Bringing you all some summery vibes with these Moroccan Chicken Skewers with Feta Sauce. Spicy marinated grilled chicken served with some greens, charred cherry tomatoes and the most delicious feta sauce. The sauce balances the chicken spices so well! This is a perfect summer grilling recipe, but don’t worry if you don’t have a bbq, because you can also cook the skewers on a skillet or in the oven!
One can never have enough chicken recipes, right? I find chicken is super versatile but one can also get tired of it if it’s always cooked in the same way. With this recipe, I am bringing to you another marinade idea so you never get bored of it, and which is also great for when you have guests around! They are always impressed when served a good platter of grilled chicken, and these Moroccan Chicken Skewers aren’t the exception.
The feta sauce that goes with it is key, as it pairs perfectly bringing a salty touch and providing an excellent resource to fight the cayenne spiciness (if using it).
Some Notes on the Moroccan Chicken Skewers
The Marinade
The marinade couldn’t be simpler. It is very fragrant and has a spicy touch with the cayenne. As I always say though, if you don’t like spicy then just remove the cayenne. On the contrary, if you love it a lot add more.
I always zest the lemon directly on the chicken. This ensures that any released essential oils fall directly onto the meat (this is what contains the aromatics!).
Finally, bear in mind that the longer the chicken sits in it, the more tender it will result after cooking it. I have had it in the fridge for a max of 24 hours and I can say that after this long it is perfect.
The Chicken Skewers
You can forget about the skewers and marinate the whole chicken breast (or chicken breast fillets if you want them thinner) and cook them on a pan or even roast them.
Thighs are more tender than breasts and I prefer them for skewers, but both work great! Use what you have on hand.
Last but not least, if using wooden skewers and you’re planning to grill this chicken or bake it in the oven, soak them in water for 30 minutes. This will prevent them from burning.
The Feta Sauce
I came up with this sauce idea thanks to Hanenne, who shared an amazing whipped feta dip during the confinement. I have called mine sauce because it’s runny and pourable, perfect to drizzle on top of the chicken. If you want it thicker, replace the plain yoghurt with thick Greek yoghurt.
The creamy sauce combines perfectly with the marinade spices (yoghurt has a lot to do with this) and I find it balances the cayenne heat out. If you don’t have feta on hand, you can serve it with this cream cheese dip instead, it would be delicious!
The Sides
For a fresh touch, accompany the skewers with some greens. In this case, I have used lettuce and cucumber, but rocket and spinach would work great too. To add to the freshness, I always serve it with some lemon wedges so people can drizzle extra lemon juice on top.
Another side I find is the perfect match is my blistered or charred cherry tomatoes. I am not the biggest fan of pepper, but if you are, roasted pepper would be great in this dish as well.
And very importantly: some bread! Bread is crucial here to collect the juices and well, isn’t bread always a great idea? This time you can see I’ve gone for classic bread, which I toasted on the same skillet I’ve used for the cherry tomatoes so it soaks all that delicious tomatoey olive oil! Pita, flatbreads like naan or bazlama (you can check out my recipe 🙂 ) would be so perfect as well. As I always say, use what you have on hand.
If you make this Moroccan Chicken Skewers with Feta Sauce recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rate it. Hearing from you is everything! Oh, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Moroccan Chicken Skewers with Feta Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken
- 650 g chicken thighs - cut into 2.5cm pieces (see Notes)
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne - optional. You can adjust the quantity to your taste
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Feta Sauce
- 125 g plain yoghurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 200 g Feta cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
- Black Pepper
- Handful of Fresh herbs - chives, parsley or coriander finely chopped (optional)
To Serve
- Charred cherry tomatoes - (recipe in Paula's apron)
- Cucumber
- Some green leaves
- Lemon wedges
- Bread
Instructions
Chicken
- Mix all the ingredients but the chicken in a bowl or tupperware.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat it well with the marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2h and up to half a day
- Thread the chicken into skewers and grill them on a pan, grill or in the oven at 230ºC for 10-12min until they are cooked through (see Notes). Turn them midway.
Feta Sauce
- Blend the yoghurt, lemon juice and feta together until smooth.
- Drizzle with olive oil, crack some black pepper on top and sprinkle some chopped herbs when serving it
Serving
- Place the skewers on a serving platter with the blistered tomatoes, some greens, the lemon wedges so people can add extra lemon juice if desired, and some bread to accompany it all.
Notes
- Thighs are more tender than breasts, but both work great.
- If using wooden skewers and you’re planning to grill this chicken or bake it in the oven, soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes. This will prevent them from burning.
- You can make this recipe without the skewers. Marinate the whole chicken breast or chicken pieces, and cook them directly on a skillet or roast them.
- If using classic style bread (baguette, ciabatta, countryside loaf…), you can toast the slices on the same skillet you’ve used for the cherry tomatoes so it soaks all that delicious tomatoey olive oil.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @paulasapron on Instagram and hashtag it #paulasapron.