Musa Dagdeviren is the go-to guy if you want to know about Turkish barbecue. Spend a couple of hours with him in the open kitchen of one of his Çiya restaurants (in Istanbul), and you'll wonder if there's anything he doesn't know about Turkish cuisine, let alone grilling. He'll start with chicken thighs marinated in creamy Turkish yogurt, chile paste, and garlic—to be grilled on skewers over charcoal. Before you know it, he's grilling meatballs, quinces, shallots, even bread dough loaded with ground beef. Heres one of the "simpler" dishes in Musa's repertoire—if simple means merely marinated, spice-crusted, and grilled—and the combination of creamy yogurt, pungent garlic, and smoky pepper flakes produces the sort of chicken that has made the Turks the Near East's undisputed grill masters for centuries.
Ingredients
Special Equipment
Step 1
If using Aleppo pepper, place in large bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon warm water. Let stand until thick paste forms, about 5 minutes. If using dried crushed red pepper and paprika combination, place in large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons warm water and let stand until paste forms, about 5 minutes. Add yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to spice mixture in bowl; whisk to blend. Stir in garlic and lemon slices, then chicken. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
Step 2
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread chicken pieces on metal skewers, dividing equally. Discard marinade in bowl. Sprinkle each skewer with salt, pepper, and additional Aleppo pepper or paprika. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer skewers to platter. Surround with lemon wedges and serve.
Step 3
*A slightly sweet Syrian pepper with a moderate heat level; available at some specialty foods stores and from wholespice.com.
Step 4
**A thick yogurt; sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores (such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods markets) and Greek markets. If unavailable, place regular yogurt in cheesecloth-lined strainer set over large bowl. Cover and chill overnight to drain.
Ingredient tip:
Step 5
Aleppo pepper is sold finely ground or crushed into small flakes; either one will work well in this recipe.
How would you rate Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs with Aleppo Pepper?
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Reviews (220)
Back to TopI made this with rice pilaf and broccoli for dinner and it was amazing!! 10/10 will make again soon!
hannah.kornerup6908
Boston, MA
8/11/2021
My family makes this every few weeks. Always a crowd pleaser. The kebabs pair well with the Kibbutz Vegetable Salad (also on Epicurious).
Anonymous
3/25/2021
This was delicious! My husband and I really enjoyed it. My kids thought it was too spicy. I can't handle much heat and I thought it was great. Confession, I didn't have yogurt so I subbed in buttermilk and it was outstanding.
jronay
Martinez, CA
3/1/2021
The Aleppo was the perfect amount of sweet and spice. I too left out vinegar and added fresh squeezed lemon juice. I served it with warm flatbreads, lettuce, tomato, radish and cucumber and left some of the marinade out to serve as a sauce. Whole family loved it.
rebsmill
Healdsburg, CA
9/15/2020
Easy and wonderful flavor. I served it with a side of tabouli and flat bread. My family scraped their plates. No leftovers!
Selinarsimpson
Livermore, ca
6/7/2020
Fantastic!
barereaaron@gmail.com
12/24/2019
这是一个很好的基础为bonel腌料工作ess breasts, skin-on thighs or even whole spatchcocked chicken. You can grill it, roast it or broil it--whatever you like, because if you use the full-fat yoghurt indicated (and I recommend that most--it's for the chicken flesh itself; what you consume is negligible), the chicken remains moist, no matter the preparation. Based on loads of similar recipes, I go with two lemons, juiced, rather than the vinegar for acid, and I zest those lemons into the marinade. I like the combo of Aleppo and smoked paprika, and throw in some cumin, cinnamon, thyme, and sometimes ras-el-hannout, if I think of it. I dial up the garlic when I know guests like it. You really can't go wrong--just play with spices and keep tasting the yoghurt marinade while you work it, before you add the chicken. Chances are if you like it in the marinade, you'll love it on the chicken. You can find or order Aleppo and many other great spices at Kalustyan's, my local go-to.
thatgirlinnewyork
New York, NY
4/20/2019
This was delicious chicken! I took this to a birthday dinner and was the first thing to go. I used about 3lbs of chicken thighs. I added lemon zest (3/4 tsp maybe) to the marinade and used 2 sliced lemons vs 1. If you can find Aleppo pepper, please use it instead of paprika! It's delicious! I'm sure this is best on the grill, but since I don't have one I used the pan. I would definitely make again, everyone loved it.
andreaalexander
Brooklyn, NY
11/28/2018
A must for any fan of the kebab. Very simple and the taste is tremendous.
RealQuincyJones
Des Moines, Iowa
11/23/2018
This recipe is a winner! Aleppo pepper is a favorite spice of mine. This dish has zip, but not too much. Made it with thigh meat, but it tasted tender & more like breast meat. My dinner guests all raved. Will make again soon but reserve some marinade to serve with it. There was plenty.
Kathyfrido1
Scottsdale
11/3/2018
This was absolutely amazing! I baked it in the oven and finished it on broil for a little char. Served it with a greek salad. Super easy. Super awesome!!
caryninsf
San Francisco
10/9/2018
My adult family members love this recipe and I have made it many times. My under 10 year old granddaughters...not so much. I tried it with chicken breast, and I was not a fan. Stick to the thighs.
米getris9717
Salinas, CA
7/8/2018
I follow recipe exactly and perfect every time!
Anonymous
Walpole, NH
12/16/2017
Made this as written with the Aleppo Pepper. Baked on a cooling rack set in baking sheet at 375 degrees convection/bake for about 40 minutes. Check doneness with quick read thermometer. Turned out perfect and moist. Everyone raved. This makes it into the "for company" folder!
tim92101
San Diego, CA
8/22/2017
Added some cayenne doubled the red peppers and paprika and it was great
waynegolds
Toronto
8/21/2017
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