Middle Eastern Chicken Kebabs Food

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

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.

YOGURT-MARINATED CHICKEN KEBABS WITH ALEPPO PEPPER

Steps:

• If using Aleppo pepper, place in large bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon warm water. Let stand until thick paste forms, about 5 minutes. If using dried crushed red pepper and paprika combination, place in large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons warm water and let stand until paste forms, about 5 minutes. Add yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to spice mixture in bowl; whisk to blend. Stir in garlic and lemon slices, then chicken. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread chicken pieces on metal skewers, dividing equally. Discard marinade in bowl. Sprinkle each skewer with salt, pepper, and additional Aleppo pepper or paprika. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer skewers to platter. Surround with lemon wedges and serve.
• *A slightly sweet Syrian pepper with a moderate heat level; available at some specialty foods stores and from wholespice.com.
• **A thick yogurt; sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores (such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods markets) and Greek markets. If unavailable, place regular yogurt in cheesecloth-lined strainer set over large bowl. Cover and chill overnight to drain.
• Ingredient tip:
• Aleppo pepper is sold finely ground or crushed into small flakes; either one will work well in this recipe.

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 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.

MIDDLE EASTERN-STYLE GRILLED CHICKEN KABOBS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers, folding if the pieces are long and thin, alternating with the red onions. Be sure not to cram the skewers. (Note: You'll need between 6-8 skewers.) Place the kabobs on the prepared baking sheet. 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 kabobs until golden brown and cooked through, turning the skewers occasionally, 13 to 15 minutes. (The yogurt marinade makes these kabobs prone to sticking to the grill grates; if necessary, use a metal BBQ spatula to scrape underneath the kabobs and release them.) Transfer the kabobs to a platter and serve.
• Note: I've specified boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe; they're juicier and more flavorful than chicken breasts, and they work better in this type of yogurt and lemon-based marinade. They're also much easier to cook without drying out.

MIDDLE EASTERN MARINADE FOR CHICKEN KEBABS

Steps:

• Whisk all ingredients in small bowl.

KABAB (KEBABS OR MIDDLE EASTERN SKEWERS)

Steps:

• mix all ingredients in a food processor, pulse for a few seconds just enough to mix them. If you don't have a food processor, mix them well with your hands in a bowl.
• shape like jumbo hotdogs, not footlong just 3 inches long :P
• skewer them and grill each side until cooked; you can put 2 kebabs for each skewer then serve warm.

MIDDLE EASTERN KEBABS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let rest in the refrigerator for about a half an hour.
• Form into sausage like shapes and thread onto skewers.
• Heat oil on griddle over medium heat and fry the kebabs, turning until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes depending on thickness.
• Alternatively, you can grill the skewers (be sure to soak the skewers first if they are made of bamboo).
• Serve with lebne (cucumber, yogurt and mint sauce), or sliced cucumbers and tomatoes.