Tomato Grilled Moroccan Chicken with Mint Yogurt Sauce
Guess who’s back.
Back again.
Taylor’s back… Ok, I’ll stop. That song was just stuck in my head.
Besides, I didn’t really leave. So, the whole opening of this dealio makes no sense.
Maybe we should say Moroccan food is back? Considering I am OBSESSED with it. Give me a Moroccan paleo healthy gluten free breakfast casserole to start the day, a bowl of Moroccan roasted acorn squash soup for lunch and some sheet pan paleo za’atar chicken thighs for dinner and I AM HAPPY. Or maybe even a Moroccan chicken skillet depending on what I’m IN THE MOOD for, ya know?
Anyway. Moving on from Moroccan goodness for just a wee sec to tell you about something totally unrelated, but that I need to get off my chest.
I came to a sad realization this past weekend: I am an 83-year-old woman living inside a 27 year old body.
I was invited to a girls night out last weekend, and I thought it sounded pretty fun! Mr. FFF and I are total party animals, and (when he is home) usually spend our weekends watching The Food Network, (note the sarcasm in “party animals”) so I thought it might be neat-o to go out with some girls.
Until I read the starting time of the evening: 8 PM!
The dinner (which was the first event out of 3 EVENTS) started at 8. SO LATE. Like who goes out for dinner at 8pm? I AM IN MY JAMMIES BY THEN.
Soooo, I didn’t go. Because I fall asleep by 10 when I am “staying up.” I usually go to bed by 9.
*insert crying/laughing emoji HERE.*
Starting the evening at 8 is just too late for this grandma. Are you judging me?
If not, you probably should be. I’m judging myself.
So, I spent my weekend in the usual way: Making food (like this easy Moroccan chicken) and watching people make more food, on TV. Please tell me that I am not alone in being the most boring human alive?
And, now that I have confessed my true, not-so-cool cat of a self, and you all are thinking about never coming back, I am going to win your love back with this tomato grilled Moroccan chicken.
For starters, these skewers are red. That is THE color of love (according to valentine’s day) so, there’s that.
Second, there’s the fact that my baby sister (side note: I don’t have one of those) could make this recipe, since it’s SO EASY. Except for the skewering of the meat part.
That be dangerous ya’ll.
How to Grill Chicken Kebabs
- Heat your grill up to medium heat. This takes about 10 minutes for your grill to reach the right temperature
- Skewer your chicken, leaving some room between the pieces. If you decide to use bamboo skewers, make sure you soak them in water for at least 30 minutes!
- Cook for about 12 minutes total – 3 minutes per side!
- EAT
Now, let’s talk about the SURPRISE factor. What is the surprise factor you ask?
Well, the star of this Moroccan chicken marinade is TOMATO PASTE, which I bet you expected to only ever see in spaghetti and meatballs, am I right?
And now you think I’m even lamer because you’ve used tomato paste in non-spaghetti and meatball recipes, and my plan to earn your love back is foiled. WHY ARE YOU SO HARD ON ME TODAY?
Ok, about this tomato grilled Moroccan chicken recipe. Mr. FFF is obsessed with it. And, so am I. It’s got a little bit of a Middle Eastern vibe, and a little bit of warm cinnamon with a little savory-spiced cumin that jives with naturally sweet tomatoes all up over your taste buds and you can basically hear the chicken angels singing.
All of that goodness is PERFECTLY cooled down with CAHHHREAMMMY mint Greek yogurt dip.
In fact, it’s so cool that it brings back my “cool factor” since I, you know, made it.
Going with it.
Ingredients
— 2 Tbsp Tomato paste
— 1/4 tsp Salt
— Pinch of pepper
— 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
— 1/4 tsp Cumin powder
— 1/2 tsp Garlic minced
— 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
— 1 tsp Olive oil
— 1/2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
— 1 Medium yellow onion cut into chunks.
For the Mint Yogurt Dip:
— 1/2 Cup Non-fat Plain Greek yogurt (or coconut yogurt for paleo)
— 1/4 Cup Cucumber, grated
— 1/4 tsp Salt
— 1/2 tsp Fresh garlic, minced
— Pinch of pepper
— 2 Tbsp Fresh mint, roughly chopped, plus additional mint for garnish (optional)
Instructions
2. Add in the cut up chicken and stir to coat. The mixture is very thick, and I found it much easier to use my hands to really rub the tomato paste mixture all over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours – overnight (the longer the better!)
3. Preheat your grill to medium heat and lightly spray with cooking spray.
4. Using sharp skewer sticks, alternate between pieces of chicken and onion, piercing each piece and sliding it to the end, building a “stack” of skewered ingredients as you go.
5. Place the skewers on the grill and cook until no longer pink inside, about 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes so you cook the chicken on each side.
6. While the chicken cooks, place the grated cucumber into a kitchen towel and ring out the excess water.
7. Add the cucumber, and all the other sauce ingredients, into a medium food processor and blend until smooth, well mixed, and the mint gets broken down.
8. Garnish the skewers with fresh mint and serve with yogurt sauce.
9. DEVOUR.
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