Saffron Yogurt Chicken Kebabs Recipes

CHICKEN KEBABS

Steps:

• Mix yogurt, lemon juice, onion juice, olive oil, garlic, black pepper, and saffron together in a large bowl. Add chicken pieces to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from marinade; thread through skewers. Discard unused marinade.
• Cook on the preheated grill, turning frequently, until golden brown on all sides and meat is no longer pink in the center, about 8 minutes per side.

SAFFRON-YOGURT CHICKEN KEBABS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk to combine yogurt, oil, lemon zest and juice, thyme, garlic, saffron, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Add chicken to yogurt marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Thread chicken onto six 10-inch skewers and season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Drizzle with oil and serve with lemon wedges.

SAFFRON CHICKEN KEBABS

Steps:

• Slice chicken crosswise into thirds (about 2-inch pieces). Using your fingers or a mortar and pestle, crush saffron with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add 1 teaspoon hot water; let stand 1 minute. Whisk together lime and orange juices, zest, saffron mixture, sliced onion, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and oil. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; add marinade. Seal bag and massage meat to fully coat. Let stand at least 1 hour, or refrigerate up to 1 day.
• Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking. Remove chicken from marinade; thread each piece onto two skewers, so it lies flat. Skewer tomatoes and onion wedges. Season everything with salt and pepper; drizzle with oil. Working in batches, grill chicken and vegetables, flipping once, until charred in places and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Line a platter with lavash, then transfer cooked chicken and vegetables to platter. Sprinkle with sumac. Serve with radishes, mint, more lavash, and herb sauce.

MARINATED CHICKEN KEBABS WITH LEMON PEPPER YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. For the kebabs: in a plastic bag or airtight container, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Add chicken, toss well to coat evenly, and refrigerate overnight.
• 2. For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• 3. Remove chicken pieces from marinade and season well with salt and pepper. Grill chicken for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and juices of chicken run clear when pricked with the end of the skewer. Thread 3 pieces of chicken onto each skewer. Serve with Lemon-Pepper Yogurt Sauce.

JOOJEH KABAB BA HOLU (SAFFRON CHICKEN KABABS WITH PEACHES)

Steps:

• Using a mortar and pestle (or small bowl and the handle end of a wooden spoon), grind the saffron with the sugar to a fine powder (about 1/4 teaspoon). Transfer to a large bowl.
• Bring 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a kettle, saucepan or using the microwave, then let stand for 2 minutes to allow the water temperature to drop slightly. Add to the ground saffron powder, gently stir, cover and steep for 5 minutes.
• To the saffron water, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper; carefully stir to mix. Add the chicken and onion to the marinade and combine until well-coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours, turning the chicken pieces around in the marinade every once in a while.
• Prepare a charcoal grill until the coals are ashed over and still hot, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Skewer the tomatoes and peaches separately and set aside. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and skewer them. It's best to use flat, 1/2-inch-wide skewers or double skewers so the chicken pieces stay put when turned.
• Transfer the onion and any remaining marinade to a medium skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and the skillet is nearly dry, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grill the chicken, basting with the butter and turning every 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes on a charcoal grill and 15 to 18 minutes on a gas grill.
• Grill the tomatoes and peaches alongside the chicken: Grill the tomatoes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and slightly blistered, 6 to 8 minutes on charcoal and about 10 minutes on a gas grill. Grill the peaches, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until softened but not falling apart, about 10 minutes.
• If using lavash bread, drape on a serving platter. Place the chicken, tomatoes and peaches on the bread. (As the kababs sit, the bread soaks up the wonderful juices and becomes a highly sought-after bite.) Serve with the cooked onions, lime wedges for squeezing and sumac for sprinkling.

JUJEH KABOB (PERSIAN CHICKEN KABOBS)

Steps:

• Combine onion, lime juice, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and saffron in a large glass bowl. Mix in olive oil. Press chicken into the bowl lightly and cover with plastic wrap. Let marinate for 6 hours to overnight, mixing every few hours to make sure chicken is coated.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from the bowl, shake off excess marinade, and discard marinade left in the bowl. Place chicken onto metal skewers, making sure it's not too tightly packed.
• Cook skewers on the preheated grill until chicken is browned and no longer pink in the center, turning as needed, 10 to 15 minutes total.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON

Steps:

• Place the saffron in a medium-size bowl and crush to a powder with a pestle or the end of a wooden spoon. Stir in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the yogurt, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Rinse off chicken pieces under cold running water, then drain and blot dry on paper towels. Place chicken in large nonreactive bowl or re-sealable bag and pour the marinade over them, turning the pieces to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 24 hours, turning the pieces occasionally.
• Preheat the grill, medium in one are and high heat in another area.
• Prepare the basting mixture. Place saffron in a medium bowl and crush it again to a powder. Stir in lemon juice and let sit for 5 minutes. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on low heat, then remove from heat and stir in saffron mixture.
• Place chicken pieces on oiled grate, skin side down, on high heat and allow to brown for several minutes and then move them to med/low heat for several minutes. Now flip chicken pieces over and place on high heat til browned and again move over to the low heat to cook through. Baste pieces a couple of times during grilling. Be careful to watch for flareups and don't burn them. Season with salt and pepper.

CHICKEN-THIGH KEBABS WITH TURMERIC, CHILE AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive dish (or a resealable plastic bag), and marinate in the refrigerator between 3 hours and overnight.
• Once the chicken has marinated, discard the onions (or grill them on the side in a grill basket, or sauté on the stovetop, if you like), and thread the chicken onto skewers. Heat a charcoal or gas grill; the flame should be fairly low and the rack about 6 inches from the heat.
• Grill the chicken slowly, turning as necessary and basting with any leftover marinade, until it's browned all over, 15 to 20 minutes.