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Grilled Tahini-Honey Chicken Thighs
Updated June 20, 2024
![Grilled Tahini-Honey Chicken Thighs](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2024/06/20/multimedia/yf-grilled-tahini-honey-chicken-thighs-cwqk/yf-grilled-tahini-honey-chicken-thighs-cwqk-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 2large lemons, halved
- ¼cup tahini
- 2tablespoons honey
- 2tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking
- 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Salt
- 1 or 2sprigs parsley or cilantro leaves and tender stems, gently torn or chopped
- Sumac (optional), for garnishing
Preparation
- Step 1
Into a large bowl, juice 1 lemon, then whisk together with the tahini, honey and olive oil until smooth. Transfer half the mixture to a small serving bowl. Season the chicken all over with salt and add to the large bowl; toss to coat.
- Step 2
To grill the chicken, set a grill to medium-high. (If you’d like to cook the chicken in the oven or a skillet, see Tip.) Generously oil the grates, then add the chicken and cook until the bottom is charred, 5 to 8 minutes. Use tongs to turn over the thighs and continue to grill until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces; turn thighs over again if necessary. Move thighs to a cooler part of the grill if browning too quickly.
- Step 3
Remove chicken from grill and let cool 1 to 2 minutes. Taste the reserved sauce and season as needed with salt, and loosen the consistency by adding half the lemon juice or a tablespoon of water. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the chicken, drizzle with the sauce or serve on the side, and garnish with the parsley and sumac, if using.
- This chicken recipe can be cooked on the grill, in the oven or on the stovetop. If you’d like to roast the chicken, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and add 1 tablespoon of oil, spreading to coat. Add the chicken in a single layer and roast until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of the thighs. If you’d like to cook the chicken on the stovetop, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Decrease heat to medium, and, working in two batches, sauté the chicken until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the thighs, flipping after 7 to minutes when they easily release from the pan.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I used chicken breasts and followed the oven instructions and it was divine. At the end, I did broil it for 5 minutes, just to get a bit of color. Try the mixture before you add the chicken, I ended up adding a bit more tahini because my lemon was super juicy.
Made it tonight and it was excellent! Delicious flavors, came together quickly and easily. I had parsley so used that instead of the cilantro alternative, and I had to forgo the optional Sumac since I didn't have any on hand. Might try with those options in future, but just for fun, not because this recipe needs tweaking...it's perfect. Will definitely be making this again soon! Only trouble was it was so tasty that there were no leftovers! ;-) Thank you Yasmin Fahr
Very tasty. The recipe works well as is, without any modification. I could be tempted to add a little ground coriander but I have not tried this.
Simple and delicious. A go to recipe for backyard grilling. A sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds would be a nice addition.
This OK; not brilliant. It begs for some additional spice: pepper, coriander or cumin, maybe a combination of the three. The cilantro really perks it up and I would chop it and sprinkle liberally rather than use the suggested sprigs/leaves the next time.
Has anyone tried adding garlic to the marinade?
Really tasty, loved the sauce, would double it next time (‘cause sauce..). Serve with generous mound of vegs and rice
This was great. I made it with chicken thighs as directed. I also made some couscous and roasted cauliflower and extra sauce. Super delicious, though monochrome and quite easy.
Delicious and tender as is, but will probably sprinkle sesame seeds over top next time. The extra sauce is also delicious over salmon, grilled vegetables, and boiled potatoes. Basically, we poured it over everything on our plates, and we loved it.
With a dash of cayenne pepper in the marinade, this was perfection!
Za’atar spice blend! Perfect additioin
My kids (4 &1) demolished this. I think cumin, coriander, garlic or chilli could all be welcome additions. Lots of scope for punchy side dishes to serve alongside - we did roasted carrots on garlic labneh.
Great the day we made it, but not so good for left overs.
We made this recently and found the final product to be a bit dull and lacking in flavor. We added cumin and coriander but I think it could have used a lot more and garlic as well. The chicken came out very tender, but not standout in flavor.
I made this for the 4th of July using bone-in thighs and drumsticks. I didn't reserve any sauce to pour on after grilling because we were having a bbq so I thought the extra sauce would be too messy. The chicken came out very juicy and tender but without the reserve sauce drizzled over the chicken, we couldn't taste the tahini.
Delicious chicken dish. Easy to make with tons of flavor. I served it for 4th of July as the main and all my guests asked for the recipe. I made it in the oven and then put it under the broiler for some char. I would definitely cook it on the grill next time if weather permits. Served with grilled vegetables, Ming Thai's Asian slaw, and a delicious California rose of Zinfandel and Sangiovese. Perfect complement.
No marinating time?
Made this recipe for a crowd, one of whom has a seriously low salt diet. Doubled the recipe, left out the salt, and had to give it to everyone who ate it. Folks were putting the extra sauce on everything. A terrific recipe; thanks, Yasmine!
I chose to marinate chicken breasts in the sauce for a few hours and it turned out amazing!
Has anyone tried adding garlic to the marinade?
The flavor on the chicken itself comes out decent, but the sauce (obviously) make it sing. Great, easy dish and will definitely be making it again.
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