Lemony Lebanese Chicken (Djej Mishwe) Recipe

Djej Mishwe is a traditional Lebanese grilled chicken dish that pairs well with garlic sauce. The acidic marinade in this recipe creates a lemony flavor complimented by the smoky flavor from cooking over charcoal.

Ingredients:

6 pieces of chicken (breast or leg quarters with skin) or 2 chicken halves
1/2 cup of lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
1/2 cup of red vinegar (apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar)
1 garlic head
3/4 cup of olive oil
1.5 to 2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of Arabic 7-Spices (or black pepper). Available in Mediterranean grocery stores (like Oasis International Market) or Amazon

Directions:

1. Make cuts in chicken pieces (for marinade to seep through).

2. In a blender or food processor, grind/crush for 3-4 minutes the garlic along with the lemon juice, 1/2 cup of red vinegar, salt, and 7-spices. Once done, add the olive oil then run the blender for 1 more minute. Your marinade is now ready. Reserve a few tablespoons of the marinade, you’ll need it later.

3. Place chicken in a bowl, pour marinade on and let sit in the fridge overnight. The longer you marinate the chicken the more flavor it will have.

4. Grill the marinated chicken on a BBQ as you would other chicken, on medium-high  – 10-15 minutes with skin side down on direct heat then move to indirect heat and cook until 165 degrees (about 30 minutes). In the first 10 minutes of grilling, brush the reserved marinade on the chicken occasionally so they stay moist and absorb more marinade flavor.

Source: Halal BBQ Pitmasters