Middle Eastern Chicken Kabobs

Notes

Do yourself a favor and use chicken thighs; your family will thank you later! They do not dry out when grilling and make this already delicious dish even better. If you only have chicken breasts, by all means use them.
Metal skewers work best for these since the yogurt sauce may stick to the grill. If you are using wooden skewers, I would spray them with cooking spray first.
While marinating overnight is best, let’s be honest…who has the time for that? I likely had no idea that I was going to even make these for dinner until about 4:40 that afternoon. As long as you give the chicken and yogurt sauce at least 30 minutes to mesh, you’ll be fine.
Serve with my tzatziki sauce and my tabouli, and enjoy!

	1 cup plain Greek yogurt
	3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
	2 tablespoons paprika
	1 tablespoon cumin
	¼ teaspoon cinnamon
	Zest from one lemon
	2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed or juice from one lemon
	2 teaspoons salt – I prefer kosher
	½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
	6 garlic cloves, minced
	2½ to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized cubes

1.	In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic.
2.	Add chicken to the bowl and toss to make sure each piece is covered with the yogurt marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but the longer, the better.
3.	Line a baking sheet with aluminum. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers; yes, your hands will be covered in yogurt sauce. Be sure not to cram the skewers; you want to leave room for the chicken to evenly cook. Place the kabobs on the prepared baking sheet.
4.	Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken kabobs until golden brown and cooked through, turning the skewers occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the kabobs to a platter and serve.
5.	Note: I’ve specified boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe; they’re juicier and more flavorful than chicken breasts, and they work better in this type of yogurt and lemon-based marinade. They’re also much easier to cook without drying out.