Djaj Mishwi (Lebanese Grilled Garlic Chicken)

About This Recipe

Djaj mishwi is the chicken you'll find at nearly every Lebanese grill restaurant, marinated for hours in an intensely garlicky, lemony paste that both flavors and tenderizes the meat before it hits a hot grill. Baharat, the Lebanese seven-spice blend, gives the chicken its warm, slightly sweet backbone, while a generous amount of raw garlic blended into the marinade is what sets this apart from milder grilled chicken preparations elsewhere. Traditionally served with toum, an intensely garlicky whipped sauce, and warm pita for wrapping, djaj mishwi depends on a properly hot grill to develop good char while keeping the marinated meat juicy underneath.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1/3 cupolive oil
• 1/4 cuplemon juice
• 8 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1.5 tspbaharat (Lebanese seven-spice)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 4pita breads(for serving)
• 1/2 cuptoum (Lebanese garlic sauce)(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the marinade

   Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, baharat, salt and pepper into a smooth marinade.

2. 2

   Marinate the chicken

   Coat the chicken pieces thoroughly in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.

   Marinate as long as possible — the garlic and lemon need real time to penetrate and tenderize the chicken properly.

3. 3

   Prepare the grill

   Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

4. 4

   Grill the chicken

   Grill the chicken, turning occasionally, 25-30 minutes until deeply charred outside and cooked through, moving pieces to indirect heat if they're browning too fast.

5. 5

   Rest

   Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve hot with warm pita and toum for spreading or dipping.

Variations

• •

  Chicken breast can be used for a leaner version, though reduce grilling time to avoid drying it out.

• •

  A version with a sumac and onion topping (sometimes called musakhan-style) adds extra tang.

• •

  Boneless thighs threaded onto skewers cook faster and are easier to manage on a home grill.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked chicken up to 3 days; reheat gently in a covered pan or oven to avoid drying it out. Raw marinated chicken keeps up to 2 days before grilling.

Frequently Asked Questions