Juicy Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken with Toum Recipe
This Juicy Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken with Toum offers a flavorful and aromatic grilled chicken paired with a creamy and garlicky toum sauce, perfect for a vibrant and satisfying meal that captures Middle Eastern culinary essence.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Halal
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 4 pieces chicken thighs or breasts, skin-on, bone-in
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Toum Sauce
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup vegetable oil or sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup ice water
Optional Garnishes
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon sumac powder
- 1 loaf pita bread
Instructions
- Prepare Marinade: In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper until smooth and aromatic, about 30 seconds.
- Marinate Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry. Coat them evenly with the marinade, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to develop.
- Preheat Grill: Heat your grill to medium-high, around 400°F. Scrub and lightly oil the grill grates to prevent sticking.
- Grill Chicken: Place the chicken skin-side down on the grill. Grill each side for 6 to 7 minutes until the edges char and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, ensuring juicy and fully cooked chicken.
- Make Toum Sauce: Add garlic cloves and salt to a food processor. Pulse for 20-30 seconds until finely chopped. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil in a thin stream, alternating with lemon juice. Continue blending until the sauce becomes thick and creamy. Add ice water gradually to keep the sauce light.
- Rest Chicken: Transfer the grilled chicken to a platter and let it rest for 5 minutes to redistribute juices and enhance tenderness.
- Serve: Slice the chicken and serve it alongside toum sauce, garnished with fresh parsley, a sprinkle of sumac powder, and warm pita bread for scooping.
Notes
- For juicier meat, use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs rather than breasts.
- Ensure the grill is properly oiled to avoid chicken sticking and tearing.
- Letting the chicken marinate for longer than 2 hours, up to overnight, intensifies the flavor.
- Toum sauce can be adjusted in thickness by controlling the amount of ice water added.
- Sumac powder adds a tangy, lemony flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Use neutral oil like vegetable or sunflower oil for authentic toum texture and taste.
- Resting the chicken before slicing helps keep it moist and flavorful.
