This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Another delicious grilling recipe coming straight to you this week — Harissa-Yogurt Marinated Chicken with light and fresh Cucumber-Quinoa Salad!
Grilled chicken never has to be boring and this recipe shows how with just a few simple steps and ingredients, you will have a flavor-packed dinner. In this recipe, I have simply marinated boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can sub chicken breast if you prefer) in a harissa-yogurt combination that is tangy, warm — and all-around delightful. Grilled until cooked through and juicy, the chicken is then sliced and served with a refreshing and herby cucumber quinoa salad, which is great to make ahead of time to make dinner preparation easier as well as to have on hand all week if desired.
While the quinoa is packed with additional protein, it is also packed with sliced Persian cucumbers, mint, and dill and tossed with a simple vinaigrette and topped with some creamy, salty feta cheese, which gives you so many different flavors with each bite. The salad pairs just so beautifully with the warm spices from the harissa-yogurt chicken making this Harissa-Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Cucumber-Quinoa Salad a complete winner for a simple grilled dinner.
If you are looking for more grilled chicken ideas, here are a few more recipes to try:
grilled chicken with chipotle-whiskey bbq sauce
grilled sesame chicken skewers with ginger-scallion rice
grilled chili chicken tacos with tomatillo salsa
Harissa-Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Cucumber- Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 2 tbsp harissa
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 7 oz. Greek yogurt I use 2%
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thigh
For the Quinoa Salad:
- 1 cup traditional white quinoa
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups thinly sliced persian cucumber
- ¼ cup chopped dill fronds
- ½ cup roughly chopped mint
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 ounces block feta thinly sliced (can sub for crumbled feta)
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the avocado oil, harissa, garlic, greek yogurt, lemon juice, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined and smooth. Trim the chicken of excess fat and add the trimmed chicken to the harissa-yogurt mixture. Cover and let marinade for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight in the refrigerator.
Make the Quinoa Salad:
- Bring 1 cup of quinoa and 1 ½ cups water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then gently fluff with a fork.
- Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature (you can also cover and chill for up to 3 days and make this salad later).
- Once the quinoa has cooled, add the cucumber, dill and mint; stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add the garlic, olive oil, champagne vinegar and lemon juice. Whisk to combine then pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add the feta, and gently toss once more. Set aside while you grill the chicken.
Grill the Chicken:
- Heat grill over medium-high heat (350- 400 degrees F) and oil the grill grates (to do this, dip a wadded paper towel in a little oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grate. Be careful not to use too much oil, because that's a sure fire way to start a good flare-up—a little goes a long way here.)
- Cook the chicken over the heat for 4 minutes per side, until the pieces turn golden and grill marks appear. The lid should be closed throughout the cooking process.
- Flip the pieces once more and turn heat to medium-low, about 300°F, for 3-5 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through and the internal temp is 165°F.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5-8 minutes before slicing and serving with the quinoa-cucumber salad.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
SHOP MY FAVORITE GRILLING ITEMS HERE:
Made it twice so far and both times were a huge hit. Wondering subbing chicken for shrimp for my pescatarian friends, would that work (maybe reduce marinade time)?
YEs this marinade will be delish on shrimp!! I would do shrimp skewers and just brush on the shrimp before grilling!
I made this chicken to go with tahdig. I grilled inside on a cast iron grill pan just to make to grill marks and finished in foil in the oven. OMG so good. That marinade is amazing.
amazing! glad you love it!
Getting a head start on dinner and just discovered that I am out of olive oil. For the salad dressing, can I substitute olive oil with avocado oil or should I go get olive oil?
yes avocado oil would be totally fine
This is my favorite recipe in the entire world. I make it almost once a week – so delicious, thank you!!
Absolutely amazing! A crowd favorite and easy to make a lot for a big crowd. We paired with Alex’s Mediterranean Israeli Couscous Salad and it was amazing. So grateful to have DD as a “bible” for healthy cooking. 🙂
How would you cook the chicken in oven ?
This turned out perfect! I just bought a grill and was so nervous to use it. Thanks for the specific cooking times- so helpful to a newbie
So glad it was a hit!
This was SO GOOD
Super easy and delicious. I’ve never tried harissa so I was skeptical.. it totally worked! Thanks Alex for another great recipe!!
Could you use another starch? If so what? Thanks!
Just made this! Added spring mix lettuce, subbed the quinoa for farro and air fried the chicken. A-MAZING! Perfect summer salad recipe.