Mediterranean Chicken Kebab Platter

I love love love Mediterranean food, and I’ve said this over and over in my posts. Not wanting to sound like a broken record, but I do love Mediterranean! The flavors are subtle, maybe not so much in-your-face or explosive, but have a certain allure that you simply cannot resist. Once hooked, you are hooked for life.

I love playing around with my flavors, adding this spice or that, and coming up with my unique creations. Most often, when we are tired of our Indian food routine, I definitely turn to spices and herbs like oregano, parsley, dill, sumac and za’atar. The good thing about them is they add a ton of flavor, not heat, which my little Boy loves!

Tzatziki and hummus are my absolute favorite Mediterranean dips. (Find two versions of tzatziki recipes in my blog, here and here). But this time I tried a tzatziki-inspired feta cheese and Greek yogurt dip/sauce. And boy, was it good! It was richer and thicker and the feta cheese added the right amount of twang to it. I actually began by making the dip first because I really really wanted to see if I could whip feta cheese, and sort of based the rest of the recipe around it. Look how smooth and creamy the dip is. All you need are some flatbreads or pita chips and you can go to town, finishing it all in one sitting!

There are easy Greek style flatbreads that you can make on the stove-top and skewers of perfectly grilled juicy chicken and peppers. Add a side of fresh vegetables and I can chow this down in record time!

For Greek souvlaki style grilled chicken, you will begin by marinading the chicken lightly in some olive oil, Greek yogurt, garlic, oregano, sumac, black pepper and a little lime juice or vinegar. Thread them onto skewers along with thick cut onions and peppers, and you can either grill the kebabs or bake in the oven. They are tender, juicy and so full of flavor.

If you are looking for an easy beginners guide to Mediterranean flavors or if you’ve always been a big fan, you must try this platter. It is so good, I tell you!

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN KEBAB PLATTER {CHICKEN KEBABS, GREEK FLATBREADS & FETA CHEESE DIP}

Chicken Kebabs (Makes 6 large skewers)

You need:

• Chicken – 1 1/2 lbs, boneless and skinless pieces cut into bite sized chunks
• Greek yogurt – 2 tbsp
• Olive oil – 3 tbsp
• Vinegar or lime juice – 2 tbsp
• Garlic – 2 large cloves, finely chopped
• Dried oregano – 2 tsp
• Sumac – 2 tsp
• Freshly cracked black pepper – 1 tsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Onion – 2, medium
• Green bell peppers – 1, large

How to:

• Mix the ingredients listed from Greek yogurt to salt with the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, or even overnight.
• Pre-heat the oven to 400 deg.F and arrange a greased wire rack over a large rimmed baking pan. If you are using wooden skewers, now will be a good time to soak them in water.
• Slice the onions and pepper into large pieces.
• Thread the chicken, onion and peppers alternately on each skewer. Do not crowd them though. Sprinkle more sumac and a pinch of salt over the skewers.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or till chicken juices run clear. Finish by broiling towards the last minute or two of roasting.
• Alternately, if you do not want to use skewers, simply bake the chicken and vegetables in a lined baking pan.

Greek Flatbreads

Find recipe in this post.

Feta Cheese & Greek Yogurt Dip/Sauce

You will need: (Makes 2 1/2 cups)

• Feta cheese – 2 cups
• Greek yogurt – 1/2 cup
• Dried oregano – 1 tsp
• Sumac – 1/2 tsp
• Red chili flakes – a pinch, if you must have a touch of heat
• Salt – if needed, most feta cheese sold in stores are already salty enough
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp

How to:

• If you buy feta cheese in blocks like I do, take it out and place it in a mixing bowl. Crumble it into pieces with a spoon and set aside for 10 minutes to soften a bit.
• Using a whisk or even a large fork, whisk the feta till creamy. Add yogurt and whisk well to combine.
• Stir in the herbs/spices. Transfer to a serving bowl and gently stir in the olive oil. Keep refrigerated till serving time.

Mediterranean Chicken Kebab Platter

You will need: (Serves 6)

• Chicken kebabs – 6 skewers
• Greek style flatbreads – 6
• Feta cheese dip – 2 1/2 cups
• Onion – 1, thinly sliced
• Tomatoes – 3, sliced
• Lemon wedges
• Sumac

How to:

• Divide ingredients among 6 plates and serve with more sumac, lemon wedges and the feta dip on the side.

And, that’s it! You can now have your very own Mediterranean feast at home! Let me know if you try it.

Do you like Mediterranean cuisine? You do like chicken kebabs, don’t you? What is your favorite dip? Have you tried using feta cheese in anything other than a salad? Do share, I’d love to hear from you.

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I am sharing this over at Angie’s amazing blog link party at The Novice Gardener and Saucy Saturdays.