Turkish Chicken Kebabs – Expect More

I’d like to think that all the chicken coming off American grills this summer will be as tasty, juicy, and tender, as these Turkish chicken kebabs, but I know better. This has nothing to do with cooking skills, or quality of grills, but rather the unremarkable residue of low expectations.

People simply don’t expect much from their grilled chicken, and that’s exactly what they get. They use too little seasoning, and way too much time on the grill, followed by the inevitable barbecue sauce cover-up. Sure, the chicken was dry, but at least we couldn’t taste it.

It doesn’t have to be this way. By using a flavorful, yogurt-based marinade, like the one seen herein, even inexperienced grillers can produce impressive results. The acid and calcium in the yogurt tenderizes the meat, and unless it’s horribly over-cooked, you’ll be enjoying the kind of succulent chicken you didn’t even realize was possible.

Like I mentioned in the video, I’m not sure how "Turkish" this is. It’s loosely based on a lamb marinade I’ve used for a long time, but it really worked beautifully on these thighs. I really hope you give this easy, and very adaptable recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 or 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp ketchup

6 finely minced garlic cloves

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp Aleppo red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

4 long metal skewers