Marinate Grilled Chicken With This Nutty Sauce (And Never Look Back)

Grilled chicken is a classic, but it's only as good as its marinade. While options like yogurt are great for adding juiciness, some of the best flavors can come from less obvious choices. If you're into toasty, nutty notes, tahini is one to try.

Originating in the Middle East, tahini has been a staple sauce for thousands of years. This golden condiment is made by toasting sesame seeds until they develop a golden color, and then blending or grinding them in a neutral-flavored oil until they develop a smooth and creamy consistency. You'll most likely encounter it adding a rich texture to hummus or baba ganoush, as well as being a common addition to savory sauces and salad dressing recipes. Aside from being delicious, it's also nutrient-dense, packed with antioxidants, and loaded with plant-based proteins, making it a wonderful addition to your chicken marinade.

To create a tahini marinade, simply mix the tahini with your ingredients of choice. Be careful not to add too many liquid elements, as this can cause its smooth and creamy texture to turn more soupy — preventing it from clinging onto the chicken. To thicken things up, simply add more tahini or whisk in a dollop of Greek yogurt for extra body. Once the chicken is in the marinade, refrigerate it in a zip-lock bag for around two to four hours — this is especially important if you're using acidic ingredients, as prolonged exposure can cause the texture of the meat to turn to mush.

A strong marinade comes down to four key components: fats, acid, salt, and aromatics. Tahini already contains oil, so you're covered on the fat front, though a little extra olive oil can add even more depth — as long as you're not adding too much. Acid is essential for brightening the flavor and cutting through the richness of the tahini, with lemon juice or white wine vinegar being ideal choices. Salt, meanwhile, helps the marinade season the meat from the inside out. This allows the flavors of the to penetrate deep into the chicken, and helps the meat retain its natural juices during cooking.

With fats, acid, and salt covered, it's time to add the best part: the aromatics. This is where you can truly get creative. For a Middle Eastern inspired tahini marinade, use spices like cumin seeds, paprika, and a touch of sumac to balance earthy, spicy, and tangy flavors. You could also get a bit more experimental. Sesame seeds are essential in Asian cooking, so it's no surprise that tahini would work with an Asian inspired marinade. Mix garlic, ginger, tahini, soy sauce, and a splash of rice wine vinegar for a delicious Middle Eastern-Asian fusion.

If you don't fancy marinating your chicken, tahini works just as well as a drizzle or a dip once it's cooked. Combine it with lemon juice, mint, cucumber, and garlic for a refreshingly creamy dressing. Not only will this homemade sauce elevate your chicken, but it'll also work great in salads, drizzled over vegetables, like in this roasted kabocha recipe, or spread into your sandwiches or wraps.