Exciting things are happening tomorrow! See if you can guess.. this Moroccan Chicken Skewers recipe is a major clue…. 
These Moroccan chicken skewers have been on my mind recently! It probably has to do with the fact that it’s back to school season and I’m inundated with emails asking for quick and easy weeknight meals – so my mind is running a million miles a minute in that direction! If there’s a skewer in my eyesight, you can bet I’ll find a way to use it. It’s a fun way to put dinner on the table and I’ve been doing it since forever. Skewered meals were big when I was a private chef because you just throw a bunch of stuff onto a stick and then grill it until it’s perfect! The most delicious recipes come when proteins or veggies are marinated and then grilled – that’s the recipe for success.
These Moroccan Chicken Skewers are marinated in a 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. Also, I don’t know about you, but I’ve been seeing turmeric EVERYWHERE. On every menu. Always. 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!!
So have at it!! And stay tuned to instagram tomorrow to see where I end up!
xx
Moroccan Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoons 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 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
Serve with:
- Warm pita bread
- Labneh or tzatziki
- 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 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 1 hour.
- Prepare 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
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Marian Cooper Cairns / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
Those skewers look tasty!
Moroccan flavors and skewers?!? We were obsessed with various versions of skewers all summer long. And anything with a Moroccan, North African, or Middle Eastern flavor profile is an absolute must! Our favorites, hands down! Will absolutely give this a go!
Completely gorgeous and I love the flavors- am obsessed with turmeric right now!
I am trying to add turmeric to more and more dishes. Will be trying this one!
Oh I LOVE these! Moroccan chicken is one of the most flavorful ways to do chicken. So perf for weeknight meals 🙂
Could you make these in the oven? If yes what temperature and how long?
I’m sure you can!! I havent tested it that way though so I can’t say for certain
I did try bake Moroccan chicken. Accord to my wife, it really good. I put chicken with marinated in pan instead put on skewers and bake in 350 degree for 30 minutes until chicken is done. Also make homemade paneer and cherry tomatoes, red onion and cucumber relish and top off with tzatziki. It so good.
The flavor on these has my mouth watering!
Ok, these look fantastic!!!
I made this tonight and even my picky sons-in-law liked it! Delicious! My new favorite chicken recipe.
Thanks Jamie!
Can I pre-make the marinade, put in refrigerator overnight and add the chicken in the morning?
absolutely you can
Are they very hot (spicy) from the crushed red pepper or because it’s only the marinade is the heat not as potent?
they have a bit of a kick. you can cut the red pepper flakes in half if you want and it will still be delish
Can you leave the chicken in the marinade for longer than an hour? I know sometimes with lemon juice it’s not a good idea. Just wondering how early I can prep it
you can leave it in for up to 8 hours
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Hi Gabby! One of my kids is allergic to cow’s milk. Any suggestions on what could work as a good substitute for the Greek yogurt? Thx!
you could omit entirely!! it will still be just as delish
I use the brand So Delicious plain coconut yogurt for all of my marinades (and yogurt dishes).
This is one of my family’s absolutely favorite dinners! It’s become a staple in my dinner repertoire.
I go to the Persian market and buy Sangak- it’s a long freshly made flat bread- to serve with this… delish!
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Looks delicious! I don’t have a grill, can you do it in the oven?
yes or on the stove top with a griddle
Love all these flavors and spices!
Made a huge batch of these last night (with red and yellow peppers) and they turned out great. Leftover idea for lunch today: chopped the remaining chicken and peppers, added mayo, chopped celery and a bit more salt and pepper, and… Moroccan chicken salad. Definitely doing this again!
This is a fabulous recipe. I am so glad I found your site. Am on a mission to stop ordering in every night (sometime soon too easy in NYC) and get back to cooking. Your recipes are making it so much easier to stick to my promise.
I cooked these in my new favorite – cast iron. Then stuck them under the broiler for a few to get them a little charred. Huge hit.
Making your pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes tomorrow.
[…] Lebanon […]
I made these and they were delicious. I included cherry tomatoes and onions on the skewers and the results were terrific. Great recipe for a party. I will make again.
I have been wanting to make this recipe for Moroccan chicken skewers for a long time. My quarantine days have provided extra hours to plan and cook. These are very good. They were moist and the turmeric and garlic the chicken such great flavor. My husband says they are company worthy. When the air clears and we can gather again we will be serving these for dinner! I added red peppers and red onion. perfecto. Thank you Gaby !
Can’t wait for grilling season!
I have been wanting to make this recipe for Moroccan chicken skewers for a long time. My quarantine days have provided extra hours to plan and cook. These are very good. They were moist and the turmeric and garlic the chicken such great flavor. My husband says they are company worthy. When the air clears and we can gather again we will be serving these for dinner! Thank you Gaby !
These skewers look delicious! Can you use whole milk non-Greek yogurt?
totally
Amazing flavor! So easy to make and it will be in permanent rotation. Made your tzatziki to go with and it is better than a I have had in any restaurant
Just made this today. Not the last time.
Can you freeze this in marinade ?
sure!
I loved it! Had to marinate it longer than an hour and it still was delicious!
My whole family really really loved these! My toddler still asks me to make “yellow chicken” all the time because he loves this recipe so much!
So.. the 24$ question. HOW did you get the deep browned look on these kabobs.? Did you baste with oil so the flame flared ? I had my Weber on 500′ and these kabobs stayed pinkish with a little browning. lid closed. Inquisitive mind, here ,needs to know… Yes they were good and everyone loved them.. Made them according to recipe and P.S. I made a ‘left over’ raw one today and it did not brown like that… Secret please?
lid open!! you need that fire to be able to burn. When it’s closed, it’s more like baking. Open and you’ll get a better sear
I have always been a fan of Mediterranean chicken skewers. They seem to yield the most flavorful and juicy chicken breast chunks that you can find. This recipe does not disappoint, bold flavor, tender, and juicy. I added a couple of pinches of oregano to the yogurt marinade as well. This is now a family favorite…bright, flavorful, and healthy!
Delicious and full of flavor. I used chicken breast and it was perfect, though not as pretty as Gaby’s. I’ve never used sumac before- beautiful fragrance. We also made the Fattoush Salad and it was the perfect healthy dinner.