Chicken Shawarma Skewers

It's grilling season once again! These lemon-y, shawarma-spiced chicken skewers are flavorful and tender--perfect with fries or rice and a yogurt dressing. The skewers are more yakitori style than Greek kabob style and this makes them more moist. Best of all, it's an easy, healthy dinner on the grill with an easy cleanup!

Chicken Shawarma Skewers

2 chicken breasts (approximately 1 lb total)
4 chicken thighs, fat somewhat trimmed (approx. 1 lb total)
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 Teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 Teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet Hungarian paprika)
1/2 Teaspoon ginger powder
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
6 spice cloves, ground in the mortar
1/4 Teaspoon allspice
1/4 Teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

1. Soak 12 skewers in water.
2. Grate zest of 1/2 lemon into a flat-bottomed bowl or storage container.
3. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and lay over lemon zest.
4. Add lemon juice, spices and olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
5. Allow to marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes while you build your coals.
6. Set 2 skewers vertical and parallel on a dinner plate with the pointed ends facing the ceiling. Add a piece of breast meat chicken, piercing the chicken with both skewers. Add another piece of breast meat and push down next to first piece. Keep adding pieces until the chicken covers the skewers from about 3" from the bottom and about 3" from the top (see photo). Now repeat the process with all thigh meat pieces. Continue until you have about 6 or so skewers.
7. Brush grill with olive oil and add chicken skewers. Cook over medium-high coals for 3 minutes on each side, then flip it over a third time and cook for another 3 minutes. You can check for doneness by peering in between the largest pieces on a skewer.
8. Serve on or off the skewers.

I served this dish with baked potato fries and a cucumber, grape tomato salad with a tzatziki salad dressing. Yum!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I welcome your feedback!