Chicken Kebabs With Beet Hummus

Zesty chicken kebabs are grilled until juicy and served on warm pita with fuschia-coloured beet hummus, sliced onions and cucumber, julienned carrots and fresh cilantro. A fun and gratifying recipe made for the grill!
Difficulty:
3/5
Prep time:
1 h (ROASTED BEETS) 45 min (RECIPE)
Cook time:
12-16 min
Serves:
4-8

ROASTED BEET HUMMUS

  • 2 small beets, top and tail trimmed
  • neutral cooking oil, like rice bran, canola, or grapeseed
  • kosher salt
  • 1 (15 oz./425g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and pepper, to taste

YOGURT-MARINATED CHICKEN KEBABS

  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch squares
  • ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 2 tablespoons harissa
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, like rice bran, canola, or grapeseed
  • 2 large handfuls of cilantro, finely chopped, reserve some for garnish
  • kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • neutral cooking oil, like rice bran, canola, or grapeseed
  • 8 small pitas
  • ½ English cucumber, cut into slices on a bias
  • 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 small carrot, julienned
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
  2. Wrap whole beets in an aluminum foil package and season with oil and salt. Enclose and roast on the top rack of the grill for 40 minutes to an hour, until beets are fork-tender. Remove and set aside to cool.
  3. While the beets are cooking, marinate chicken. In a mixing bowl, whisk together ingredients from yogurt to chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Incorporate chicken into the mixture and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Thread chicken onto Broil King’s Dual Prong Skewers, about 6 pieces per skewer, and set aside.
  4. Peel beet skins with a paring knife. In a blender or food processor, combine beets with the remaining hummus ingredients from chickpeas to olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Oil grates thoroughly with Broil King’s Basting Brush. Grill chicken kebabs for approximately 6-8 minutes per side, until just cooked through (internal temperature of 160°F), flipping a few times throughout. Take off the grill and rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Grill pita until just warmed through and serve with chicken kebabs, beet hummus, cucumber, onions, carrots, cilantro, and lemon wedges on the side.

Recipe Styling & Development by Jannell Lo
Photography by Jessica Kalman