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5 from 1 vote

Chicken Kabobs with Green Goddess Tzatziki

Servings: 4 -6
Author: Pamela

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 ½ - 2 inch pieces
  • Marinade:
  • 1/2 large onion or a large shallot peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 clove garlic peeled and crushed
  • Zest of 1 lime or lemon
  • Juice of 1 lime or lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined olive oil
  • ¼ cup plain unsweetened yogurt or Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika I prefer smoked
  • Green Goddess Tzatziki:
  • 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt Straus makes a great organic one or plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt
  • 1 medium clove of garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ Tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh dill
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh mint
  • 1 Persian cucumber if you can’t find Persian, use ½ a regular cucumber, peeled and seeds removed, coarsely grated and squeezed to get excess moisture out
  • Cooking & Garnish:
  • 8 flat metal skewers
  • 1 lemon or lime sliced into thin rounds optional but pretty for presentation
  • 1 12-oz package of lavash bread, if desired

Instructions

  • Make the marinade: Combine all marinade ingredients in a large container. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Marinate chicken for up to 1 hour at room temperature or up to 2 days in the fridge. Turn the chicken once during this time.
  • Make the tzatziki: In a food processor or blender, blend yogurt, garlic, salt, lemon juice, vinegar and herbs. If you want it spicy, add ½ jalapeno with the herbs. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cucumber.
  • Preheat a grill over high heat or the broiler in the oven.
  • Thread the chicken pieces all with chicken and a few folded lemon slices and/or add vegetables, if you’d like. Discard marinade and onions.
  • Grill the kabobs for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. The chicken is done when the juice that runs out is clear rather than pink. You can allow these to rest for a few minutes on a platter, but cover them so they stay warm.
  • Spread a layer of lavash bread on a serving platter and place the kabob skewers on top. Place a piece of bread over each skewer and hold the chicken down while you pull out the skewer. Serve with green goddess tzatziki.

Notes

Quick cooking vegetables that you can grill on the same skewer as the chicken: pepper pieces or mini sweet bell peppers, onion pieces, zucchini slices, mushrooms, blanched hard vegetables like cauliflower or carrots.
Lamb would also work well here instead of chicken.
For a plant-based option, use two 15-ounce containers of extra-firm tofu. Squeeze the moisture out of the tofu by using a tofu press or slice each block in half lengthwise and wrap the blocks with paper towels and place on a cutting board. Place something heavy, like a skillet filled with cans, on top and allow it to sit for 15 minutes or longer, if possible. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss to coat in the yogurt marinade. Skewer and grill until you get a few char marks on each side.
If using bamboo skewers, soak skewers for 30 - 60 minutes.