Weber’s Harissa Chicken Thighs on the Grill

Plate of grilled chicken thighs with barley, peppers, and onions on a white plate.

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This recipe is published in Weber’s official recipe library as Harissa Chicken Thighs, by Jamie Purviance. It uses bone-in, skin-on thighs, which stay forgiving on the grill, and it builds its marinade from grilled red bell peppers blended with harissa, lemon, ginger and cinnamon. The chicken goes onto the indirect side first to brown gently, then moves over direct heat to crisp the skin. Weber’s recipe gives a finishing temperature of 165°F, which matches the USDA minimum for chicken thighs, so this one is easy to follow safely.

At a Glance

  • Serves 4
  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Marinating time: 1 to 24 hours
  • Grilling time: about 1 hour in total, including roasting the peppers
  • Works on gas or charcoal; you need an instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

For the marinade

  • 2 large red bell peppers
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon harissa paste (or a red chili sauce such as Sambal Olek)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken

  • 8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Method

1. Make the marinade

  1. Heat the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat, 475°F to 525°F. Brush the grates clean.
  2. Grill the bell peppers over direct medium-high heat with the lid closed until blackened all over, about 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.
  3. Move the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let them steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Cut away the stem and core, slit each pepper lengthwise, and remove the seeds and membranes. Peel off and discard the charred skin.
  5. Put the peppers in a food processor with the remaining marinade ingredients and process until smooth. Set aside a scant 1/4 cup for basting.

2. Marinate the chicken

  1. Arrange the thighs in a baking dish and pour the rest of the marinade over them. Rub some of it between the skin and the meat and turn the thighs to coat.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

3. Grill

  1. Change the grill to direct and indirect cooking over medium heat, 375°F to 425°F.
  2. Cook the thighs skin side up over indirect medium heat with the lid closed until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
  3. Move them to direct medium heat and keep cooking, turning occasionally and brushing with some of the reserved marinade, until the skin begins to crisp and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken, not touching bone, reads 165°F. Weber gives 6 to 10 minutes for this stage.
  4. Take the thighs off the heat, season lightly with salt and pepper, and rest them indoors for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Where 165°F Comes From

The number in the recipe is not arbitrary. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) lists “whole bird, legs, thighs, and wings” at a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F in its cooking temperatures chart. Its chicken guidance also says that when cooking pieces, including drumsticks, thighs and wings, they should be cooked until they reach 165°F.

The same page says the colour of cooked chicken is not a sign of its safety. It explains that pink colour in safely cooked chicken may be due to hemoglobin in the tissues, which can form a heat-stable colour, and that smoking or grilling may cause it. In other words, a thigh that looks done is not proof that it is. Use the thermometer, and place it as Weber describes, in the thickest part of the chicken and not touching bone.

FSIS also states that people may choose to cook poultry to higher temperatures for personal preference.

What the Recipe Does With the Marinade

The recipe handles its marinade in a specific order. The pepper and harissa mixture is blended first, and the basting portion, a scant 1/4 cup, is set aside before any chicken goes into the dish. That means the marinade brushed on during the direct-heat stage never touched the raw chicken. If you adapt the recipe, keep that order: reserve the basting portion first, then pour the rest over the chicken.

Weber’s own timing also spells out two heat zones, so plan the fire for it. The peppers need 475°F to 525°F direct heat, while the chicken cooks at 375°F to 425°F with an indirect side and a direct side.

Diet Note

This is a chicken recipe, so it is not vegetarian or vegan. The ingredient list as published contains no dairy, and no flour or breadcrumbs, but check the label on your harissa paste or chili sauce.

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