Recipe: Tahini-Marinated Chicken Thighs

Our Basecamp registered dietitian, Jamie, brings you easy-to-follow tips and tools to help you stay on your path nutritionally. Each week we rotate between live, online classes to personalized videos from Jamie and great tips to challenge you to explore new food opportunities.

Visit our BASECAMP IS EVERYWHERE page to learn more!

Tahini-Marinated Chicken Thighs with Cucumber and Tomato Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

Chicken:

1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste), well stirred

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1 small shallot, finely grated

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lb.)

Cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad:

1 1/2 cups chopped cucumber

1 1/2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup pepitas (toast pumpkin seeds)

3-4 cups cooked quinoa (cooled)

Directions

Step 1: To prepare chicken, combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl (through shallot). Place 1/4 cup tahini mixture in a small bowl; reserve. Place remaining tahini mixture and chicken in a large ziplock plastic bag; seal, turning to coat chicken. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Step 2: Preheat grill to medium (350°F to 450°F). Coat grill grate with cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Arrange chicken on grill grate; cover and cook 4-6 minutes on each side or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Arrange chicken on a platter; drizzle with reserved 1/4 cup tahini mixture.

Step 3: To prepare the salad, combine cucumber and next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt) in a bowl; toss gently to combine.

Tips

Prepare marinade and quinoa night prior to allow for marinade time and cooling time

To avoid overcooking the chicken, utilize a meat thermometer inserted to the thickest portion of the chicken thigh

Recommend using Persian or English cucumbers with seeds removed (cut in half length-wise, scrape out seeds with spoon before chopping) to reduce moisture and preserve leftovers for longer.

Yummy salad add-ins could include grilled corn kernels, blanched green beans, chopped red onion, garbanzo beans, or feta cheese

Nutritional Information

●Calories 448 ● Fat 18.6g ● Satfat 3.5g ● Monofat 9g ● Polyfat 31g ● Protein 39g ● Carbohydrate 31g ● Fiber 4g ● Cholesterol 160mg ● Iron 4mg ● Sodium 544mg ● Calcium 76mg ● Sugars 3g ● Est. added sugars 0g

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.