Middle Eastern-Style Grilled Chicken Kabobs
These Middle Eastern-style chicken kabobs are perfect for summer cookouts and wonderful over a bed of rice pilaf or served with a greek salad. The chicken is marinated in yogurt, olive oil, lemon, garlic and spices, and then grilled over an open flame until juicy and golden brown.
Ingredients
1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (reduce to ½ teaspoon for less heat)
Zest from one lemon
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
1¾ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2½ to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-inch pieces (see note)
1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
Vegetable oil, for greasing the grill
Instructions
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.