Wow! The flavors of lemon, garlic and ginger in these Moroccan chicken skewers are amazing! And that pretty green sauce? Well, it might be my favorite part of the whole recipe: bright, fresh, YUMMY!
My life would be totally complete if I could convince everyone of two things: 1) conquer homemade bread once and for all (you’ll feel like a total rock star) and 2) stop letting other people do the grilling for you.
Are you a grilling delegator? Someone that avoids any and all recipes that have “grilled” in the recipe title? Afraid or fearful of the grill?
Hey, that’s ok! I get it. I spent years refusing to grill anything because I was sure I’d mess it up or the grill would explode or one of the toddlers hanging around my feet would get injured from my attempts to throw sizzling meat on a piping hot flame-controlled apparatus. Once I realized we were never going to eat grilled anything (due to Brian’s work schedule) and harboring a great love of grilled everything, I was like “listen, I’ve got to take matters into my own hands.”
The next couple weeks found me super embarrassed that I’d been avoiding something that actually turned out to be super easy. I used to think grilled dinners meant a ton of time and effort, but now I realize grilling is one of the easiest (and healthiest) things I can do to get food on the table! We grill all year long.
Are you a griller or do you leave it to someone else?
I don’t endorse any particular brand or type of grill; there are SO many options out there. But I do feel like grilling got a lot more fun and just a bit easier when I got a pellet grill several years ago (I have both a CampChef and a Traeger and I love them both – maybe one of these days I’ll do an unsponsored, objective side-by-side comparison about the pros and cons of each).
All this grilling talk is a lead up to say that when I post a delicious grilling recipe, like these Moroccan chicken skewers for example, I want everyone to be able to feel confident that they can make this for dinner (like, tonight) without any angst or stress or passive aggressive delegation.
I’m not sure I’ve ever had a chicken skewer kebab-thingie packed with the level of flavor that’s in these Moroccan chicken skewers. They are holy moly level good.
Marinading is everything when it comes to grilling meats, but especially chicken. The citrusy, flavorful marinade for this chicken not only infuses the meat with loads of flavor, but it also ensures the grilled chicken will be juicy and tender. Not tough and leathery. Of course, not overcooking the chicken helps with that, too.
You might wonder if you can sub something else for the coriander or turmeric (I’m guessing those might be the two spices that not everyone keeps around). I always encourage a little experimenting here and there in the kitchen. You know, keep things exciting! Subbing in or out spices will change the flavor profile of this recipe, so just be aware of that if you want to use another spice.
Both turmeric and coriander are easy to find in most grocery stores. Plus, they add flavor you just can’t get with other spices, so I encourage you to get your hands on them if you can! I have a ton of other recipes that use coriander so I think it’s worth adding to your cart. And here are a couple recipes that call for turmeric (tons of others online).
Just over here doing what I do best…helping you justify a purchase. ?
I can’t sign off before I tell you that while the chicken is so tender and so flavorful and so yummy, the crazy good green sauce in this recipe might be the reason to make it. Reminiscent of a chimichurri sauce just with a different flavor profile, it literally takes about one minute to make.
Fresh herbs are blended up with lemon juice, a little oil, and chopped jalapeno (if you dare…and you should!), and the fresh blast of flavor that hits you right in the taste buds is an eye-closing, food-hoarding, life-changing experience.
I can see my summer future now. Growing a whole garden box full of cilantro and mint so I can make this green sauce with abandon and put it on everything I can think of.
Roasted potatoes, rice or cauliflower rice
Fresh fruit (like pineapple or melon or whatever else is seasonal)
Drop biscuits
One Year Ago: Roasted Sweet Potato Lentil Salad
Two Years Ago: Caramel Snickers Cheesecake Bars
Three Years Ago: Delicious No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites
Four Years Ago: Foil Packet Sweet Potato Tacos
Five Years Ago: Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread {Pao de Queijo}
Yield:
6 servings
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
10 minutes
Additional Time:
2 hours
Total Time:
2 hours 35 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken:
- Zest of 1 lemon (1-2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2-3 lemons)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger or ginger paste (see note)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1 /2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
Green Sauce:
- 1 cup fresh cilantro (lightly packed to measure)
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions or chives
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon (1-2 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Pinch of coarse, kosher salt
- 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped (leave seeds in for more heat)
Instructions
- For the chicken, in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, salt, coriander, and pepper. Place the chicken pieces in a shallow dish (preferably with a lid), pour the marinade over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours (if marinading longer than that, the lemon juice might “cook” and toughen the meat).
- For the sauce, in a blender or food processor add all the ingredients and puree until desired consistency. Season to taste with additional salt, if needed.
- Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush grill grates with oil (I don’t usually do this on my pellet grill, but I recommend doing so if chicken is prone to sticking on your grill). Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto wooden or metal skewers.
- Grill for 6-8 minutes, turning once or twice, until cooked through. Serve the chicken skewers with the sauce.
Notes
Ginger paste is easily and widely found in grocery store produce sections near the fresh herbs/salads. However, keeping fresh ginger on hand is easy…cut fresh ginger into 1-inch pieces and store in the freezer. When ready to use, it can be grated on a box grater straight from the freezer (no need to peel!).
Remember to zest your lemons before juicing! You’ll probably need about four lemons total for this recipe.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Recipe Source: inspired from Cuisine at Home Magazine (recipe using preserved lemon)
