Description
These Grilled Chicken Adana Kebabs are a flavorful Turkish-inspired dish featuring spiced minced chicken combined with fresh herbs and vegetables, shaped around skewers, and grilled to perfection. Juicy and mildly spicy, they make for a perfect summer barbecue or weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch chunks
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
- 1 medium red onion, trimmed and peeled
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed and seeded
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare skewers: If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning during grilling.
- Process vegetables: In a food processor, pulse the red bell pepper, red onion, garlic, and jalapeño until finely minced. Drain the mixture in a sieve to remove excess liquid.
- Process chicken: In the food processor, pulse the chicken thighs until minced. Add the processed vegetables, fresh parsley, cilantro, red chili flakes, sweet paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Pulse everything together until well combined into a uniform mixture.
- Form kebabs: Transfer the chicken mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Following chilling, divide the mixture into 8 to 10 equal portions and shape each portion around a 1-inch wide flat metal skewer, molding and flattening the meat into 6 to 8 inch long kebabs.
- Grill: Preheat your grill to 350°F (175°C). Oil the grill grates lightly to prevent sticking. Place the skewers on the grill, laying them perpendicular to the grates to secure the meat. Grill the kebabs for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning carefully, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Notes
- Soaking wooden skewers is important to prevent them from burning on the grill.
- Draining the minced vegetables helps keep the kebab mixture from becoming too wet and falling apart.
- Chilling the mixture before shaping helps the kebabs hold their form on the grill.
- Adjust chili flakes quantity to control the spiciness level.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Turkish
