Tahini-Marinated Chicken Thighs

October 31, 2017

Chicken thighs marinated with garlicky tahini mixture along with refreshing cucumber and tomato salad. This can be paired with rice, couscous or riced cauliflower, or even with pita bread.

When I have cravings, the answer is always brownies. Surprisingly, I had a bad craving for anything with garlic and tahini. If you know me well, you already know how much I love dishes with tahini.

I was thinking of making this Garlicky Tahini Chicken from our beloved Selma, but this one is so good with bread and I can’t consume bread when I’m doing Whole30. I asked for my BFF’s help – Google, of course!😆 And I decided to make this – chicken thighs, cucumber and tomato salad, plus a tahini sauce that sounds close to shawarma (I just guessed that). It turned out I was right. The taste of the tahini sauce is very close to the shawarma sauce that I love.

The chicken thighs were supposed to be grilled but I can’t do that inside the apartment nor in the balcony. I used the oven instead. I think these can also be just pan-fried or using an air-fryer.

The chicken and the sauce are so perfect together! I was almost tempted to finish the whole thing! The cucumber and tomato salad is simply delicious! The mint gives a refreshing flavor to the dish. I was right to serve this with cauliflower rice. Everything is perfect! Apart from cauliflower rice, this can be paired with rice or couscous. The chicken can be chopped up, too, and make as a filling for pita bread along with the salad and the sauce. And oh, I won’t judge you if you get greedy on the sauce.😉

(January 15, 2018 >> Yay! Corina at Searching for Spice made this one! So so good! :D)

NOTES ON TAHINI-MARINATED CHICKEN THIGHS:

  • It is better to marinate the chicken thighs overnight or for 8 hrs to develop more flavor.
  • Make sure to taste the marinade before mixing with the chicken thighs and adjust according to your liking. I used 6 tbsp of water.
  • The marinated chicken thighs can be grilled, pan-fried, air-fried or grilled.
  • If cooking the chicken thighs in the oven, they can be broiled after so the chicken would get a nice look. It is optional, but highly recommended.
Print

Tahini-Marinated Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs marinated with garlicky tahini mixture along with refreshing cucumber and tomato salad. This can be paired with rice, couscous or riced cauliflower, or even with pita bread.
Course Main Course
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Marinating Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 50 minutes
Servings 3
Author Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless chicken thighs skinless, if preferred

For the chicken marinade:

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup water see notes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves finely grated
  • 2 tbsp grated onion
  • Salt to taste

For the tomato and cucumber salad:

  • 1 cup cucumber chopped
  • 1 cup firm and ripe tomatoes chopped
  • 1/2 cup parsley roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Salt to taste

To serve, you can have rice, cauliflower rice or couscous

Instructions

  1. Wash and dry chicken thighs. You can remove or keep the skin. I like mine with skin. Place in a bowl or ziplock bag. Set aside.
  2. Combine all the chicken marinade. (Do a taste test and adjust accordingly.) Pour 3/4 of the mixture into the bowl/ziplock bag with chicken. Mix to coat the chicken thoroughly. Keep in the fridge overnight to marinate and develop more flavor. Reserve the remaining tahini mixture and keep in the fridge.
  3. When ready to cook, remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and discard the marinade. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Roast at 400F for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Turn on your broil and broil the chicken until top is crisp and developed golden brown color – this step is OPTIONAL. (You can also grill the chicken thighs 4-5 minutes on each side.)
  4. When chicken thighs are cooked, let them rest while you are making the salad.

For the tomato and cucumber salad:

  1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and give it a good mix.

  2. Serve your chicken thighs with your choice of rice. Place desired amount of salad and drizzle the chicken thighs with the remaining tahini mixture. The chicken can be chopped up, too, and make as a filling for pita bread along with the salad and the sauce.

Recipe Notes

  • It is better to marinate the chicken thighs overnight or for 8 hrs to develop more flavor.
  • Make sure to taste the marinade before mixing with the chicken thighs and adjust according to your liking. I used 6 tbsp of water.
  • The marinated chicken thighs can be grilled, pan-fried, air-fried or grilled.
  • If cooking the chicken thighs in the oven, they can be broiled after so the chicken would get a nice look. It is optional, but highly recommended.
If you make this recipe, please send me a photo on my Instagram account (@thenotsocreativecook).

Thanks a bunch for spending your precious time with me!

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