Smoky Grilled Chicken with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

Name: Smoky Grilled Chicken with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (1 teaspoon cumin seeds, see notes above); 1 tsp Coriander Seed (1 teaspoon coriander seeds, see notes above); 1 tsp Smoked Paprika (1 teaspoon smoked paprika); 1 lb Chicken Thigh (1 to 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (3 to 4) — up to 1.5); 0 tsp Kosher Salt (kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper + 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt); 4 cloves Garlic (3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced + 1 clove garlic, minced); 1 tbsp Grapeseed Oil (a few tablespoons grapeseed oil); 1 piece Cucumber (1 large or 3 small cucumbers (about 8 oz)); 1 cup Greek Yogurt (1 cup plain Greek yogurt, I like the Fage 5%); 1 ½ tbsp Lemon Juice (1.5 tablespoons fresh-squeeze lemon juice (from about 1/2 a lemon)); 0 pieces Naan (naan or pita bread, I like the Stonefire naan brand); 0 pieces Lemon (lemon wedges); 0 pieces Schug (skhug) — optional

Marinated and grilled smoky chicken thighs served with a cool cucumber-yogurt sauce, fresh bread, and optional skhug.

30 minAmerican

Servings2

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Halal

Ingredients

For 2 servings

Cumin Seeds1 tsp · 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, see notes above
Coriander Seed1 tsp · 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, see notes above
Smoked Paprika1 tsp · 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Chicken Thigh1 lb · 1 to 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (3 to 4) — up to 1.5
Kosher Salt0 tsp · kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper + 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Garlic4 cloves · 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced + 1 clove garlic, minced
Grapeseed Oil1 tbsp · a few tablespoons grapeseed oil
Cucumber1 piece · 1 large or 3 small cucumbers (about 8 oz)
Greek Yogurt1 cup · 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, I like the Fage 5%
Lemon Juice1 ½ tbsp · 1.5 tablespoons fresh-squeeze lemon juice (from about 1/2 a lemon)
Naan0 pieces · naan or pita bread, I like the Stonefire naan brand
Lemon0 pieces · lemon wedges
Schug0 pieces · skhug · optional

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Steps

1Place a small, dry skillet over medium heat and toast the coriander and cumin seeds until they begin to darken and smell fragrant. Transfer them to a mortar and use a pestle to grind to a powder. Add the smoked paprika and stir to combine.
2Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl or in a large ziplock bag. Season all over with salt (about 1 teaspoon per pound) and pepper to taste. Rub with the minced garlic. Add the spice blend and oil and mix with your hands to evenly coat the chicken in the oil and spices. Place chicken in fridge. Marinate for at least one hour and up to 12. If possible, bring chicken to room temperature before grilling (about an hour or so beforehand.)
3Meanwhile, make the cucumber-yogurt sauce
4Grate the cucumber coarsely on a box grater. In a medium bowl, stir the cucumber into the yogurt, along with the garlic, and lemon. Season with the salt, starting with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, adding an additional 1/4 teaspoon if necessary.
5When ready to grill: preheat a gas grill to high or prepare coals for high heat. For charcoal grilling, fill two chimney starters with coals and let them burn for about 30 minutes. Then, dump the coals into the grill (piling them on one side to allow one half or one third of the grill to be a cooler zone), replace the grate, and let it heat for at least 5 minutes. Scrape the grates.
6When grill is hot, transfer the chicken uncovered to the grates. Grill, without touching, for about 3 minutes. Flip. And grill for another 2 to 3 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165ºF (or a little bit less to account for carryover cooking). Transfer meat to a platter or cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes.
7While the chicken rests, warm the pita or naan — you can do this right on the grill or in the toaster. Gather all of the remaining condiments: cucumber-yogurt sauce, skhug (if making), and lemon wedges. Cut chicken into smallish (1- to 2-inch) pieces.
8To serve: I liked to smear the cucumber-yogurt sauce on a platter, pile the chicken on top, and drizzle some of the skhug over as well. But you could also serve each component separately, letting the eaters assemble as they wish. I like serving the bread on the side and using it as a vehicle to scoop or to make mini sandwiches, but you could also make larger pita-pocket sandwiches.