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Moroccan Chicken and Pineapple Kebab

This spicy and succulent kebab is perfectly balanced with a sweet and tart pineapple pairing.  Serve with naan bread, yogurt sauce and couscous.  Enjoy the essence of Marrakesh in this Moroccan chicken kebab.

A bowl of spices.
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Don’t panic my friends.  Kebabs may be your new favorite go-to recipe for get-togethers, bar-b-ques and weeknight meals.  The concept is fresh and fast cooking.  All of your questions are answered here.  I’ve got your back!

The reason why kebabs are so good and popular is because of the marinade and the cooking method.

Marinades are universally flexible.  You can take any meat, choose a country’s typical flavor profile and cook over open flame or high heat such as a broiler.  Instant success.

I loved the ease at which this recipe came together.  Easy to find ingredients and simple prep can make this dish a weeknight meal if planned ahead.  The freshness of the ingredients in the marinade along with common spices appeals to my practical home cook self.

If you want to be super efficient, double the marinade recipe, pour half into a freezer bag, freeze and use another day.  If you freeze the bag lying flat on a cookie sheet you can stack these easy marinade bags in your freezer.  Why not quadruple the recipe?  That’s a weeknight meal in the making.

Harissa can be found in Mediterranean markets, some grocery stores or you can make your own.

Kudos to  Anand Prakash.  This recipe is inspired by his amazing book The World of Kebabs.  I used chicken thighs instead of lamb because my store was out of lamb and I used more harissa than the original recipe, because it’s my fave.  You could use chicken breast but it will turn out drier than thighs.  Most of my recipes include chicken thighs because it’s so much more moist and the ‘bite’ is better than chicken breast, in my opinion.  Pineapple was added because I was craving it at the time.  Yes, that happens a lot.  I’m not afraid to give into my cravings.

Where does kebab come from?

This kebab recipe is inspired by North African ingredients but kebab culture is not common in Africa.  It is common, however, to the coastal areas where traders and invaders brought this meat on a stick culture. Harissa is used as a condiment and marinade, borrowing from Algerian and Tunisian cuisine.

Kebabs are normally cooked over an open flame but I make mine in the oven.  If you cook them quickly over high heat, you can get some nice crustiness to the outside of the meat while keeping the meat moist on the inside.  For one inch cubes, I cook them 4-5 minutes per side under my broiler with the oven rack at the top.

Historians credit the origin of the kebab to the region of the Caucasus Mountains where Ottoman Turks and nomads cooked meat on a stick over open flame.  It is first mentioned in a Turkish script dating to 1377.   Eventually kebabs spread to nearly every corner of the world.

When is National Kebab Day?

July 13th.  The day before Bastille Day.

The different types of kebab

  • meat grilled on a skewer such as shish kebab, chicken tikka
  • meat stacked and grilled next to a vertical rotisserie such as gyros, shawarma and doner kebab.  The difference lies in the ingredients and how prepared.

How to reheat kebab

There are several ways you can reheat kebab if you have leftovers.  This has never been a problem in my house.

  • remove from skewers and place in a microwave safe bowl, add a splash of water, cover with plastic wrap and heat on high for 1-3 minutes depending on how much kebab you have.
  • place on a baking sheet, brush some olive oil or melted butter on it, and reheat under broiler for 2-3 minutes.
  • remove from skewers and sauté in an oiled skillet over high heat.

My favorite ways to serve kebab

  • With the skewers on a plate with pita or naan bread, yogurt sauce and couscous.
  • Removed from the skewers and served over rice.
  • Removed from skewer and rolled in a tortilla to make a wrap with ranch or Italian dressing with crunchy lettuce, tomatoes and onions.
  • Removed from skewer and placed on top of a big-o-pile of fries and drizzled with amazing sauces.
Chicken and marinade in a bowl.
Pineapple sliced on a cutting board.
Chicken and pineapple placed on skewers.
Skewers on a rimmed and lined baking sheet.
Kebabs after cooking.

Did you make this recipe?  Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below!  Take a picture and tag us @FusionCraftiness #FusionCraftiness on Instagram for a chance to be featured in our Insta Stories:)

Bon Appetit y’all!

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Kebabs after cooking.

Moroccan Chicken and Pineapple Kebab

Yield: 16 kebabs
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

This spicy and succulent kebab is perfectly balanced with a sweet and tart pineapple pairing.  Serve with naan bread, yogurt sauce and couscous.  Enjoy the essence of Marrakesh in this Moroccan chicken kebab.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil Juice from one large or two small lemons 1 Tbs paprika 1 Tbs garlic, chopped 4 Tbs cilantro, chopped 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground black pepper 2 Tbs harissa

Instructions

Mix first nine ingredients in a bowl.
Add chicken cubes, cover and marinate in fridge for 4 hrs or overnight.
Skewer chicken and pineapple cubes on metal or bamboo skewers soaked in water for 20 minutes.
Place skewers on a rack over a cookie sheet lined with foil.
Broil 4 minutes, flip over, broil 4 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
Serving suggestions:
Pita bread
Yogurt sauce
Couscous
Mediterranean Salad

Notes

  • When placing the chicken on the skewer, don't crowd them, leave a smudge of space between each item.  It will cook better.
  • Double or quadruple the marinade and freeze the rest in individual freezer bags to use on a different night.  If you freeze these lying flat, the will become stackable.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 2 kebabs
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 542Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 123mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 8gSugar: 51gProtein: 36g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Megan Marlowe

Sunday 18th of March 2018

Kebabs are my favorite summer time grilling food. They're so easy to prepare and you can switch things up to offer a variety of different types of food. I've never cooked with Moroccan spices before, but I can tell you that I'll definitely be making this so we can have grilled Moroccan chicken and pineapple kebabs this summer!

Tina

Sunday 18th of March 2018

Enjoy Megan, I love how easy they are too! Must marinate and cook quickly. Can't wait until Summer, I'm over this cold weather.

Amanda

Thursday 15th of March 2018

I love the balance of sweet and savory in these kebabs! We were just saying the other day that we were in the mood for kebabs, but couldn't find quite the recipe we wanted to make. These sound perfect, especially with the harissa! Saving to make soon.

Patty

Tuesday 13th of March 2018

Mmmm my mouth is watering just looking at your pictures of these scrumptious kabobs! I love to remove the meat from the skewers and stuff it into a pita bread, I guess your delicious harissa is mandatory with these Moroccan chicken kabobs, can't wait to try them!

Tina

Tuesday 13th of March 2018

Harissa is the best, I'm seriously addicted to this stuff. Enjoy those kebabs Patty!

Dana

Monday 12th of March 2018

I love the flavors here. The blend of warm spices and sweetness from the pineapple is just killer. And I mean, who isn't ready to hit the grill with kebabs? It's that time of year where we're all just sort of waiting for grilling weather, with one foot out the patio door. This would be the perfect way to kick off grilling season!

Tina

Tuesday 13th of March 2018

These would be fantastic on the grill, seriously. Happy Summering!

Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon

Sunday 11th of March 2018

These kebabs look so good and flavorful! And I love the pineapple on the skewers. When your cravings are for pineapple I agree you should give into them. :) And we're all about chicken thighs here too. They are just so much more versatile. Now I just need some naan...

Tina

Tuesday 13th of March 2018

I just about don't even cook with chicken breast anymore, at least it's pretty rare. The thighs are so much better.

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