Spicy Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kabobs

I found out through my Chicken Tikka Masala recipe that yogurt is a great marinade for chicken. It sounds gross, right? Cooking dairy? It's actually not gross at all - quite the opposite. The enzymes in the yogurt really tenderize the chicken and the tang adds a lot of flavor. Of course, you need to add way more flavor to the yogurt to season the chicken and this recipe does just that. The recipe comes from Bon Appetit and is a great reason to fire up the grill. You might chop of some veggies, toss them around with olive oil, salt and pepper, skewer them and grill alongside this chicken.


Time: 45 minutes, plus time for marinating
Serves: 2, with leftovers

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt (the recipe called for whole-milk yogurt but I used fat free and it was great)
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 lemons

Prep

1. Add your 2 tsp of crushed red pepper and 2 tsp of paprika to a large bowl and stir in 2 TBSP warm water. Let it stand until a paste forms, about 5 minutes.

2. While it stands, peel your garlic cloves and crush them with the back of your knife. No need to chop them up. Also, slice one of your lemons into rounds.
3. Remove the fat from your chicken breasts and cut them into 1 inch pieces.
4. Add your cup of yogurt, 3 TBSP olive oil, 2 TBSP red wine vinegar, 2 TBSP tomato paste, 2 tsp coarse salt, and 1 tsp black pepper to the spice mixture in bowl and whisk to blend.
5. Stir in your crushed garlic and lemon slices, then add your chicken pieces.

6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Cook

1. About 30 minutes before you're ready to eat, preheat your grill to medium-high. If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water.
2. Thread your chicken pieces and lemon slices onto your skewers, leaving the excess marinade in the bowl.
3. Sprinkle each skewer with salt, pepper and a little more paprika.

4. When your grill is hot (mine takes about 20 minutes), oil your grill rack with a paper towel held with tongs and then place your skewers on the grill. Close the grill lid and cook for 3-4 minutes.
5. Flip your skewers every 3-4 minutes to evenly cook all sides. They should cook about 12 minutes total.

6. Cut your second lemon into wedges and serve alongside your chicken.