Habibi Chicken Kabobs: Try this Middle Eastern Inspired Recipe

This is a copy cat recipe of a dish that I had at an Indian restaurant, Indya, in downtown Dubai that I visited with my friend. She was our first visitor in the UAE all the way from Hawaii and Indian food is not the easiest to come by there. So while she was here, we went to this restaurant and had a delicious version of a white chicken masala, which I did my best to recreate. It mixes the Indian flavors like garam masala and coriander with Middle Eastern flavors like creamy labneh and za’atar spices. The perfect combination for these Habibi Chicken Kabobs!

If you are not familiar with labneh, it is very similar to Greek yogurt. In fact, they are made the same way in which yogurt is strained and the whey is removed, but labneh takes it a step further and strains even more of that whey out for a creamy, spreadable finish.

What’s Labneh?

And if you haven’t marinated chicken in yogurt, what are you waiting for?? It is the most perfect combination to keep your chicken tender and juicy. The labneh really does double duty in this recipe to make these habibi chicken kabobs some of the best you will have.

What about Za’atar?

Lastly, let’s not forget about that za’atar to finish! Za’atar is a Levantine spice mix that is used all over the Middle East, usually incorporating sesame seeds, sumac, cumin, coriander, and thyme. Typically, it is served with an Arabic breakfast for dipping and sprinkling over eggs, yogurt, and cheese. It works so well in this application and really combines the Indian flavors with the Middle East in this recipe for habibi chicken.

Suggested Wine Pairing:

Dry Riesling. Or have a cocktail like a strawberry basil G&T.

Tools:

In order to make the habibi chicken marinade, you essentially, need to make onion baby food. YUM! So yes, you will need a food processor or blender.

Skewers and grill, indoor grill, grill pan for kabobs.

Ingredients:

1 medium white onion, chopped

2 gloves of garlic, chopped

1 thumb of ginger, chopped

1 Thai red chili pepper

1/2 cup of labneh

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1 tablespoon of garam masala

1 teaspoon of each coriander and curry powder

Juice of 1 lime

2 large chicken breasts, cubed

Generous portion of za’atar and chopped cilantro for garnish.

Optional; vegetables for skewers. I used zucchini and mushrooms but peppers or cherry tomatoes would be great options as well.

Instructions:

1. The longer you can marinate the chicken, the better, so let’s start there. Combine onion, garlic, ginger, chili pepper, garam masala, coriander, curry powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl for marinating the chicken and stir in the labneh. Add in the cubed chicken breast and store covered in the refrigerator for 1 -4 hours.
2. Once they are marinated, it’s time to skew your habibi chicken! If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 15 minutes. If you are using additional vegetables, roughly chop into large pieces and begin threading the chicken and vegetables onto the skewers.
3. Grill the skewers on medium heat for 8 minutes each side.
4. Remove from grill and generously season with za’atar spices and cilantro. Serve with cilantro rice and enjoy your chicken habibi kabobs!

If you like this, be sure to try my other unique chicken recipes like Iskender Chicken, Harissa Chicken, or even my chicken tagine!