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. 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
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: serves 10 1x
Description
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 ½ 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!
- Visit our store to browse our spices, olive oils and bundles!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Mediterranean/Moroccan
Keywords: Grilled chicken drumsticks, harissa, spicy garlic harissa chicken, spicy chicken drumsticks,
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Suecq says
Made this tonight with 8 thighs. Delicious! I only used half the harissa paste since my in laws don’t like spicy food and the heat was just right. I will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Suzy says
Thanks, Suecq! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Jim says
Challenges, challenges! I cook for 2 & the trick is to get the desired tastes & consistencies without reducing the ingredient quantities to the point that they are lost. I'm going to try this soon & report back the results.
Suzy says
That would be great, Jim. Looking forward to your feedback.
Jim says
4 drum sticks. Basically divided everything by 4 or 5 or TLAR (That Looks About Right). Used the mini Cuisinart for the paste; perfect size for the amount I needed. My cook time was about 20 minutes for 170-180 F; still got nice char.
Great flavors. Grilled nicely & will do again, especially if I'm cooking for a group.
★★★★★
Suzy says
Thanks for sharing, Jim!
Angela says
Does this also work well as a baked dish?
Suzy says
Sure! Hi Sharon. I would recommend first using a cast iron skillet or a griddle of sorts, to 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!
alicia says
If you don't have a food processor, would a blender work okay to make the marinade?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Sure, Alicia. A blender should be fine for this.
Macc says
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?
Suzy Karadsheh says
You can totally make this substitution. I think 8 to 10 thighs would work depending on the size of the thighs.
Jean Bishop says
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!!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
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!
janet thornton says
this is MAKIN IT!! pinterest owner
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thank, you Janet! Appreciate it.
Sharon says
I don't have an outdoor grill. What is your recommendation for cooking in oven or stove-top?
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
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!
Shahid Shaikh says
Hello Suzy, when do you plan to share harissa recipe, i wish to prepare it myself. Plz update, thanks 🙂
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
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!
Shahid Shaikh says
Yes, a home made harissa paste recipe. Thank you. I m waiting for it 🙂
Chhote Miyaan says
Hey Suzy, have you shared the recipe for a homemade harissa paste on the site. ? If yes, plz share the link. Thank you.
★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi! Sorry, I haven't been able to get to that one yet. But it's still on my list.
Amber says
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!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
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!
Misty says
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?
Suzy Karadsheh says
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/
Mary Frances says
Wow! Chicken has never looked this appetizing before. Great pictures and recipe, Suzy!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thank you, Mary! They taste as good as they look. Promise
Sarah @ The Chef Next Door says
What a gorgeous dish! My family loves grilled chicken and I know they would love this!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks so much, Sarah! If you ever try it, let me know.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
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!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Maureen, great to see you here, friend! Thanks for the sweet comment.