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Greek Tahini Chicken with Cucumber, Tomato and Lemon Orzo Salad

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade & Salad Dressing:

  • 1-1/2 lbs. about 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, Set aside 1/4 cup of this mixture for the salad dressing
  • 1/4 cup tahini sesame seed paste, stirred
  • 3 Tablespoons Holland House White Cooking Wine
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons warm water
  • 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 Tablespoon dill weed
  • Juice and zest from 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 small shallot minced
  • Nonstick cooking spray for cooking

For the Lemon Orzo:

  • 2 cups hot cooked orzo or white/brown rice
  • Juice and zest from 1 lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

For the Salad:

  • 1 medium cucumber chopped
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

For the Chicken Marinade & Salad Dressing:

  • Add chicken thighs to a large resealable plastic bag; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk all marinade ingredients together until well blended. Reserve 1/4 cup tahini mixture in a small bowl (this will be your dressing for serving on top of cooked chicken). Pour remaining tahini mixture into the bag, seal, and toss to coat chicken in marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day.
  • When ready to cook, preheat your gas grill to medium (350°F to 450°F), or set a grill pan to medium heat. Generously coat grill grates with cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.
  • Arrange chicken thighs on grill. Cover and cook 4 minutes on each side, or until done. Remove chicken from grill and place on a platter. Set aside.

For the Lemon Orzo:

  • While chicken grills, cook orzo according to package directions. Once cooked, add lemon juice and zest, olive oil, salt and parsley. Stir to blend flavors. Spoon onto a large platter, or onto individual plates. Place chicken thighs on top of orzo.

For the Salad:

  • Arrange cucumber, tomatoes, parsley and mint over the platter, or each serving. Spoon remaining tahini mixture (salad dressing) over top of chicken and vegetables. Serve immediately.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

For a thinner tahini salad dressing, add 1/2 teaspoon water at a time, until you reached your desired consistency.
Disclosure: This recipe was created for Holland House Cooking Wines. All opinions are my own.
Author: Georgia