Grilled Lemon Yogurt Chicken Skewers with Peppers
Chicken breast skewers marinated in garlicky lemon yogurt, grilled over direct heat until charred at the edges, with sweet grilled peppers and a final squeeze of fresh lemon.
- Total
- 58 min
- Prep 20 · Cook 33 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Grilling · Marinating
- Savory
- Barbecue
Instructions
-
Cut the chicken skewers: chicken breast into 3 cm chunks and put them in the mixing bowl. Add 150 g yogurt, the zest of 1 lemon, the juice of 1 lemon, 3 grated garlic cloves, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Stir until every piece is coated, then cover and leave to marinate.
~20 min
Yogurt's lactic acid and enzymes gently tenderize the chicken, while the coating helps it brown and stay juicy on the grill.
Marinating Coat every piece evenly and let it sit so the yogurt's acidity tenderizes the chicken; don't marinate too long or the texture turns mushy.
-
While step 1 waits
While the chicken marinates, cut the peppers into 3 cm squares, discarding the seeds and white membranes. Toss them with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and 0.5 tsp salt.
~5 min
Cutting peppers uniformly and oiling them ensures even cooking and prevents sticking to the grill grate.
-
Light the barbecue and let it burn until the coals are covered in grey ash and you can hold your hand 10 cm above the grate for only 3 to 4 seconds, a medium-hot fire. Oil the grate lightly with a folded paper towel.
~10 min
Grey ash signals the coals are at a steady medium-hot heat, ideal for cooking chicken through without burning the yogurt marinade.
Grilling Build a medium-hot fire and oil the grate; turn skewers every few minutes to avoid flare-ups and charring before the chicken is cooked through.
-
Thread the chicken and peppers onto the skewers, alternating 3 pieces of chicken with 2 squares of pepper per skewer and leaving a small gap between pieces so the heat reaches every side.
~6 min
Leaving gaps between pieces lets hot air circulate, so the chicken cooks evenly instead of steaming.
Leave a little space between the pieces on each skewer so the chicken cooks evenly instead of steaming in the middle.
-
Grill the skewers over direct heat, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken is browned and charred in spots and reaches 74°C/165°F in the thickest piece, 12 to 14 minutes total.
~17 min
Turning every few minutes prevents the sugary yogurt marinade from burning while allowing the chicken to reach a safe internal temperature.
The yogurt marinade clings and browns fast, so keep the fire medium-hot rather than blazing; if the peppers blacken before the chicken is cooked, move the skewers to a cooler edge of the grate.
Grilling Build a medium-hot fire and oil the grate; turn skewers every few minutes to avoid flare-ups and charring before the chicken is cooked through.
-
Move the skewers to a plate and rest them for 5 minutes. Squeeze the juice of the second lemon over the hot skewers and serve.
~5 min
Resting allows juices to redistribute so they don't run out when cut, and the final lemon squeeze brightens the charred flavors.