What's on the Grill #296: Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Kabobs

Grilling food on a stick is an old and primitive way to cook.  Nonetheless, it is something we continue to gravitate to all the time.  When it comes time to feast, there is something nice about already having bite sized pieces of grilled delight ready to devour.  Add in a dipping sauce.   Whoa baby.

Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Kabobs with Lemon Yogurt Sauce
Adapted from Weber's New Real Grilling

Marinade

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 t honey
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1 t paprika
1 t ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cayenne pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (yes, those), cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Sauce

2 cups whole-milk Greek Yogurt
1 t finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t kosher salt

2 large bell peppers, cut into 1 inch squares
1 small red onion, cut into wedges

Mix together the marinade ingredients.  

Put the chicken and all but a 1/4 cup of the marinade in a plastic bag.  Squeeze out the air and refrigerate for at least four hours. If you have a vacuum sealer, go that route for the marinade.  I always do.  It speeds up marinade time.

Mix together the sauce ingredients.  Stick it in the fridge.

Prepare the grill for direct medium heat.  

This was a great meal for me to try out Weber's new Elevations Tiered Cooking System.  

Made specifically for their gas grills, Elevations is a multi level cook rack that allows you to cook more food, at different levels of heat. It worked great not only for these kabobs, but some salmon kabobs I was also grilling.

While our ancestors might have started with sticks, we've moved onto heavyweight metal skewers, gas grills, and elevated cooking racks.  Progress is cool.

Coat the vegetables with the remaining marinade.  Retrieve the meat from the fridge, and add the chicken and vegetables to the skewers.  I'm using metal skewers, but if you use wood, be sure to soak them at least an hour before using.

Grill over direct heat, about 8-10 minutes, turning once.  With the Elevations system, I started the skewers on the lower rack and then moved them up, with a slightly longer cook time.

I also worked in some extra grilled vegetables with the elevated cooking basket.

While the Summit has an insane amount of grilling real estate, Elevations adds even more.  It's going to be a new weapon in my grilling arsenal.

Although, for old time sake, I may still drag out some sticks.