Grilled Chicken Kebabs
Tender, juicy chicken kebabs with a crispy crust! A clever marinade keeps the meat moist and gives it a flavor all its own. No matter which cut you use, it won't dry out — it stays tender inside with a crisp crust outside. One more kebab recipe for your collection!
Cooking method
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Step 1:
Gather all the ingredients you'll need. For grilled chicken kebabs you can use any part of the chicken — you can even cut up a whole bird into small pieces. If you like your kebabs juicier, go with thighs and drumsticks; if you prefer them crisp, use wings; and if you're watching your fat intake, chicken breast (preferably skinless) is the way to go.
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Step 2:
Wash the chicken well, then pat it dry. I recommend using fresh, chilled poultry rather than frozen — there's more of the good stuff in it. If you're using chicken breast, cut it into medium pieces about 2–3 cm (1 inch).
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Step 3:
With the wings, it's best to trim off the thin wingtip — it's mostly skin and bone, and that part tends to burn.
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Step 4:
If the thighs are very large, I'd cut each one in two. An oversized thigh may not cook through on the grill.
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Step 5:
Drumsticks usually aren't very big, so we'll leave them as they are.
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Step 6:
Put the chicken in a large pot or container. Add lemon juice. If you're squeezing it fresh from a lemon, wash the lemon well in hot water first — it'll give up more juice. It also helps to use a small strainer so no seeds fall into the marinade. And of course, freshly squeezed juice can be swapped for store-bought lemon juice.
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Step 7:
Salt the chicken.
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Step 8:
Add pepper. At this point you can also mix in any other spices and seasonings you like — khmeli-suneli (a Georgian herb blend), fenugreek, thyme. Go with what you enjoy!
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Step 9:
Peel the onion and slice it into thin rings or half-rings.
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Step 10:
Add it to the chicken.
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Step 11:
Add the mayonnaise. I'm not convinced heat-treating mayonnaise is a great idea, but mayo-based marinades are among the most popular, so I'd use a homemade mayonnaise. You can also swap the mayo for sour cream or another cultured-dairy product.
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Step 12:
Mix everything together and let it marinate anywhere from 1 hour to 2 days.
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Step 13:
Light the fire. Birch wood is recommended for cooking over coals.
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Step 14:
Wash the skewers and heat them over the fire. Wait until the wood has burned down to red-hot coals.
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Step 15:
Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers and set them over the grill to cook.
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Step 16:
Turn the skewers fairly often, especially at first — every 2–3 minutes. Total cooking time on the grill is 30–40 minutes.
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Step 17:
Serve the kebabs with fresh herbs and fragrant seasonal vegetables. Enjoy!
- It's best to make the mayonnaise yourself — tastier and better for you. You'll find some good homemade mayonnaise recipes here. You can also use sour cream or plain yogurt as the dressing instead of mayo, on their own or blended with mayonnaise in whatever ratio you like — it cuts the calories.
- You can swap the chicken for turkey or any other meat you like. Just keep in mind that the cooking time and calorie count will change.
- If you use a store-bought spice blend, be sure to read the label. These blends often already contain salt, so account for that or you risk over-salting the dish.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Salad mayonnaise of 50% fat content - 502 kcal/100g
- Light mayonnaise - 260 kcal/100g
- Provencal Mayonnaise - 624 kcal/100g
- Provencal mayonnaise - 627 kcal/100g
- Table mayonnaise - 627 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Onion - 41 kcal/100g
- Chicken wings - 186 kcal/100g
- Ground hot pepper - 21 kcal/100g
- Chicken legs - 158 kcal/100g
- Chicken thighs - 185 kcal/100g
