Kebabs are one of the oldest dishes in the world. If you think about it, it is mostly meat roasted over flames. In fact, kebabs in one form or the other have been with us for millennia and are as varied as they are old. I have chosen to make an Egyptian Chicken Kebab that I first tasted while frequenting a Middle Eastern restaurant in the Bay Area. Over the years, I have tried to ‘reverse engineer’ these yummy kebabs. Although I figured most of the ingredients, I later realized that there were a few more ingredients that went into this dish to make it eye-catching, moist, and simply tasty. Then, as we traveled through Northern Africa, we came across these kebabs. I checked with tour guides, retail shops, and even roadside vendors. I wanted to know what made these kebabs so irresistible. After many trials and much research, I have put together my final version of this kebab, which has been tweaked some more by adding a secret ingredient that I believe has brought this dish together. Read on for more!
These Egyptian Chicken Kebabs were served with lemon rice and a salad. The salad that I have pictured here is something that I created with Middle Eastern ingredients such as dates, pomegranates, walnuts, shallots, and cucumber. I used a simple vinaigrette made with lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne powder, and olive oil. While I am a fan of charcoal grills, I have used the indoor electric grill which I also love because it is convenient to use without the smoke or any fuss. It helps the meat stay moist as it comes with a lid and a water bath at the bottom that steam-grills the meat. This can be served as an entrée or even as an appetizer by itself. Without further ado, let me dive into the recipe!
Egyptian Chicken Kebabs
Equipment
- Electric Grill
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1½ pound chicken breasts cubed
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp yogurt Greek, nonfat
- ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ tsp cardamom powder
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp paprika powder
- 1 tbsp shallot chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 3 tsp cumin powder
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tsp orange juice freshly squeezed (secret ingredient!)
Instructions
How to make the Egyptian Chicken Kebabs:
- Trim any fat from the chicken, cut into cubes, wash, and drain.
- In a blender, grind the shallot with all the dry spices, lemon juice, orange juice, and salt.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix well. Marinate for 4-6 hours or at least an hour.
- Pre-heat the grill to 3500F. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and thread them into skewers.
- Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 40 minutes for moist chicken kebabs. You can adjust the timing based on your personal preference of how you like your chicken grilled (crispy or moist).
Notes
- You could marinate the chicken with these spices and even freeze them ahead of time in a Ziploc bag or box. On the day of making it, just thaw naturally without using the microwave. Then, drizzle extra virgin olive oil and grill on low heat.
- Can the kebabs be made in a skillet? Grilled kebabs have a unique flavor. However, if you do not have a grill, then you can cook in a skillet that has a lid. Just make sure that the heat is on very low.
- Would drumsticks made for great kebabs? Skewered boneless chicken is an easy way to consume. Drumsticks or even chicken wings will taste great.
Nutrition
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