Grilled Chicken Kebabs
Tender and delicious. It seems like a lot of ingredients, but the marinade and sauce have similar ingredients. I love serving these in warmed pita with the sauce, pickles, tomato, and lettuce.
Tender and delicious. It seems like a lot of ingredients, but the marinade and sauce have similar ingredients. I love serving these in warmed pita with the sauce, pickles, tomato, and lettuce.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 red bell peppers cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large red onion cut into 1-inch pieces
- dipping sauce:
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
- 1 cucumber peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and chopped fine
- Carbohydrate 12.1199707391031 g
- Cholesterol 139.636250003512 mg
- Fat 13.2577246018572 g
- Fiber 2.15165919016347 g
- Protein 58.3104701833734 g
- Saturated Fat 2.56933445382458 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (392g)
- Sodium 192.08020196439 mg
- Sugar 9.96831154893966 g
- Trans Fat 1.23198096664167 g
- Calories 411 calories
Step-by-step
- Whisk 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup oil, 1 tablespoon garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a ziploc bag. Add the chicken, and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup oil, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic, basil and lemon juice in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate while chicken is marinating.
- Remove chicken from yogurt marinade; discard marinade. Thread each skewer with 2 pieces pepper, 1 piece of onion, 2 pieces chicken, 1 piece of onion. Repeat twice more ending with 2 pieces of pepper.
- Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate while grilling the kebabs.
- Grill over high heat until vegetables and chicken are charred around edges on all four sides and chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter and brush kebabs all over with the lemon dressing.
Achieving tender poultry over direct flame requires managing protein denaturation and moisture loss simultaneously. Lean chicken breasts dry out rapidly when exposed to high radiant heat unless protected by an acidic or dairy-based barrier. Submerging the meat in a plain yogurt blend for three to six hours initiates tenderization via lactic acid while the fat content insulates the muscle fibers against extreme heat.
Pairing hot charred meat with a cold, acid-driven condiment provides essential thermal and flavor contrast. Grating or fine-chopping cucumber and salting it beforehand draws out excess water that would otherwise dilute the yogurt sauce. Fresh mint and lemon juice cut through the rich protein base, balancing the heavy smoke from the grill grate.
While assembly demands precision, the components tolerate advance preparation well. Marinating the chicken up to six hours maximizes flavor penetration without breaking down the structural integrity of the meat past the point of mushiness. Freezing assembled skewers is discouraged due to the high water content of the bell peppers and onions, which turns fibrous and watery upon thawing. Instead, store the marinated chicken separately in the refrigerator for up to six hours before threading.
When searing, rotate the skewers every two minutes to ensure even crust development without burning the surface aromatics. Brushing the hot chicken with a lemon-herb oil immediately after removal from the heat traps lingering surface moisture.
