Description
These chicken thigh kebabs are marinated in a dry rub of spices, then grilled over a flame until golden brown. In contrast to breast meat, which tends to become quite dry when grilled, dark thigh meat is more forgiving, remaining juicy even if your attention wanders and you leave it on the barby longer than intended. I love the combination of hot and cool in this dish, courtesy of the contrast between the hot, flavorful and tender chicken kebabs and the cool garlicky yogurt dip and crisp salad.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Kebabs:
- 8 to 10 metal or wooden skewers (if using wooden skewers soak the skewers in water
- 2 pounds pastured organic boneless skinless chicken thighs, each sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 11/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more oil for the grill
For the dipping sauce:
- 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 3 cups thinly sliced seedless cucumber
- 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
Instructions
For the kabobs:
- Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl along with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, coriander, salt, pepper, and olive oil and combine to coat the chicken well in the spices. Let marinate at room temperature about 20 minutes.
For the sauce:
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, ¼ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and mix well until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with more olive oil and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
For the salad:
- In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, radishes, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and mint leaves and toss well to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Thread the chicken thighs onto the skewers. Oil the grates of the grill and grill the chicken. Use tongs to turn the meat once or twice during cooking until grill marks have formed and the chicken is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let rest about 5 minutes before serving with the dip and salad.