Gunpowder Tea-Smoked Chicken with Mint Yogurt
Chicken thighs smoked with Gunpowder green tea leaves become incredibly aromatic, served with a cooling mint yogurt that echoes the tea's own freshness.
Smoking chicken with Gunpowder tea leaves adds a nuanced, earthy smokiness that's lighter and more complex than wood smoke. The tea's natural oils infuse the meat with subtle vegetal and slightly minty undertones.
The stovetop smoking technique is surprisingly simple—all you need is a wok, some foil, and a handful of tea leaves mixed with rice and sugar. The sugar helps generate smoke while adding the faintest caramelized edge.
The mint yogurt sauce is the perfect partner. It plays directly off the Gunpowder tea's signature minty freshness while providing a cool, creamy contrast to the warm, smoky chicken.
Serve this over a bed of herbed couscous or alongside grilled flatbread and a simple cucumber salad. It makes a stunning dinner-party centerpiece that looks far more complicated than it actually is.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 3 tbsp Gunpowder green tea leaves
- 1/4 cup uncooked rice
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt and pepper
How to make it
- 1Season chicken thighs with cumin, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- 2Line a wok with heavy-duty foil. Mix tea leaves, rice, and brown sugar in the center of the foil.
- 3Place a wire rack inside the wok above the tea mixture. Lay chicken thighs on the rack skin-side up.
- 4Cover tightly with a lid or foil dome. Turn heat to medium-high until smoke appears, then reduce to medium-low. Smoke for 25–30 minutes until chicken reaches 75°C internally.
- 5While chicken smokes, mix yogurt with chopped mint, garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
- 6Rest chicken 5 minutes before serving with the mint yogurt on the side.
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