Description
The juiciest, garlicky, citrusy chicken with a hint of saffron: Fool-proof Joojeh, Persian-style barbecue chicken. Using the grill to sear but finishing in the oven allows for total control. Gluten-Free.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chicken (I used drumsticks but you can use any parts)
- 1 yellow onion
- 10 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup sour orange juice, or 50/50 lemon and orange juice
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil for grill
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/8 tsp saffron threads ground
- optional: ground sumac
Instructions
- Add 1 yellow onion, 10 garlic cloves, 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, 1 Tbsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/3 cup sour orange juice, 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt to blender and purée until smooth.
- Place raw chicken in large bowl and cover with marinade, ensuring it gets on every part. Cover and refrigerate 2-8 hours. Remove from fridge one hour before cooking to remove chill.
- Melt 2 Tbsp butter and mix with 1/8 tsp ground saffron threads. Set aside
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fire up the barbecue and get temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chicken on grill and sear each side (about 2-3 minutes each side) and place on a sheet pan.
- Brush chicken with butter saffron. Transfer to oven and cook an additional 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit for breasts and 180 degrees Fahrenheit for thighs and legs including drumsticks
Notes
Serve with salad and parboiled basmati rice. Optional: sprinkle chicken and rice with ground sumac.
Sour Oranges. For years I used a 50/50 blend of fresh squeezed orange juice and lemon juice thinking that sour oranges are only available in other countries. During the pandemic I turned to online grocery shopping and found a great variety of organic citrus through Good Eggs. I love their selection and their service is amazing. If you cannot find sour oranges, I suggest using the 50/50 blend.
Saffron. This ingredient is not hard to find – even Costco sells organic saffron – but it can be expensive. Use rosewater or ground rose petals as a replacement or forego the saffron altogether, it will still taste delicious!
Keywords: Joojeh, Persian, Barbecue Chicken, Persian Chicken, Persian-style chicken, fool-proof chicken
