Saffron Grilled Chicken Kebabs

You Will Need:

1. Wooden or Metal Skewers
2. Grill Tongs – I prefer the Extra Long versions, around 18″
3. An Instant Read Thermometer

Ingredients

1. 4lbs chicken breasts (about 6 breasts), chunked into 1½ inch cubes
2. ⅓ cup full-fat or whole milk Greek Yogurt
3. Healthy 3-finger pinch (about ½ teaspoon) Kosher Salt
4. 5-7 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
5. Zest of 1 lemon
6. 1 large red onion, chunked
7. 2 bell peppers, cut into 1 inch square piece
8. 3 lemons, halved
9. 3 tomatoes, halved

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients 1-5 in a large bowl and mix well.  Cover and allow to marinate, refrigerated, for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours
2. Use metal or wooden skewers.  Soak wood skewers in water for for an hour if using.
3. Assemble kebabs, alternating between chicken, onions, and peppers, by skewering them onto skewers (did I say skewer enough?)
4. Preheat grill on high for 10-15 minutes.  Use wood chips for smokiness if you like. 
5. Grill chicken kebabs, covered, turning every 3-4 minutes, until nicely charred and internal temperature of chicken is between 155°F – 165°F; allow to rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 5-10 minutes
6. While chicken is resting, grill halved lemons and tomatoes, cut side down, and toast pita or flatbread on the grill if desired.

Serve with Rice Pilaf, Hummus, a Mediterranean Salad, and grilled halved tomatoes, lemons and pita or other flatbread.

Recipe Notes:

If you don’t have a grill, you can do all this under the broiler of your oven, but the kebabs might char a little bit more quickly on the outside, so be prepared to transfer them to the lower rack of your oven to cook through as needed.

Be sure to clean and oil you grill grates well, and preheat your grill for as long as you can to make sure the grates are as hot as they can be – yogurt has a terrible ability to stick to grill grates. Kebabs should release when they’re ready to turn, but if they don’t, use a fish spatula to jimmy your way underneath them to gently loosen them off.