Persian chicken kebab (jujeh kabab, joojeh kabab or kabob eh morgh) is incredibly moist and flavorful because of the saffron, onion and yogurt marinade. Find more of my Persian kabob recipes.
There used to be a time when no one in the U.S. heard of “kabobs.” When I grew up in Houston, for example, the nearest Persian restaurant was an hour away. No bamboo skewers were to be found at the grocery store.
Making kabob at home was a lot of work. Especially without skewers! But today, everyone is making kabob and making kabob their own. Stick any food on a stick, call it kabob and enjoy. Who would have thunk?!
My grandmother was an amazing cook. She also made amazing kabob, the old fashion way: stooped over a small charcoal stove, fanning the flames by hand. My mother-in-law is equally talented as a cook and I have learned even more about Persian cooking from her. And since my kids love kabob so much, my husband and I team up and make it often and at home.
Although everyone loves Ground Beef Kabob (Kabob Koobideh), I tend to prefer Chicken Kabob, Kabob-eh Morgh or Joojeh Kabob, for quick everyday meals. It is easier to make, quicker to prepare and definitely lighter in calories!
Why this recipe is so awesome
Persian chicken kabob comes in many forms and of course, have different names. Chicken Kabob, known in farsi as kabob eh morgh, is the recipe I am sharing today. It is made with chunks of marinated chicken breast. Chicken barg is made completely differently.
Kabab barg is made with filet mignon, not chunks, but thinly sliced. Chicken barg mimics the beef version, so instead of chunks of chicken breast you have them thinly sliced.
The third type of chicken kabob that Persians make is jujeh kabab. In farsi, joojeh means “chicks,” as in baby chickens. Before you freak out, know that joojeh kabob is not grill baby chicks, but grilled cornish hens, bones included.
Many Persian use jujeh kabob to mean any kind of chicken kabob, boneless or with bone. Either way, the marinade I have for my chicken kabob works great for either of these versions of chicken kabob.
The reason why we marinate our meats before cooking is not only add flavor, but to also tenderize the meat. An acid is usually used as it breaks down the meat very easily. But there are other ways to tenderize and marinate the meat.
Yogurt makes a terrific marinade, as well. The active bacteria in yogurt helps break down protein, thus making your chicken moist and tender. A yogurt marinade works more slowly than the traditional acid version, so you will need a good 12 hours of marinating time.
Here’s a great article for you to learn everything about using yogurt in a marinade.
The marinade I am sharing for my Persian chicken kabob is made with yogurt, onions (another fabulous tenderizer) and saffron. The saffron gives tremendous flavor, aroma and of course, its glorious yellow color.
“Yummy dinner of homemade Persian chicken kabobs, zucchini, and saffron rice paired with Justin Sauv Blanc. Thanks for the recipe #familyspice”
Ingredients you need
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- Boneless skinless chicken breast: Usually when I am grilling chicken on skewers for kebab, I like to use boneless chicken breast. But you can easily use boneless skinless chicken thighs, too. And as I mentioned above, this marinade also works with bone-in chicken, especially chicken wings and drumettes.
- Onion: Regular brown or white onions work perfectly in this recipe.
- Saffron: When using saffron, choose long strands that are crimson in color for best quality. Powdered saffron can have food coloring or turmeric mixed in and is not as fragrant as real saffron.
- Plain yogurt: You can use Greek or thick Persian yogurt. You can also use regular yogurt.
- Garlic: This is optional, but garlic adds tremendous flavor.
- Butter: Because chicken breast is low in fat, we baste the kabob with a lemon butter mixture. And of course, butter adds flavor! You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Lemon juice: Persians love their sour stuff. You can use bottled or freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Pantry staples: Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
Tools to Use
Step-by-step directions
1. Crush your saffron using a mortar and pestle and steep with hot water.
2. Cut chicken into 2-inch cubes and place in a large shallow container and mix in onions, half the saffron water, yogurt, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Coat all pieces of chicken completely with marinade.
Cover and marinate at least 6 hours and up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
3. Slide chicken breast pieces close together onto metal skewers, leaving room on each end of the skewer to handle without burning yourself. This also insures the meat is resting on the hottest part of your grill.
4. In a small saucepan add butter, lemon juice and the other half of saffron water. Cook this over medium heat until melted and combined.
5. Start your charcoal at least 30 minutes prior to grilling. Grill kabobs for 8-15 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with butter-lemon mix. The chicken is done when the juice running out is no longer pink.
6. A trick we like to use to remove kebab meat from hot skewers when they are done cooking is by grabbing it with a sheet of lavash bread or even a flour tortilla and sliding it down the skewer onto your serving platter.
To keep the meat warm, cover with another sheet of lavash bread. Trust me, this bread soaked with all the juices is HEAVEN!
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
Persian kabob is also grilled using long flat metal skewers, not the thin kind you normally see. The flat skewers keep your meat from spinning around as they would on those thin skewers. Baste your chicken kabob with a saffron lemon butter mixture to keep it golden, juicy and delicious.
Traditionally Jujeh Kabab is served with grilled tomatoes, onions and any other grilled vegetables you like with a big bed of basmati rice. We like to enjoy our Chicken Kabob with Shirazi Salad or Mast o Khiar (Persian Yogurt with Cucumbers) and a plate of fresh herbs, onions and radishes (sabzi khordan). I’m getting hungry just typing about it!
A little phonetics lesson is also included in this post. It’s a minor pet peeve of mine. Kabob is pronounced: ka (like the ‘a’ in ‘at’) bob (like your pal named ‘Bob’). It’s not kay-bab or kuh-bab or whatever else you may have heard.
Ka-bob.
Americans might slur it together and say kuh-bob, and spell it kebab, but that’s wrong, too.
Kabob. Kabob. Say it with me: KA-BOB!
Learn it. Love it. Lesson over.
If you are looking for dairy free marinade option for you chicken kabob, try my Dry Rub Chicken Kabobs in the oven.
Persian kebab is not cooked over grilles heated by propane or gas tanks. Hot coals are a must for kabob grilling, so include some additional time for this. If you have a grill rack, remove it so the skewers can rest freely above the fire.
Persian joojeh kabob is typically made with boneless skinless chicken breast, but you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can also marinate and skewer chicken wings and drumettes for kebab cooking.
Persian Chicken Kebab (Jujeh Kabab)
Persian chicken kebab (jujeh kabab or kabob eh morgh) is incredibly moist and flavorful because of the saffron, onion and yogurt marinade.
Ingredients
- 3 ยฝ lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- ยฝ teaspoon saffron, ground & dissolved in 2 TBS of hot water
- ยฝ cup plain yogurt
- 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ยผ cup unsalted butter
- ยผ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 2-inch cubes.
- Place chicken in a large shallow container and mix in onions, half the saffron water, yogurt, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Coat all pieces of chicken completely with marinade.
- Cover and marinate at least 6 hours and up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
- Start your charcoal at least 30 minutes prior to grilling.
- Slide chicken breast pieces close together onto metal skewers, leaving room on each end of the skewer to handle without burning yourself. This also insures the meat is resting on the hottest part of your grill.
- In a small saucepan add butter, lemon juice and the other half of saffron water. Cook this over medium heat until melted and combined.
- Grill kabobs for 8-15 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with butter-lemon mix.
- The chicken is done when the juice running out is no longer pink.
- Remove from heat and remove meat from skewers by grabbing it and sliding it down the skewer with one sheet of lavash bread.
- Place chicken on a serving plate and cover with another sheet of lavash bread to keep the chicken warm.
Notes
You can also use this marinade for boneless chicken thighs.
Serve withย basmati riceย or lavash bread. Also terrific with green salad orย mast-o khiar (Persian yogurt with cucumbers).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
5-6 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 345Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 477mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 50g
PSย If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a reviewย in the comment sectionย further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
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Is there a method to measure the saffron? I feel like I used a quarter of what was suggested and it came out so overpowering and nauseating.
.
Hi Dennis-
Saffron quality varies depending on where it is from. So if you are using high quality saffron, very little goes a long way and gives you more color and fragrance than lower quality saffron. You can start with a small amount and steep it. If the color is very dark, you have a good quality saffron and don’t need more. You can then adjust this in your cooking. It sounds like you just don’t like saffron. I have never heard anyone say that saffron makes them nauseous.
Laura
Thank you for this recipe . It turns out moist beautifully flavoured kebabs every time. This is the best kebab recipe I have tried.
I am so glad you like it! Thank you for taking the time and sharing your kind words.
Laura
This dish was amazing. Came out perfect! Is there a similar way to prepare Shrimp?
Hi David-
Thank you for your kind words. So happy you liked this recipe. Although I have not tried it with shrimp, I’m fairly confident that this marinade would work for it. I would suggest marinating it for 1-3 hours. Shrimp does not need to sit long in the marinade. Good luck!
Laura
Iโm looking for the joojeh chicken kabob recipe, but chicken shawarma is shown above. Please help!
You’re at the right place. I recently updated the post and somehow the wrong recipe got placed. It has been corrected. Thank you for letting me know.
Laura
Thanks! I love the joojeh kabob recipe and refer back to it a lot.
is it possible to cook these in an oven? i dont have a grill
I have cooked chicken breast chunks on the stovetop simply by using a hot pan and a little olive oil. I find cooking it in the oven to be tricky, as you don’t want to dry out the meat. If you have small metal skewers, you can skewer the meat and lay them on a large baking sheet, leaving room between each skewer. Brush them with olive oil and bake in the oven at 450ยบF for 20-25 minutes, turning them over halfway in between. I usually oven roast chicken thighs in the oven than chicken breasts, so haven’t tried this… Read more »
I use my broiler in my oven for โgrillingโ things (including joojeh kabob & koobideh). It works best if the broiler is at the top of the oven, so the heat is coming from above, and the oven rack is placed on an upper slot, so the food is about 2-5 inches away from the heat source. Most ovens have a broiler function. It can get you nice browning & char-broiled bits, very much like grilling.
Do I wash off marinade before grilling
No do not wash the marinade off. Just remove any excess marinade with your hands as you skewer the meat. Place the skewers on baking sheets in case they drip. Enjoy!
Actually in Bakhtiari area of Iran we say Kebab to me both are right.
Sundays were family night when my grandparents were still around and we’d usually go out for kabob. These days, we just stay in and cook something.
Your chicken kabob is on the menu while we’ve still got bbq weather!
This looks awesome! Random question….if a recipe calls for 1/2 tsp ground saffron threads, dissolved in 2 TBS of water how much saffron would I use if it is already in the liquid form? And would I still mix it with water? What do you think?
You want your chicken to have a golden hue to it. If your liquid saffron is super concentrated, then add 1 teaspoon of water and see what the mixture looks like. You want enough saffron so that the marinade itself (without adding chicken) is a light orange color. Hope that helps!
That’s perfect! Thank you!!!
What can I do if anything with all the onions from the marinade ? Can I grill them in a pan and eat them or just discard?
For health reasons, it is recommended that the onions get discarded because they were mixed in with raw chicken.
Thanks so much . Also to let you know I prepared this dish complete with the yogurt and rice recipes you posted and my son’s godfather who is Persian was beyond impressed ! I cannot wait to make this again !!
Yes! Give yourself a big pat on your back! I’m glad everyone enjoyed the meal.
Laura
I love kabobs but have never made them at home! The ones I buy pre-made at Ralph’s or wherever are always so hard to grill – different sized bits I suppose. I should just give your recipe a try – I love chicken marinated in yogurt!
They’re called kebabs here in Australia and they’re really common. There are kebab shops that are open really late and that’s what the folks who leave the clubs eat before going home.
I love this stuff but I’ve never eaten it late at night. ๐
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ve been wanting to try a kabob that uses a yogurt marinade for a long time. I love the spices and other ingredients you use in the marinade, so I think my waiting is over. Thanks!
So agree with you re your ‘pet peeve’ ๐ ! Actually I pronounce the ‘ka’ as ‘kaah’!! And, of course, there are similar delicious dishes we write as ‘kabab’, ‘kepbabab’, ‘kabab’, ‘shish kebab’, ‘sharwma’, ‘Gyro’ and ‘tikkah’ . . . . Birds or a feather and so delightful!!!! . . . the Persian version has indeed a lot of finesse!!!!!!
Indeed.
Who doesn’t like kabobs? My favorites usually involve lamb, but chicken is wonderful too. And speaking of wonderful (we were, weren’t we?), love your recipe. Saffron makes everything better, yes? But you knew that! ๐
Ha! You definitely know me: everything is always better with saffron!