Irresistible Spiced Grilled Chicken

Sometimes, a delicious dinner comes from a simple spiced grilled chicken recipe. If you feel like working on your grilling skills, then you must try this Moroccan-styled marinated chicken recipe for your next family meal.

You can’t go wrong with grilled meat. It is always a great choice for picky eaters who want to enjoy a great meal. Pair this up with roasted potatoes or piping hot white rice for an awesome dining experience.

Recipe Notes for Spiced Grilled Chicken

Marinating the chicken

Marinating the chicken drumsticks is always a good idea. A simple marinade of oil, garlic, vinegar and salt is fine for this dish. The sauce used in this recippe is so flavorful that not much is required in terms of additional flavoring. You just want the marinade to tenderize the meat and brine it to help keep it juicy after it’s cooked.

Marinating the drumsticks for 24 hours is the perfect amount of time to create flavorful and tasty grilled chicken. If you are running out of time, then just 10-15 minutes will also work. But of course, more time is better.

Grilling the Chicken

You can start your grill on high heat to get a nice char on the meat. This might take 1-2 minutes on each side. But, as soon as you have a char on meat, turn the grill down to medium. You need give give the chicken time to cook through without burning it.

Make sure you get the chicken to 165 degrees farenheit for at least 5 minutes after you remove it from the grill. You want to be sure the meat is cooked through. At the same time, you don’t want to overcook it. So, continually check the meat’s temperature with a thermometer as you see it’s getting close to being done.

Substitutions for this recipe

Bone-in chicken thighs are also a great idea to use in this recipe. They have a higher fat content than other chicken parts. Stay away from white meat in this recipe.

Can’t find harissa paste in supermarkets? You may use sriracha or cayenne pepper sauce as a substitute. You can also just use more smoke paprika powder. But, these will give you a different result.

Accompaniments for Grilled Chicken

You may want to dip these delicious spiced grilled chicken in a creamy caramelized onion rémoulade — which would balance out the spiciness of the harissa. A yougurt-based sauce would also be wonderful with this chicken. The dairy has a cooling effect if you get overheated from the peppery harissa.

Pair this up with roasted potatoes or piping hot white rice for an awesome dining experience. It’s also a good idea to have some veggies with your meal. They this Greek-style salad or this unique nasturtium caper salad. If you need some bread, we have you covered. Try this herb bread or this savory fried donut.

Wine Pairing​ with Grilled Chicken

Pair this well-seasoned spiced grilled chicken with a chilled white wine. Our suggestion is a wine that is a delightful counterpoint to the spicy and smoky character of the sauce on this chicken. You want a wine wine flavors that contrast and support this dish rather than clash with it.

This grilled chicken recipe is a great Pinot Blanc food pairing. You will often find citrus and green apple flavors in this wine. These will be refreshing along with the spicy harissa. Sometimes, there will also be minerality or smokiness. These flavors compliment the harrissa. Unoaked Pinot Blanc is low in drying tannins. So, pick a bottle with little to no barrel aging.

The Wilamette Valley in Oregon grows a number of nice Pinot Blancs. This is a cool and cloudy wine growing region. It’s very frost-prone as well. While, this makes growing the big red grapes difficult, it’s great for sharp and crisp whites like Pinot Blanc.

Check these recommended white wines:

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Wilamette Valley Pinot Blanc
• Vermentino
• Melon de Bourgogne

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