Middle Eastern Chicken Kebab Food

CHICKEN KEBABS

Steps:

• Mix the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, oregano, coriander, paprika, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl until fully blended. Add the chicken and mix to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
• Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill for cooking over medium-high heat. Thread the marinated chicken onto the soaked skewers, about 5 pieces per skewer, taking care not to pack the chicken pieces too tightly.
• Grill the skewers until the chicken is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer should register 165 degrees F), about 4 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA (MIDDLE EASTERN)

Steps:

• Marinade chicken - Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken, seal, the massage from the outside with your hands to make sure each piece is coated. Marinate 24 hours (minimum 3 hours).
• Yogurt Sauce - Combine the Yogurt Sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover and put in the fridge until required (it will last for 3 days in the fridge).
• Preheat stove or BBQ - Heat a large non-stick skillet with 1 tablespoon over medium high heat, or lightly brush a BBQ hotplate/grills with oil and heat to medium high. (See notes for baking)
• Cook chicken - Place chicken in the skillet or on the grill and cook the first side for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely charred. Turn and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes (the 2nd side takes less time).
• Rest - Remove chicken from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

SHISH TAOUK | LEBANESE CHICKEN KEBAB RECIPE

Steps:

• Place first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, stir.
• Add chicken, cover and place in fridge to marinate for 3 hours or overnight.
• Skewer chicken on large skewers. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place racks on top. Place skewed chicken on racks.
• Broil in oven about 4 inches under heating element, about 8 minutes, turn. Continue broiling for about 4 more minutes. Chicken should have some charring and cooked through. Alternatively you may grill these on a gas or charcoal grill.

MIDDLE EASTERN CHICKEN KEBABS OR CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic.
• Thread the chicken onto metal skewers, folding if the pieces are long and thin, alternating occasionally with the red onions. Be sure not to cram the skewers. (Note: You'll need between 6-8 skewers.) Place the kebabs on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil. Spoon or brush the marinade all over the meat, coating well. Cover and refrigerate at least eight hours or overnight.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. To grease the grill, lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. Grill the chicken kebabs until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the skewers to a platter and serve.
• Note: I've specified chicken thighs as opposed to boneless chicken breasts for this recipe because they are more flavorful, and less likely dry out. Additionally, the lemon juice in the marinade will make boneless chicken breasts tougher when cooked.

MIDDLE EASTERN CHICKEN KEBAB

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add all the ingredients except for the chicken and mix well.
• Add chicken and toss to coat well.
• Cover and refrigerate from 3 to 24 hours.
• To cook:
• Preheat your grill to medium-high heat greasing very well.
• Thread onto skewers alternating occasionally with the bell peppers.
• Grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through, turning it occasionally.

CHICKEN KEBABS - MIDDLE EASTERN

Steps:

• Prep Chicken - Clean and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Pat dry on a paper towel to remove excess moisture.Pro tip - Cut the chicken into about 1-inch pieces as too large will keep the chicken raw in the middle. Also, make sure the chicken is dry so the marinade will stick to it.
• Prep Veggies - Cut vegetables also into small pieces similar to the chicken. Cut each onion into quarters. Do the same with the tomatoes if using large tomatoes. Pro tip - Prepare the veggies no more than 4 hours before cooking so they stay fresh. I like to add the chicken marinade into my veggies as well so they pick up flavor from the chicken.
• Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes at least.Pro tip - Soaking the skewers in water will prevent them from burning on the grill so do not skip this step.
• Marinade - Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces. Cover and set aside to marinate for an hour on the counter or up to 12 hours in the fridge. Thaw it an hour before cooking. Pro tip - I like to combine the salt, pepper, and lemon juice to the chicken first, and the yogurt at the end but you can add everything in all at once.
• Skewer - Thread the chicken and vegetable pieces alternating each other. I prefer one piece of chicken one piece veggie or sometimes 1 piece of chicken and two pieces of veggies. Pro tip - The skewers can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 4 hours.
• Grill - Heat a grill pan on medium-high heat. Place a few skewers at a time - do not overcrowd the grill. Brush each skewer with cooking oil. Pro tip - The char marks on the chicken can be controlled by raising and lowing the heat under the grill.
• Let cook for at least 3 minutes before you try to move it. When it's done on one side it will release from the pan. Turn to the other side and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.Pro tip - As a guide, each skewer with chicken breast takes 5 to 6 minutes to cook on all sides. Skewer with chicken thigh meat will take about 8 to 10 minutes on all sides.
• Serve with fragrant rice or pita bread with tahini and hummus.

MIDDLE EASTERN BEEF KABOBS

Steps:

• Once your meat and veggies have been prepped let the skewering fun begin! Thread a piece of green pepper onto the skewer. Follow it with a cube of beef, then one half of a preserved lemon, a couple of pieces of red onion, another piece of beef, a piece of red pepper and cap it with a mushroom. Repeat the process with the rest of the skewers. Set all of the kabobs into a roasting pan in one layer and set aside.
• Place the remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk until well incorporated. Pour the mixture over the kabobs and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat an outdoor charcoal or gas grill to high heat. Place the kabobs on the grill and cook 3 minutes per side. Remove and serve immediately or let cool, pack 'em up and take them on a picnic.
• Serve with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce.
• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times to make a chunky sauce.

CHICKEN KABOBS IN A MIDDLE EASTERN MARINADE

Steps:

• Puree the garlic, onion, spices, lemon juice and yogurt in the container of a blender or food processor.
• Place the chicken in a non-aluminum container and cover with the marinade. Turn well to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Preheat the broiler or make a charcoal fire.
• Thread the chicken on skewers, brush with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook about 4 to 5 minutes per side for thigh meat, 3 to 4 minutes per side for breast meat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

MIDDLE EASTERN MEATBALLS (KOFTA KEBABS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Add all the ingredients except the beef into a bowl and stir well.
• Add in the beef and stir until just combined.
• Form into 1/4 cup meatballs (I use an ice cream scoop) onto your cast iron skillet or sheet pan.
• Cook for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through.

MIDDLE EASTERN CHICKEN KEBABS IN HONEY-SOY MARINADE

Steps:

• In a bowl mix oil, honey, soy sauce, cumin, cayenne and pepper. Set a small amount of the marinade aside for basting later on. Then add the meat, veggies and garlic and let them marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours. The longer the better.
• Discard the marinade and put meat and veggies onto skewers. If you use wooden ones, first soak them in lemon water to prevent burning.
• Grill on the BBQ for 12-15 minutes or until done. Keepturning and basting with the marinade you set aside earlier.

MIDDLE EASTERN CHICKEN KEBABS (SHISH TAWOOK)

Steps:

• Add all the ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Heat the grill or grill pan onto medium-high heat.
• Skewer onto a metal skewer (make sure to leave a bit of space between the chunks of chicken).
• Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side or until fully cooked.