Chicken Kofta Kebabs (Middle Eastern-Inspired)

Step 1

If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes before using to prevent them from burning on the grill. We prefer metal skewers.

Step 2

To a medium mixing bowl, add ground chicken, chopped onion and parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt, pepper (optional), and cayenne (optional). Use your hands (with food prep gloves, if desired) to combine the mixture until the spices are evenly distributed. Wash hands thoroughly after touching raw meat.

Step 3

Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Lightly spray the grill pan or lightly brush the grill with avocado oil.

Step 4

Take ~1/4 cup of the chicken mixture and shape it into a log. Press a skewer through the center and shape to about 5 inches long and 1 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture. Recipe as written should make ~8 skewers.

Step 5

Once the grill is hot, use a lightly greased metal spatula (or clean hands holding onto the meat, not the skewer, to prevent it from sliding off) to add as many kebabs as will fit without touching. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side, then flip gently with a metal spatula or tongs, and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reaches an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C). When done, the skewers should have dark brown grill marks, shrink in size by about 25%, and no longer be pink. If the sides don’t look cooked, your skewers may be thicker, in which case you should flip onto each of the thin sides for 1-2 minutes to cook until done.

Step 6

Enjoy the kofta kebabs hot with lemon rice, hummus, tahini sauce, tabbouleh, grilled veggies, and/or pita bread!

Step 7

Best when fresh. Leftovers keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days and reheat well on the stovetop in a skillet over low-medium heat until warmed through. The uncooked mixture can also be frozen into patties and cooked directly from frozen in a skillet over medium heat for ~5-6 minutes per side.