Tangy, creamy and bursting with the flavors and aroma of herbs, these grilled chicken skewers can be enjoyed with pita or rice.
Cook’s notes
My daughter, Alex, cooked this dish for her birthday party years ago. Not just the chicken but the pita what she served the skewers with. She was just out of culinary school, and she was experimenting non-stop.
My only tip for this chicken kebab recipe: Despite the small size of the chicken pieces, I recommend at least six hours of marinating to allow the yogurt, olive oil and lemon juice to flavor, tenderize and moisten the flesh.
Yogurt-marinated chicken kebab
Ingredients
- 2.5 kilograms chicken thigh fillets (5.5 pounds)
- 500 grams plain yogurt (1.1 pounds)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons rock salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 4 cups bell peppers diced
- pita or rice to serve
- chili sauce (we used Sriracha) to garnish
- chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thigh fillets into bite-size pieces. I recommend two-inch squares no more than half an inch thick.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and thyme.
- Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture and mix by hand working the the marinade into the meat.
- Transfer the chicken to a shallow container. Cover tightly. Leave in the fridge to marinate for at least six hours.
- Half an hour before grilling, soak the bamboo skewers in water to prevent them from burning on the grill.
- Thread the chicken and bell peppers alternately with the bamboo skewers.
- Brush the grill with a little cooking oil.
- Cook the chicken skewers over live coals at least six inches from the heat. Five minutes per side should be enough if the chicken slices are no more than half an inch thick.
- Serve the chicken skewers with warmed pita or rice, drizzle in a little Sriracha and sprinkle in some parsley.
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