In this grilled chicken recipe, the humble drumsticks are dressed in a Moroccan-inspired garlic and harissa marinade. Spicy. Tangy. Simply addictive!
I am a frequent wanderer. Somewhat of a nomad. Not by choice.
My my mind travels often, from the familiar places I have lived or visited recently, to places exotic and mysterious. Destinations that I may only encounter in the pages of books or travel magazines. The pictures so vivid and filled with life, they jump off the page at me. And thanks to the gift of human imagination, my brain takes me beyond the vibrant colors–to texture, smell and even taste.
Whenever I physically travel to a new place, or simply daydream about it (as I have been about Morocco lately), my mind always goes to food. And I find myself equally fascinated with new foods as I am with foods familiar and universal.
Is there anything so universal as chicken cooked on an open flame?
In today’s grilled chicken drumsticks recipe, I decided to give the familiar chicken drumsticks a Moroccan twist. Â I used harissa paste, a popular Moroccan chili paste, as the base for the marinade. I added more garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and a few of my favorite spices, sumac, thyme and ground nutmeg.
What exactly is harissa?
I’ve heard harissa described as the ketchup of North Africa. In a way it is, because harissa is as ubiquitously found in parts of North Africa like Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya, as ketchup is found here in the United States. And in some countries, harissa is considered a condiment to accompany “fast foods” like eggs and tuna sandwiches.
But believe me, harissa is not like ketchup. Harissa is highly complex in flavor. There are several recipes for harissa depending on what part of North Africa you visit. But at its core, harissa paste combines a variety of hot peppers with olive oil and garlic, and spices like coriander, and caraway seeds.
Where to find harissa paste in the United States
You can find harrissa paste at specialty food stores like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and even World Market. Amazon carries a variety; here is a list of harissa options!
What to serve with these grilled chicken drumsticks
This recipe for grilled chicken drumsticks with garlic harissa marinade is quite simple. But the intensity of flavor is unmatched.
For a large party, I like to serve these drumsticks with grilled vegetables and an easy mezze party platter like this one; you can buy most of the platter items already prepared. Or try one of these simple sides: fattoush salad; kidney bean and cilantro salad; Israeli couscous salad; roasted red pepper hummus; or traditional creamy hummus.
Happy Labor Day weekend!
Step-by-Step for these grilled chicken drumsticks
(Scroll down for the print-friendly recipe)
To make the garlic-harissa marinade, in a food processor, blend the chopped garlic, harissa paste, nutmeg, sumac, thyme, lime juice and olive oil.
Pat the chicken drumsticks dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Now apply the garlic-harissa marinade to the chicken drumsticks, particularly underneath the skin. Do not discard the remaining marinade.
Place the chicken drumsticks with the sliced onions in a large jumbo kitchen bag with a seal. Pour the extra marinade on top. Seal the bag shut and massage the contents so that the chicken is well covered in the garlic-harissa marinade.
Refrigerate for four hours or overnight.
When ready, heat an outdoor grill to medium. Grill the drumsticks on medium heat, covered, for 35-40 minutes or until well done. As they grill, turn the drumsticks every 7-8 minutes or so.
Assemble the chicken drumsticks on a platter and enjoy with your favorite sides (be sure to check out the suggestions I mentioned earlier)
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks with Spicy Garlic Harissa Rub
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: serves 10 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
In this grilled chicken recipe, the humble drumsticks are dressed in a Moroccan-inspired garlic and harissa marinade. Spicy. Tangy. Simply addictive!
Ingredients
- 15 garlic cloves, peeled, roughly chopped
- 6 tbsp Harissa paste like this one
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp sumac
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 large limes or lemons, juice of
- 4 tbsp Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
- 20 large chicken drumsticks
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large red onion, sliced
Instructions
- To make the garlic-harissa marinade, in a food processor, blend the chopped garlic, harissa paste, nutmeg, sumac, thyme, lime juice and olive oil.
- Pat the chicken drumsticks dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Now apply the garlic-harissa marinade to the chicken drumsticks, particularly underneath the skin. Do not discard the remaining marinade.
- Place the chicken drumsticks with the sliced onions in a large jumbo kitchen bag with a seal. Pour the extra marinade on top. Seal the bag shut and massage the contents so that the chicken is well covered in the garlic-harissa marinade.
- Refrigerate for four hours or overnight.
- When ready, heat an outdoor grill to medium. Grill the drumsticks on medium heat, covered, for 35-40 minutes or until well done. As they grill, turn the drumsticks every 7-8 minutes.
- Serve with an easy mezze platter like this one. Or sides like fattoush salad; kidney bean and cilantro salad; roasted red pepper hummus.
Notes
- Cooking Tip: Chicken should be marinated in the refrigerator for four hours or overnight before grilling.
- If you choose to substitute Harissa with a different chili paste, select one that does not have sweet undertones. You want to go spicy-tangy for this recipe. And of course, if you prefer a less spicy drumstick, go ahead and reduce the amount of Harissa or chili paste to your taste.
- Recommended for this Recipe our Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil, and  all-natural ground nutmeg, and sumac spice.
- SAVE! Create your own 3-pack or 6-pack of our all-natural or organic spices! Or try our Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle!Â
- Visit our store to browse our spices, olive oils and bundles!
- Category: Entree
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Mediterranean/Moroccan
Keywords: Grilled chicken drumsticks, harissa, spicy garlic harissa chicken, spicy chicken drumsticks,
Try some of these delicious recipes:
Mediterranean Grilled Chicken + Dill Greek Yogurt Sauce
If you don’t have a food processor, would a blender work okay to make the marinade?
Sure, Alicia. A blender should be fine for this.
Hi Suzy!! This looks absolutely amazing!! I would like to substitute the drumsticks for thighs though. For the recipe you have here, would 8 thighs be a good number?
You can totally make this substitution. I think 8 to 10 thighs would work depending on the size of the thighs.
I made this exactly as the recipe reads using drums and thighs. I baked in the oven at 350 until meat thermometer read 165…absolutely delicious!!! The marinade is so good and flavorful! I bought the harissa paste on amazon (one in the yellow tube)…I did broil for a few minutes to caramelize the skin and this is oh-so-good! I’m thinking that marinade would make a fantastic dressing in a pasta salad…fantastic recipe!!
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Jean, so glad to hear your feedback! I haven’t made this one in a while, and now I want to! So glad you enjoyed it. And thanks for sharing the baking instructions!
this is MAKIN IT!! pinterest owner
Thank, you Janet! Appreciate it.
I don’t have an outdoor grill. What is your recommendation for cooking in oven or stove-top?
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Hi Sharon. If you have a cast iron skillet or a griddle of sorts, you can brown the drumsticks stove-top, then when the skin is nice and browned, move them to the oven, maybe with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Bake in a 400 degrees F heated oven until the internal temp of the chicken registers 165 degrees F. Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Hello Suzy, when do you plan to share harissa recipe, i wish to prepare it myself. Plz update, thanks 🙂
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Hi Shahid…Are you asking for a homemade harissa paste recipe? I am so glad you reminded me!! I will try and work on it in near future. Thanks so much!
Yes, a home made harissa paste recipe. Thank you. I m waiting for it 🙂
Hey Suzy, have you shared the recipe for a homemade harissa paste on the site. ? If yes, plz share the link. Thank you.
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Hi! Sorry, I haven’t been able to get to that one yet. But it’s still on my list.
Crazy delicious! I used half lemon juice, half lime, and had the happy accident of grilling them a bit too low for :40, then raised the heat for :10, and they were perfect. I got such glowing reviews at a Mediterranean-themed potluck last night, that I currently have a new batch marinating for dinner tomorrow! Thank you!
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Amber, that is so great to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed the grilled chicken drumsticks. Isn’t that marinade so good?!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to share!
I’m always looking for new, healthy ways to cook chicken breasts. Have you ever used subbed breasts for drumsticks and, instead of the grill, have you ever prepared this recipe in the oven?
Hey Misty. Great questions. This particular recipe, I have only tried with drumsticks. But I am sure it would be great with chicken breasts as well. I would marinate the chicken breasts (bone-in, skin on) overnight (be sure to work some of the marinade underneath the skin). To roast, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and roast for 40-45 mins (if you are doing 4 or so chicken breasts, for example). Adjust the amount of the marinade according to how much chicken you decide to make. Here is another roasted chicken breast recipe that you might like http://www.themediterraneandish.com/zaatar-roasted-chicken-breast-recipe/
Wow! Chicken has never looked this appetizing before. Great pictures and recipe, Suzy!
Thank you, Mary! They taste as good as they look. Promise
What a gorgeous dish! My family loves grilled chicken and I know they would love this!
Thanks so much, Sarah! If you ever try it, let me know.
Wow, looking at that chicken marinating in the harissa marinade, I just want to reach in and put it on my grill. The finished dish is gorgeous!
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Maureen, great to see you here, friend! Thanks for the sweet comment.