Moroccan Marinated Grilled Chicken Flatbread Burgers with Red Pepper Hummus

Moroccan Marinated Grilled Chicken Flatbread Burgers with Red Pepper Hummus

The summer grilling season has finally come to my neck of the woods and though I'm sometimes wearing a heavy coat at the backyard grill, at least I'm not standing in snow to do it.

Simply marinated and grilled lean meats with big summer salads make up the bulk of our weekday dinners in the summertime and we are always looking for new ways to add flavor to the grill, especially for pork and chicken. A new marinated pork chop idea is coming for later in the week but today I decided to show how we served these delicious spiced chicken breasts. Some leftover red pepper hummus and some pizza dough on  hand were the inspiration for these terrific chicken burgers.  I particularly loved the chewy, substantial texture of the flatbread and the creamy hummus in these sandwiches. They really were full meals in themselves.

If making flatbreads for burger buns, you can make the dough or even buy pizza dough and follow the instructions found here. I'd make them about half the size though, using only 2 to 3 ounces of dough per flatbread.

You can find the Red Pepper Hummus recipe here

Moroccan Marinated Grilled Chicken Flatbread Burgers with Red Pepper Hummus

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Moroccan Marinated Grilled Chicken Flatbread Burgers with Red Pepper Hummus - a simple, spiced marinade flavors the chicken while the flatbreads are made on the grill right alongside it. Creamy red pepper hummus completes this delicious combination of flavors and textures.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes including marinating time.
Yield: 4 chicken burgers

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp kosher salt kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg ground nutmeg
• 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together except the chicken breasts.
2. Pound the chicken breasts out to a uniform thickness.
3. Pour over the chicken breasts in a large Ziploc bag.
4. Allow to marinate in the fridge for up to an hour.
5. Grill on a medium hot grill until fully cooked, about 4 -5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. I use a meat thermometer to get the center of the chicken up over 165 degrees F.
6. Remove from grill, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving on the flatbreads along with the red pepper hummus, sliced tomatoes and fresh lettuce. 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

My kids love hummus. They will eat it for breakfast or lunch or as a snack and who could complain about such a healthy choice? We have been trying s few flavor variations in our hummus and this roasted red pepper version was a hit with the kids and with friends we served it to this past weekend.

When cooking dried chick peas you have to do a little planning ahead, as you will need to soak them overnight or at least for 12 hours in plenty of water. One cup of dried chick peas will make a good sized batch of hummus, enough for at least 4 people to share. Cover the chickpeas with 3 to 4 times the volume of water to chickpeas and add a tablespoon of baking soda to the water. This will help to soften the chickpeas.

Chickpeas do not cook quickly, even after soaking and again, you will be seasoning the hummus in the final preparation so NO SALT in the cooking water. Rinse the chickpeas after their soaking stage and very gently simmer in unsalted water for 1 to 2 hours until they are very soft and creamy at the center with no grainy texture at all. Change the cooking water half way through the cooking time and skim any foam off the top as they cook as this can affect the final taste. When fully cooked, strain in a colander let the chickpeas cool down for 20 minutes before continuing with the preparation of the hummus. Some recipes suggest saving a little of the cooking water to mix in at the end if you want a thinner consistency to the finished hummus which is an excellent idea.

2 cups cooked or canned (no salt added) chickpeas

1 small roasted red pepper

1/2 to 1 clove of minced garlic (or to taste)

1/3 to 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste) (or 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil)

1/4 tsp cumin (or to taste)

juice of one large lemon

salt to season to taste

1/4 tsp pepper (optional)

1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes ( optional, if you want a spicy option)

Add the cooked chickpeas to a food processor and process until very creamy. Add the other ingredients and blend in well. Traditionally served with drizzled olive oil and chopped parsley.

A great dip for veggies or served on flatbread.

The Best Hummus

My son is a big fan of hummus and we have been eating more of it lately as a healthy snack. People who love this Middle Eastern diet staple are sometimes a bit fanatical about insisting it be prepared in the authentic traditional way using only traditional ingredients. As with all recipes, I say, make it the way you like it and apologize to nobody for it. 

This is a very simple basic recipe to which you can add different herbs and spices of your choice. I sometimes like hummus with an extra lemon kick, so I add very finely chopped lemon zest to the bowl. I find this works particularly well when using hummus as a vegetable dip. I also personally love to add a little toasted sesame oil to my hummus even when using tahini because of the uniquely nutty flavor it imparts. I also make a spicy version by adding crushed chili paste to the mix. Experiment with your own variations and develop your own favorite versions. The amounts of garlic and other ingredients can be adjusted to your taste as well.

You can use canned chickpeas but if you do, try and get them with no salt added. As with many canned foods these can be high in sodium and it is always best to season hummus yourself to control the amount of salt.

When cooking dried chick peas you have to do a little planning ahead, as you will need to soak them overnight or at least for 12 hours in plenty of water. One cup of dried chick peas will make a good sized batch of hummus, enough for at least 4 people to share. Cover the chickpeas with 3 to 4 times the volume of water to chickpeas and add a tablespoon of baking soda to the water. This will help to soften the chickpeas.

Chickpeas do not cook quickly, even after soaking and again, you will be seasoning the hummus in the final preparation so NO SALT in the cooking water. Rinse the chickpeas after their soaking stage and very gently simmer in unsalted water for 1 to 2 hours until they are very soft and creamy at the center with no grainy texture at all. Change the cooking water half way through the cooking time and skim any foam off the top as they cook as this can affect the final taste. When fully cooked, strain in a colander let the chickpeas cool down for 20 minutes before continuing with the preparation of the hummus. Some recipes suggest saving a little of the cooking water to mix in at the end if you want a thinner consistency to the finished hummus which is an excellent idea.

2 cups cooked or canned (no salt added) chickpeas

1/2 to 1 clove of minced garlic (or to taste)

1/3 to 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)

1/4 tsp cumin (or to taste)

juice of one large lemon

salt to season to taste

1/4 tsp pepper (optional)

Add the cooked chickpeas to a food processor and process until very creamy. Add the other ingredients and lend in well. Traditionally served with drizzled olive oil and chopped parsley.