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Over the years, I’ve shared a LOT of grilling recipes on the blog — so much so that I decided to dedicate an entire week to each year (#DDGrillWeek!). As soon as the weather warms up, you can find me on my patio with a pair of extra large tongs in hand. I’m so excited to share another delicious grilling recipe that you can make on repeat all summer long — Harissa-Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Cucumber-Quinoa Salad!
Grilled chicken can easily be bland and boring, but this recipe shows how to make an actually flavorful version with just a few simple steps and ingredients. In this recipe, I marinated boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a harissa-yogurt combination that is tangy, warm, and all-around delightful. Once the chicken is cooked through, I slice it up and serve it with a make-ahead-friendly herby cucumber quinoa salad. It’s light, bright, and the perfect pairing to the charred chicken.
You could easily make this salad on its own too and serve it alongside any grilled meat or fish. I love that the quinoa packs in a little extra protein – it’s such an easy way to bulk up your dinner. It’s tossed with sliced Persian cucumbers, mint, and dill, then tossed with a simple vinaigrette and topped with salty feta cheese. And if you happen to have leftovers, it a great lunch option the following day!
Ingredients:
- Avocado Oil
- Harissa
- Garlic Cloves
- Greek Yogurt
- Lemon Juice
- Ground Coriander
- Ground Cumin
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- White Quinoa
- Persian Cucumbers
- Fresh Mint
- Fresh Dill Fronds
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Champagne Vinegar
- Feta Block
Step-by-Step:
Step One: Marinate the Chicken
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup avocado oil, harissa, garlic, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper until well combined and smooth. Add the chicken to the harissa-yogurt mixture and toss to combine. Cover, chill, and marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Step Two: Cook the Quinoa
In a deep saucepan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the 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.
Step Three: Assemble the Quinoa Salad
Once the quinoa has cooled, add the cucumbers, mint, and dill. Stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic, olive oil, champagne vinegar, and lemon juice. Pour over the quinoa mixture and stir to combine. Add the feta and gently toss once more. Set aside while you grill the chicken.
Step Four: Prep the Grill
Preheat the grill over medium-high heat (about 400°F). Dip a wadded paper towel in the avocado oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grates. Be careful not to use too much oil to avoid starting a flare-up—a little goes a long way here.
Step Five: Cook the Chicken
Place the chicken on the grill, cover, and cook for 4 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Step Six: Slice and Serve
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving with the quinoa-cucumber salad.
Recipe FAQs:
Avocado oil has a high smoke point making it great for grilling! However, I prefer the tast of extra virgin olive oil in the salad.
Of course! You can cook this on your stovetop using a grill pan or cast iron skillet.
Absolutely! The chicken needs to marinate for at least two hours or up to overnight in the fridge!
Yes! You can cook the quinoa ahead of time then cover and chill in the fridge for up to 3 days. I would wait to assemble the salad until you are cooking the rest of the meal so it doesn’t get too soggy though!
I hope you all love this Harissa-Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Cucumber-Quinoa Salad as much as I do. Comment below once you try it and let me know what you think!
need more grilled chicken recipes? try these!
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:
- 1/4 cup avocado oil, plus more for grilling
- 2 tablespoons harissa
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 7 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
For the Quinoa Salad:
- 1 cup white quinoa
- 1½ cups water
- 1½ cups thinly sliced Persian cucumbers
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped mint leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill fronds
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 ounces feta cheese, thinly sliced (or crumbled feta)
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup avocado oil, harissa, garlic, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper until well combined and smooth. Add the chicken to the harissa-yogurt mixture and toss to combine. Cover, chill, and marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Make the Quinoa Salad:
- In a deep saucepan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the 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.
- Once the quinoa has cooled, add the cucumbers, mint, and dill. Stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic, olive oil, champagne vinegar, and lemon juice. Pour over the quinoa mixture and stir to combine.
- Add the feta and gently toss once more. Set aside while you grill the chicken.
Grill the Chicken:
- Preheat the grill over medium-high heat (about 400°F). Dip a wadded paper towel in the avocado oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grates. Be careful not to use too much oil to avoid starting a flare-up—a little goes a long way here.
- Place the chicken on the grill, cover, and cook for 4 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving with the quinoa-cucumber salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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.