Easy Moroccan Chicken Skewers

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Our trip to Morocco and these Moroccan Chicken Skewers have been on my mind recently and I’m ready to re-live that insanely incredible vacation through some of the flavor memories I brought home like this Moroccan Tomato Salad and this Herbed Couscous

A white tray on a concrete table with 5 moroccan chicken skewers garnished with mint, pita bread, tomato wedges, and small bowl of whipped greek yogurt


 

Why I Love This Recipe

We all know it’s back to school season and our time is precious. I’m currently inundated with emails asking for quick and easy weeknight meals – so my mind is running a million miles a minute in that direction!  A few things I think of when thinking of easy weeknight meals:

1- is there a way to do some prep in the morning that makes dinner even easier?

2- what’s the fastest and most delicious way to cook something?

3- is this a recipe that kids can get behind?

4- are the ingredients in the recipe easy to use for another meal later that same week to save on groceries?

These Moroccan Chicken Skewers fit all of the above criteria and are marinated in a Greek Yogurt mixture filled to the brim with turmeric, crushed red peppers, tomato paste, tons of garlic and lemon among other things, so the grilled chicken is incredibly moist and retains that great color from the turmeric plus tons of flavor.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Mise en place of all the ingredients to make moroccan chicken skewers.
  • Crushed Red Pepper
  • Ground Turmeric
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • Red Wine Vinegar
  • Tomato Paste
  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Garlic
  • Lemons
  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs and/or Breasts
  • Warm Pita Bread
  • Extra Greek Yogurt 
  • Chopped Tomatoes
  • Fresh Mint

*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.

A white tray on a concrete table with 5 moroccan chicken skewers garnished with mint, pita bread, tomato wedges, and small bowl of whipped greek yogurt

How to Make Moroccan Chicken Skewers

A large glass mixing bowl with crushed red pepper, ground turmeric mixed in some hot water.

Step 1: Combine the crushed red pepper and ground turmeric in large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of hot water and let stand for 5 minutes.

A large glass mixing bowl with a red pepper and turmeric mix, with greek yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, and salt and black pepper added.

Step 2: Add the greek yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to spice mixture in bowl; whisk to combine.

A large glass mixing bowl with marinade being prepared for chicken, and chopped garlic and lemon juice just added.

Step 3: Stir in garlic and lemon juice.

A large glass mixing bowl with a marinade and chicken cut into small pieces just added.

Step 4: Add the chicken. Cover and chill for AT LEAST 1 hour. I do for 4 minimum and yes you could do overnight if you prefer

A baking sheet with marinated chicken pieces threaded onto skewers and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Step 5: Prepare the grill over medium-high heat. Thread chicken pieces on skewers, dividing equally. Discard marinade in bowl. Sprinkle each skewer with salt and pepper.

A baking sheet with moroccan chicken skewers, with pita and four small glass mixing bowls, with lemon wedges, chopped tomatoes, greek yogurt and fresh mint leaves.

Step 6: Grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer skewers to platter. Serve with serving suggestions and extra lemon wedges

How to Store Moroccan Chicken Skewers

You can store these in the fridge like any chicken dish, in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

How to Freeze Moroccan Chicken Skewers

You can freeze these. Take them off the skewers and freeze them in the right portion sizes you need promptly. Store them up to 3 months and thaw in fridge overnight when it is time to eat.

Tips & Tricks

If you’ve never used turmeric before - these Moroccan Chicken Skewers are a great way to incorporate it into your repertoire. Here’s the run down for those of you not familiar with it – it’s from the ginger family, it’s bright yellow/orange, and has a subtle flavor that lends itself to condiments, curries, marinades, dressings, and it’s especially fantastic on CHICKEN!! It really shines in greek yogurt so that’s where you’ll see it most often for me here on WGC.

Hot tip - if you put a few cups of greek yogurt in some cheesecloth and let the moisture drain off, you’re left with a thick greek yogurt that is excellent for dipping these skewers in! 

FAQs

What goes well on chicken skewers?

If you put a few cups of greek yogurt in some cheesecloth and let the moisture drain off, you’re left with a thick greek yogurt that is excellent for dipping these skewers in! 

Is chicken thigh or chicken breast better for skewers?

While either work well, I normally use chicken thighs when making skewers. Chicken thighs are higher in fat, so the meat will be more tender and juicy after grilling.

Similar Recipes

If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Moroccan Chicken Skewers from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Moroccan Chicken Skewers

Author: Gaby Dalkin
5 from 19 votes
A fantastic weeknight meal! These Moroccan Chicken Skewers are incredibly moist and super flavorful.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Moroccan
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

For the chicken:

  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1 lemon cut into wedges/sliced for serving
  • 2 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts cut into 1 ¼-inch cubes

Serve with:

  • Warm pita bread
  • Extra greek yogurt 
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Fresh mint leaves

Instructions
 

  • Combine the crushed red pepper and ground turmeric in large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of hot water and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the greek yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to spice mixture in bowl; whisk to combine. Stir in garlic and lemon juice, then chicken. Cover and chill for AT LEAST 1 hour. I do for 4 minimum and yes you could do overnight if you prefer
  • Prepare the grill over medium-high heat. Thread chicken pieces on skewers, dividing equally. 
  • Discard marinade in bowl. Sprinkle each skewer with salt and pepper.
  • Grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer skewers to platter. Serve with serving suggestions and extra lemon wedges

Notes

Hot tip - if you put a few cups of greek yogurt in some cheesecloth and let the moisture drain off, you’re left with a thick greek yogurt that is excellent for dipping these skewers in! 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 245mg | Sodium: 1459mg | Potassium: 883mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 436IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 3mg
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49 Comments

  1. Gabs- these are awesome. I've started doubling the recipe now and even adding more red pepper flakes in the first step. Goes so well with saffron rice, tzatziki, and some naan. I also do skewers of red onion and red peppers.

  2. 5 stars
    Forgot to mention in my comment that in addition to substituting salmon for chicken, I put the salmon on skewers with red pepper, onion, and mushrooms and put the marinade on the veggies. I served the skewers over short grain brown rice instead of bread.

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