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Made with either chicken or beef and tenderized in a tangy yogurt marinade infused with my Shawarma Mia! spice blend, these Shawarma Mia! Kabobs are just what your weeknight meal plan or backyard barbecue have been missing. Shawarma Mia! is my take on the spice blend used to make shawarma, a delightful dish that originated in the Ottoman Empire and consists of stacking sliced meat and roasting it slowly in front of a vertical rotisserie. Here, of course, we dispense with the need for special equipment by cubing our meat and arranging it on skewers that can be easily flipped on the grill as the meat cooks. Served up with a garlicky yogurt sauce, some warm flatbread, and an easy fresh salad, this is one recipe you'll want to keep in your back pocket for busy nights and family gatherings alike.
Let's get grilling, shall we?
Shawarma Mia! Kabobs
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large lemon
4-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups Greek yogurt
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Shawarma Mia! spice blend
3 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable, avocado or grapeseed)
2 pounds beef chuck roast or chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces*
Directions
Zest the lemon and place the zest in a large bowl with the minced garlic, yogurt, and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice from the zested lemon. Whisk mixture together and season to taste with a little kosher salt. Transfer 3/4 cup of the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until you're ready to serve the kabobs.
Add tomato paste, Shawarma Mia! spice blend, and oil to the bowl with the remaining yogurt mixture and whisk to combine. Add the cubed beef or chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
I prefer metal skewers, but if you are using wood skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to minimize burning.
Preheat a grill to medium-high and oil grate. Remove beef from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off. There is no need to scrape off all the marinade, so don't stress about it. Thread the meat onto 4 skewers and grill, turning a few times, until browned and just cooked through.
Serve kabobs with warm pita bread, reserved sauce, and a simple salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and radish.
* Note: If you want to do both beef and chicken, I recommend marinating and skewering them separately. This is both safer from a food safety perspective and will ensure that each type of meat tastes like what you're expecting (i.e., beef vs. chicken).