Time to fire up the grill. By mid May, even chilly New England is warm enough for some outdoor action and I am only too happy to oblige. Nice to get out of the kitchen for a meal — even if I only cook outside and the actual meal is eaten indoors. (It may be warm enough to cook outside, but when the sun starts to sink, we pretty much make a bee-line for the warmth of the kitchen.)
These chicken kabobs are always a big hit with my whole family. As I say in the recipe note, I like how forgiving they are. You can marinate the chicken for up to eight hours but if you need to leave it in the spicy yogurt bath for a few more hours, no problem! I like to get the chicken started in the morning so I know dinner is almost ready by the time I get home in the evening. Just about perfect!
Chicken Tiki Kebabs Recipe
These chicken skewers cook quickly on the grill; watch them carefully but don’t move them around too much. After the chicken has soaked for hours in the highly seasoned yogurt, it’s exceptionally flavorful and moist—perfect with a green salad, some rice or maybe just good, crusty bread. I particularly like this because it has such a long and forgiving lead time, making it easy to make well ahead of time.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Freshly ground black pepper
11/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt
Lime wedges
Directions for Chicken Tiki Kebabs:
Mix together the yogurt, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, curry powder and chili. Season to taste with pepper. Add the chicken pieces, stir to mix well, cover and refrigerate for at 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
Life the chicken from the marinade, wipe off the excess, and thread the chicken onto metal skewers.
Spray the grilling grate of a gas or charcoal grill with vegetable oil spray. Heat the grill so that the heating elements or coals are medium hot.
Season the kebabs with salt and pepper and grill for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve immediately.