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Dr. Foodie
This easy to make recipe can be your grilling template for making the best tender, moist, flavorful chicken you've ever had.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4 People

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 lbs chicken
  • 1 jar Serious Foodie Moroccan Spice Blend If you have the ingredients, there are lots of recipes to make your own blend. But ours makes it a lot easier for you.
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 8 ounces whole milk Greek yogurt
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lemon, halved

Instructions
 

  • Pat dry the chicken. Spatchcock the chicken - the how-to article at Kitchn will show you how - it's easy.
  • Mix about 4 tablespoons of the spice blend, and the garlic, with the yogurt. Save 1-2 ounces for later, as a sauce. Carefully lift the skin under the breast, and under each thigh, then place this yogurt mixture under the skin of the chicken. If you have any remaining, flip the chicken over and place the remaining yogurt mixture in the cavity. Salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with some of the spice blend. Let the chicken sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for 4-18 hours (which we prefer. If you refrigerate, bring the chicken to room temperature before cooking, about 45 minutes ahead of cooking).
  • Pre-heat your grill for high, indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on 1 side of grill; for a gas grill, leave 1 or 2 burners off). Rub the chicken with some olive oil on both sides.
  • Tuck wings slightly under breast. Place chicken, skin side down, over indirect heat, set bricks on top, and grill, covered, until skin is golden and crisp, 25–30 minutes. Using tongs, remove bricks; turn chicken, skin side up.
  • Replace bricks and continue grilling until chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165°, 25–30 minutes longer.
  • Serve with the Turkish bread (or pita which you can get at most grocery stores), the Turkish Shepard's salad (or just tomatoes & cucumbers), and the remaining yogurt/spice blend/garlic mixture. Makes a great sandwich.

Notes

We use this grilling same technique when we make our version of Tuscan chicken.  Instead of using the yogurt/spice mixture under the skin, we use fresh pesto.  It adds so much flavor, and keeps the meat moist.
Keyword chicken under bricks, grilled chicken, Shawarma, Turkish chicken