinade on top. Close the bag and massage so that all the chicken is well covered with the marinade. Refrigerate anywhere from 30 minutes and up to overnight, turning the bag over occasionally.
Grill the lemons and pita bread.Lightly oil the grates and heat your gas grill to medium-high. Arrange the lemon halves cut side down and grill until char marks form. Brush the pita bread with olive oil on both sides. Grill the pita for about 40 seconds per side or until soft and charred. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Grill the chicken thighs.Shake excess marinade off the chicken and arrange the chicken thighs on the hot grill. Cover for 5 minutes, then turn the chicken over, cover, and grill until cooked through, another 3 to 5 minutes. Chicken is ready with its internal temperature, taken at the thickest part, is at least 165°F, and its temperature will raise by about 5 degrees as it rests.
Rest.Transfer the chicken to a large serving platter and to rest for about 5 minutes.
Serve.Sprinkle more sumac on top of the chicken, then pile a handful of pickled onions on top. Add the grilled lemons and pita to one side of the platter next to the chicken. Place the remaining pickled onions and tzatziki sauce in bowls to serve alongside.

Recipe Note

Note: If you don’t have the time to marinate this chicken for several hours, even 30 minutes will be good to help flavor the chicken.
Nutritional calculation does not include the pita or tzatziki.

Nutrition

Calories 198, Carbs 4.2 grams, Cholesterol 143.1 milligrams, Fat 6.3 grams, Fiber 1.0 grams, Protein 29.6 grams, Saturated Fat 1.6 grams, Sodium 141.1 milligrams, Sugar 1.3 grams, Trans Fat 0.2 grams, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4 , Monounsaturated Fat 2.2 , Potassium 435.7 , Vitamin A 141.3 , Vitamin C 11.5 , Calcium 27.6 , Iron 1.5