Harissa Marinated Grilled Chicken

Are you like me and have an abundance of spices in your cabinet? I try not to collect many as they often lose some of their potential over time, however I always have things like garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, paprika, dried chilies, and Italian seasoning handy, to name a few. I’ve also been playing with harissa powder lately. If you have never had harissa before, well, it could be a game changer for you. It has a great spice to it, along with some earthiness and it just goes great with something like grilled chicken. I use the harissa powder (you can probably find the paste in your ethnic grocery aisle or specialty store) and mix in a bit of canola oil to form a paste. Recently I decided to use some yogurt, which I love marinated chicken in, and incorporate the harissa paste into. It was awesome, and my kids devoured these kebobs.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz lemon noosa yogurt
• 1 1/2 tbsp harissa powder
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
• wooden skewers, soaked in water
• rosemary sprigs, options

Start by adding the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, salt, and harissa powder to a mixing bowl. Using a whisk, mix everything together until everything is incorporated and nice and smooth.

Add in the cubed chicken (you can use chicken thighs if you want the dark meat), and stir to coat the chicken.

Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

The following day, heat your grill to a medium heat. I use charcoal, but you do what you feel most comfortable doing.

While the grill heats, take a skewer and slide chicken cubes onto them. Once all of the chicken has been skewered, add them to the grill, turning along the way. These will take about 10-15 minutes to cook through. I lay a few sprigs of rosemary over the top as well for some additional flavor, because, why not. The marinade builds a nice crust on the chicken kebabs which is great.

When you are ready to serve, remove from the grill and place on a serving tray, along with roasted vegetables, and a side dish such as rice.

Everyone loved these, and the harissa really made these pop in flavor. Let’s just say there was very little left, but with any remains, well that just let me turn it into a turmeric fried rice. Hope you enjoy the harissa as much as I did!