Lebanese grilled chicken with garlic sauce is a delicious and aromatic dish that rewards a bit of planning. The key is the marinade — for best flavor, marinate the chicken overnight. In Lebanon, both chicken and lamb are popular, and when this chicken is grilled it becomes lemony, garlicky, juicy and tender. It’s traditionally served with a creamy garlic sauce called toum, similar to aioli. Toum is versatile and pairs beautifully with spicy potatoes, grilled vegetables, or simply spread on flatbread. Try it and see what combinations you prefer.
Lebanese Grilled Chicken with Garlic Sauce (Djej Mishwe)
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Lebanese
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes (plus overnight marinating)
Servings 4
Author International Cuisine
Ingredients
- 4 pieces leg quarters with skin
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup red vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 head garlic
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7-spice blend
- 1 lemon, sliced
- For the garlic sauce
- 3 heads peeled garlic
- 4 cups vegetable or canola oil
- 1 lemon, freshly juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
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Make a few slits in the chicken pieces so the marinade can penetrate.
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In a blender or food processor, combine the head of garlic with 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup red vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the 7-spice blend. Process for a couple of minutes until the garlic is finely ground. With the machine running, slowly add the 3/4 cup olive oil and blend another minute to incorporate.
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Place the chicken in a large zipper bag or bowl, add the lemon slices, and pour the marinade over the pieces. Cover (or seal the bag) and refrigerate overnight. Reserve some marinade to baste while grilling.
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Preheat the grill to medium. Grill the marinated chicken 20–25 minutes, turning and basting occasionally with the reserved marinade, until cooked through and juices run clear.
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Grill the lemon slices briefly to caramelize and serve alongside the chicken.
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Serve the chicken with toum (garlic sauce) and, if you like, spicy Lebanese potatoes or a simple salad.
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Preparing the toum (garlic sauce)
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Toum requires patience and a slow, steady technique to emulsify correctly. Use all three heads of garlic as specified — reducing the amount can prevent proper texture.
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Place the peeled garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor and run for about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and repeat 3–4 times until the garlic forms a smooth paste. From this point keep the processor running.
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Begin adding the oil extremely slowly in a thin stream — about 1/2 cup at a time — allowing the garlic to emulsify before adding more. After each 1/2 cup of oil, add about 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice very slowly. Continue alternating oil and lemon juice until the desired consistency is reached.
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Take your time: the whole process can take 8–10 minutes. If the sauce breaks (becomes runny) it can be difficult to fix, so patience is essential. When finished, refrigerate the toum and enjoy it with the grilled chicken and potatoes.