Browsing the meat displays takes on a whole new meaning once you have become an “EggHead” and I find myself always looking out for the next thing to try on the Big Green Egg Grill. The other day at the store I found beautiful, plump organic chicken thighs and couldn’t pass up on them. I had come across and saved a Greek chicken recipe a while ago that called for marinating and then baking chicken parts. Figuring our Egg grill can do anything but brew coffee (although come to think of it you could probably make that happen camping style in a pinch) we set out on a mission to make Greek chicken thighs on the Big Green Egg.
First, we made the Greek marinade by combining yoghurt, olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice. This marinade itself doubles as a delicious Greek (dipping) sauce that would be amazing with any grilled meat or meatballs or just vegetable accoutrements. So next time we’ll be sure to make a double batch to use half as marinade and half as sauce. You’ll want to pour the marinade over your chicken pieces in a big zip lock bag and let the marinade do its magic for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
During that time we prepared an uber-tasty lemony feta and cucumber cous-cous salad and started to prepare the Big Green Egg.
Since we were adapting a baked chicken recipe for the Big Green Egg we used a Plate Setter to take advantage of indirect heat. It basically puts a barrier between the direct fire heat and your food while allowing the hot air to flow around the edges and pool in the Egg’s dome to create an oven-like atmosphere. On top of the Plate Setter you want to place your regular grate and you are set-up for indirect heat grilling. Just make sure your food sits over the covered parts, not the open edges on the sides.
For this marinated chicken thighs recipe we preheated the Big Green Egg to 375F and had the chicken on it (closed lid of course) for 50 minutes until the juices ran clear. Perfect!!
I had been wondering if setting the Big Green Egg up was going to be worth it compared to just turning on the oven like the original recipe had called for. After tasting the moist, slightly smoky tasting chicken meat I have no doubt, totally worth it. So, so good and super easy! Buon appetito!
Greek Chicken Thighs and Cous-Cous Salad
