Chicken quarters rubbed with a deep flavored chili sauce called Harissa brings a new flavor to your grill.  For anyone who likes a bit of heat, this grilled chicken is the hot ticket.  The perfect dish to serve your adventurous friends at your next backyard BBQ.

We enjoyed the spicy harissa chicken with some warmed naan bread, cucumber riata (to cool the heat), and a chickpea and couscous salad. What an exciting combination of flavors, and so easy to do. Next time you are looking for something a bit different to serve at a backyard barbecue, I hope you will give this a try. You and your guests will be astonished at the deep, rich, flavor of this tender chicken.

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Harissa Grilled Chicken

Tender grilled chicken covered in a spicy deep flavored chili sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Moroccan, North African

Prep Time 3 hours hours

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 4 chicken quarters
• 1 cup harissa

Instructions

• Rub chicken with harissa paste, covering all surfaces.
• Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 hours.
• Heat grill on high. Turn off one half of the grill.
• On the side with no heat, place the chicken on a wire rack over a pan with about on inch of water in the bottom (indirect method).
• Close the lid, and cook for about 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165° F. (Cooking time will vary drastically depending on your cut of chicken. I used quarters which took about 50 minutes).
• Allow chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Chicken thighs or breast work equally as well for this dish.  I highly recommend wearing gloves when working with Harissa. 

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Harissa

Peppers, garlic, and spices are used to create an amazingly deep flavored chili sauce called harissa.

Course Sauce

Cuisine North African

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

• 10-12 dried red chili peppers
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Instructions

• Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 30 – 45 minutes. Drain. Remove stems and seeds (I kept about half of the seeds to add heat).
• Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree.
• Store harissa in the refrigerator in a tightly closed jar.

Notes

I find it very helpful to wear gloves when handling hot peppers.

Shashlik or shashlyk is a form of shish kebab popular throughout the former Soviet Union, parts of Eastern Europe, Pakistan, Mongolia, Iran, and Israel. These skewers are either all meat, all fat, or alternating pieces of meat, fat, and vegetables such as bell pepper, onion and tomato. Different that other kebab, the meat for shashlik is usually marinated overnight in vinegar, dry wine, yogurt, or sour cream with the addition of herbs and spices.

I was fortunate to be introduced to this dish by our dear friends Vadim and Yelena. Many wonderful evenings have been enjoyed relaxing in the couples backyard, gathered together with friends and family, sipping wine, savoring amazing food over lively conversation and laughter (and a vodka or two). Vadim is the grill master of the family and loves to have something cooking on the fire. The Russian chicken is a favorite at their house, and I have been lucky to learn first hand his method for preparing this traditional delight.

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Russian Shashlik ~ White BBQ Chicken Kabobs

Chicken thighs marinated in a creamy garlic and herb sauce. Lightly grilled, this chicken is tender and mouthwatering.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Eastern European, Russian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 green onions finely sliced
• 2 Tablespoon dill finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 - 3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts cubed

Instructions

• In a large bowl mix together sour cream, lemon, and oil. Add garlic, onion, and spices. Mix well.
• Cut chicken thighs into 1½ cubes.
• Combine chicken into sour cream mixture and marinate in the refrigerator for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
• Pack chicken cubes onto skewers and grill slowly over medium low heat until golden brown. To avoid tearing chicken from skewers allow each side to sear or brown before attempting to turn

Notes

Spices can be added, omitted, or adjusted for personal taste.