Create delicious chicken kabobs in the oven with this fabulous Persian inspired dry rub chicken seasoning that tastes amazing without a long marinate time!
You have no idea who ridiculously happy I am to write about this recipe. Persian food is comfort food for my family. And yes, some Persian recipes can be time and labor intensive – for me, that is, not for my family who just sit and eat it!
So it should come as no surprise that I am always finding new ways to make these delicious recipes in faster and easier. I have already shared my air fryer ground beef kebabs and my instant pot ghormeh sabzi.
This recipe creates a shortcut to making delicious jujeh kabob (Persian chicken kebab) using a dry rub chicken seasoning instead of an overnight marinade that you can easily make in the oven.
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Recipe highlights
- Versatile: I use this dry rub on boneless chunks of chicken or bone-in chicken. You can use it on lean chicken breast or more flavorful chicken thighs. Cook your chicken over the grill, on the stove or in the oven. It is also terrific on fish and shrimp.
- Quick: This recipe recreates the flavor and texture of grilled chicken kebab without a grill, but in the oven. It also forgoes a long marinate time as we use dry spice rub.
- Texture: The citric acid in the spice mix acts as the acid used to tenderize the meat. The saffron and turmeric give the chicken its classic golden hue.
- Flavor: My inspiration for this dry rub was some chicken kebab seasoning I found at the middle eastern store. My friends and family tell me that mine tastes even better. A little tang and lots of deliciousness in every bite.
Ingredients you need
- Saffron: You want high quality saffron. The amount you need depends on the quality. If you find that your rice is not a vibrant yellow, you are probably using a lesser quality saffron. Choose long crimson colored strands of saffron, not orange or yellow. You will also need a mortar and pestle. If you purchase already ground saffron, you could be getting colorants that are added and not pure saffron. This is why I recommend buying strands of saffron.
- Turmeric: Turmeric is bright yellow, aromatic and offers a different flavor than saffron. Turmeric and saffron are not interchangeable, but two totally different spices and flavors.
- Paprika: There are many varieties of paprika, from smoked to sweet, so use your favorite.
- Citric acid: So usually in chicken marinades, we use an acid like lemon juice. But since this is a dry rub, I use citric acid to tenderize and flavor the meat.
- More spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried mint, salt and pepper.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Because I am making these kabobs in the oven, I prefer to use chicken thighs. The extra fat keeps the chicken moist. I don’t cut them into chunks, but leave them whole.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Coating the chicken with a little oil adds moisture and flavor to the chicken. It also helps crisp up the chicken and gives something for the dry rub to stick to.
Step-by-step directions
- Mix the spices. Combine spices and coat chicken with olive oil. Coat the chicken with the spice mix.
- Skewer the chicken. You will need a roasting pan that will hold your skewers of meat by being propped on the pan walls. You want the skewered chicken to not touch the bottom of the pan. For easy cleanup, line your pan with foil.
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- Fold each chicken thigh in half then slide onto two skewers, separated by about one inch. Repeat with other thighs and push each piece of chicken snugly up against each other. I fit about 4-5 chicken thighs this way.
- Continue skewering the rest of the chicken thighs, using two skewers at a time. By using two skewers and not one, the chicken doesn’t spin on the skewer and you can keep the chicken propped up and over the pan.
- If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes prior to skewering.
- Roast the chicken. Roast in the oven at 425ªF for 30-35 minutes, until golden and the edges start to crisp. Baste with the pan juices and carefully rotate the skewers and flip the chicken over. Baste the chicken again and cook for 15 minutes or until the edges char and the chicken is golden all over.
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
I have used this spice mix on a variety of different cuts of chicken. They are equally fabulous on chicken wings for when you are watching your favorite game on tv. If you want to use chunks of chicken breasts, cut down on the cooking time by half and baste more often.
If you are serving this as a meal, serve with Persian basmati rice (chelo), Persian cucumber salad (Shirazi salad), yogurt with cucumbers (mast o khiar), a platter of fresh herbs (sabzi khordan), and/or Persian pickled vegetables (torshi bademjan).
My family especially loves this chicken with my lubia polo, Persian green bean rice.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover kabob in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
SPICE MIX: Will last for several months if kept in an air tight bottle in a cool dark place.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftover kabob. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Most dry rubs do not require sitting on the meat for hours or overnight. I usually coat the chicken and let it wait while the oven preheats. You can leave the dry rub on for up to 2-3 hours for the spices and citric acid to really penetrate the meat.
Absolutely! I love cooking chicken kabobs in the oven as it is easier and more convenient than firing up the grill. The key is not to overcook the chicken, especially if using chicken breast, as it will dry out the meat.
You can grill and bake kabobs in the oven using wooden skewers. Just be sure to soak the sticks for at least 30 minutes. This keeps them from burning or igniting in the oven.
Dry Rub Chicken Kabobs in the Oven
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon ground saffron
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika smoked or sweet
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley measured then crushed with your fingers
- ½ teaspoon dried mint measured then crushed with your fingers
- ½ teaspoon citric acid
- 2 ½ – 3 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF (200ºC).
- Combine spices in a small bowl and coat chicken with olive oil.
- You will need a roasting pan that will hold your skewers of meat by being propped on the pan walls. You want the skewered chicken to not touch the bottom of the pan. For easy cleanup, line with foil.
- Fold each chicken thigh in half then slide onto two skewers, separated by about one inch. Repeat with other thighs and push each piece of chicken snugly up against each other. I fit about 4-5 chicken thighs this way.
- Continue skewering the rest of the chicken thighs, using two skewers at a time. By using two skewers and not one, the chicken doesn’t spin on the skewer and you can keep the chicken propped up and over the pan.
- If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes prior to skewering.
- Roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden and the edges start to crisp.
- Baste with the pan juices and carefully rotate the skewers and flip the chicken over.
- Baste the chicken again and cook for 15 minutes or until the edges char and the chicken is golden all over.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
The posted nutrition info for this recipe is likely for the whole recipe of 8 thighs, not just one serving of 2. ;D Looks like a great recipe- eager to try it!
Yeah, these plugins don’t necessarily calculate everything accurately. My package of boneless skinless chicken thighs had 8 pieces for about 2.75lbs. It might be including skin fat in the calories.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Laura
What temperature do you roast the chicken at?
Hi Lynn-
I roast at 425ºF.
Laura