Summary

Prep: 15 mins
Cooking: 15 mins
Ages: Toddlers to Teens
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Makes: 6 chicken kebabs

How to make chicken sticks

Chicken sticks generally can be made with a very wide range of sauces and marinades, from simple herb and oil marinades to sweet teriyaki sauces.

The chicken is generally cut into small or large cubes and mixed with the marinade in a bowl. It is then chilled in this marinade overnight or for at least few hours in the fridge.

It is then removed and put on sticks. Chicken kebabs can then be cooked in a frying pan, on a barbeque or in the oven.

For our chicken sticks because the marinade is such a thick creamy sauce, it’s best to cook these in the oven.

If you want extra succulent chicken pieces then it can be worth soaking the chicken in an 8% brine overnight (8 grams of salt for every 100mls of water). Following that the pieces can be drained, mixed with the marinade and chilled for another few hours before cooking.

However a lot of us find there’s days where there’s just no time for marinating! And this recipe still works very well without the time spent in the fridge.

Our yoghurt chicken sticks

Turkish grill masters knew it all along – marinating your meat in yogurt is the only way to achieve the perfect grill, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Our recipe is marinated in a yogurt and lemon juice base, mixed with a combination of spices.  The end result is a tart, but sweet flavour that is amazingly delicious.

We’ve used leaner chicken breasts, but this recipe will work equally well with thighs.

Instructions

• 3 chicken breasts cut into large bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Vegetable oil, for greasing the oven dish

Instructions

1. Optional: Brine the chicken overnight in 8% brine (8 grams salt for every 100mls of water).
2. If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for 20 minutes before beginning. Preheat the oven to 180℃.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, lemon juice, salt, pepper and minced garlic.
4. Thread the chicken onto 6 metal or wooden skewers.
5. Cover a baking pan with foil or oil it well and place the chicken skewers on it. Pour the marinade over the chicken, turning the chicken to coat all sides in the marinade.
6. Grill the chicken skewers for about 10-15 minutes until golden and cooked through. They should be crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Serve with your chosen sides. Some ideas could be saffron and onion rice, couscous or warm flat breads.

Tasty yoghurt chicken sticks – our step by step guide:

Some optional prep

These steps are optional so skip to the next step if pushed for time, but they can give you more succulent chicken pieces.

Soak the chicken pieces in an 8% brine overnight. That means 8 grams of salt for every 100mls of water (or 80 grams of salt for every litre of water).

To do this place the chicken in a bowl with the brine mixture. Cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge overnight.

The next morning drain the chicken pieces and pat them dry. Mix them in with the prepared marinade (see below) and chill in the fridge for another few hours before cooking.

When you’re ready to cook, if you’re using wooden skewers then soak these in cold water for 20 minutes before starting.

Enjoy these tasty yoghurt and spice chicken sticks with some couscous and lemon.