Marinated Chicken Joojeh Kabab (Grill or Bake)
These delicious Persian chicken kabobs are marinated overnight in a juicy yogurt and saffron marinade to yield the most succulent and uniquely flavoured grilled chicken!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon saffron strands, use 1/2 teaspoon if you don't have too much
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced or grated
- 1 cup full fat plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, approx. juice of half a lemon
Instructions
- Start by cutting the chicken into 1.5 inch cubes for skewering.
- Peel and thinly slice or grate the onions.
- In a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron until it forms a powder, then bloom it by adding 2 tablespoons of hot water to it and allowing it to sit for 5 minutes.
- Mix together the yogurt, onions, saffron, salt, pepper and lemon juice until well combined.
- Marinate the chicken in the yogurt mixture, preferably in an air tight container overnight for optimal flavour.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling.
- Skewer the chicken if you are grilling, preferably on metal skewers. You can also use wood skewers, but make sure to soak them in water for 1 hour before using.
- Grill the chicken on an outdoor grill, a stove top skillet or grill pan on medium heat for about 5-6 mins on each side. Ensure chicken is white and cooked through on the inside, and golden on the outside.
- You can also bake in the oven for 20-25 mins at 400F, turning half way.
- Serve with bread, and if you like some grilled onions, grilled tomatoes, sumac onions and salad on the side.
Notes
- If you don't have an outdoor grill, you can grill indoors on a grill pan or use the oven baked method (details in the recipe card)
- Saffron is quite expensive, but its what makes this recipe unique. If you don't have saffron, I suggest you check out this Shish Tawook recipe.
- Make sure to bloom your saffron correctly before using it. That means grinding the strands and not using them whole. Find details on how to bloom in the blog post.
- Marinate overnight for optimal flavour.
Calories: 436kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 184mg, Sodium: 861mg, Potassium: 484mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 192IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!