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!
Table of Contents
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
- 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.
How to Make Moroccan Chicken Skewers
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.
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.
Step 3: Stir in garlic and lemon juice.
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
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.
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
Equipment
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
This was outstanding. The chicken was very moist and not spicy. I used the Greek yogurt and tomatoes and it was a hit with my unadventurous eaters.
Thank you Gaby!
I forgot to give a rating.
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.
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!
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
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!
I loved it! Had to marinate it longer than an hour and it still was delicious!
Can you freeze this in marinade ?
sure!
Just made this today. Not the last time.
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
These skewers look delicious! Can you use whole milk non-Greek yogurt?
totally
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 !
Can't wait for grilling season!
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 !
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.
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!