Grill/Barbecue

Chicken and Steak Skewers with a Tahini-Yogurt Marinade

by:
April 30, 2018
5
3 Ratings
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Prep time 2 hours 45 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

The tahini-yogurt marinade for these skewers works well with all kinds of protein, from chicken and beef to salmon or lamb. It's so good you may want to make extra and set it aside, so you can use some as a dip. And while you're at it, grill some vegetables, as well! I've included a few ideas below. —EmilyC

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Ingredients
  • For the tahini-yogurt marinade:
  • 2/3 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt
  • 1/3 cup tahini, well-stirred
  • 3 fat cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cumin (or crushed cumin seed)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • Grated zest and juice of 2 small lemons (about 3 tablespoons of juice)
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • For the skewers:
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless top sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1-2 zucchini and/or summer squash
  • 1 eggplant
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 pint peppadews (drained) or 1 red bell pepper
  • Olive oil and kosher salt, for seasoning vegetables
Directions
  1. For the tahini-yogurt marinade:
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth and emulsified. If you’re using Greek or skyr yogurt, you may need to add a bit more extra-virgin olive oil to loosen the marinade.
  1. For the skewers:
  2. In a bowl or plastic zipper-lock bag, combine chicken with half of marinade. Repeat with steak. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
  3. Soak wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes before grilling.
  4. Remove the chicken and steak from the marinade, letting any excess drip off. Working one protein at a time, thread 5 or 6 cubes on each wooden skewer. (Tip: thread the cubes on 2 skewers so the pieces don’t flip over on the grill when you turn them). Let stand at room temperature while the grill heats up.
  5. Cut vegetables into bite-sized (abut 2-inch) pieces. (Leave cherry tomatoes and peppadews whole.) Toss vegetables in olive oil to generously coat, and season with kosher salt, to taste. Alternating with squash and cherry tomatoes, thread onto skewers. Repeat with red onion, eggplant, and peppadews or red peppers.
  6. Heat grill to medium-high and brush your grates clean.
  7. Grill each skewer until it reaches your desired degree of doneness (165F° for chicken, 125F° to 130F° for medium-rare steak). This should take about 3 to 5 minutes per side for the steak, zucchini, and eggplant skewers; and about 5 to 7 minutes per side for the chicken skewers. Remove from the grill and place on a platter; tent with foil to keep warm until all the skewers are complete.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Recipe by: EmilyC

I'm a home cook. I love salads. Two things you'll always find in my refrigerator are lemons and butter, and in my pantry good quality chocolate and the makings for chocolate chip cookies.

3 Reviews

kguilfoyle1015 May 20, 2020
Tried these tonight and they were SO GOOD! The marinade is really what makes this recipe. Will definitely be making again!
Maureen May 21, 2018
The instructions for timing both refer to chicken skewers...which is correct for the beef?
EmilyC May 21, 2018
Hi Maureen: I just updated the instructions to clarify! It should be 3 to 5 minutes per side for the beef and 5 to 7 minutes per side for the chicken.