About this Dish
Saffron and lemon marinated chicken grilled over charcoal — the colour a vibrant gold from the saffron, the flavour intensely fragrant. Served with buttered saffron rice and grilled tomatoes. The saffron marinade is what makes this uniquely Persian and fundamentally different from other grilled chicken dishes.
IngredientsServes 4
🍗Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, 1.2kg
🌿Saffron threads, 1/2 teaspoon
🍋Lemons, 3 large, juiced
🧅Large onion, 1, grated
🧄Garlic cloves, 3, minced
🫒Olive oil, 4 tablespoons
🧈Unsalted butter, 50g
🍅Vine tomatoes, 4, halved
🧂Salt and black pepper, to season
Method
1
Bloom your saffron by grinding the threads to a fine powder with a pinch of sugar using the back of a spoon, then dissolve in 3 tablespoons of hot water and let it steep for 10 minutes — this releases the golden colour and full fragrance.2
In a large bowl combine the bloomed saffron with lemon juice, grated onion, minced garlic, olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Add the chicken pieces, massage the marinade in deeply, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.3
Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to come to room temperature. If using a charcoal grill, let the coals burn down to glowing embers for even, steady heat — this is what gives joojeh kabab its authentic smoky depth.4
Grill the chicken over medium-hot coals, turning every 4–5 minutes and basting occasionally with leftover marinade. Legs and thighs will need roughly 30–35 minutes total; the skin should be deeply golden and slightly charred at the edges. Add the tomato halves cut-side down in the final 10 minutes until softened and lightly blistered.5
While the chicken grills, melt the butter in a small pan and stir in a pinch of saffron dissolved in a teaspoon of hot water to make a golden saffron butter. Brush generously over the chicken in the final 2 minutes of cooking for a glossy, fragrant finish.6
Serve immediately over a bed of buttered basmati rice with the grilled tomatoes alongside. Squeeze extra lemon over everything at the table and garnish with fresh herbs if you like — the rice will soak up any resting juices from the chicken beautifully.User Reviews
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