Levantine Spiced Chicken Skewers

By Mark Ibrahim

Tender, juicy hand-cut chicken thighs steeped in a vibrant citrus marinade of cold-pressed olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and earthy turmeric. Layered with the nuanced warmth of a sun-cured Levantine triple-chili blend—featuring fruity Aleppo, smoky Urfa, and sweet Maras peppers—finished over an open flame with continuous aromatic basting.

Servings 6

Total Time 45 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Grilled kebab skewers with charred chicken and colorful peppers beside golden, spice-dusted polenta slices on a white plate; a hearty, appetizing meal.

Ingredients

4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 ½ medium onions
8 cloves garlic (from garlic/thyme oil)
2 teaspoons Maras biber
2 teaspoons Urfa biber
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
2 tbsp turmeric
1 tablespoon sumac
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
pinch+ of saffron
½ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt
¾ cup oil (olive or canola)

Dinner Chicken Grilling Middle Eastern / Mediterranean Under 1 Hour All Recipes

Directions

Combine onions, garlic, spices, and lemon juice and blend.
Drizzle in oil and mix until thoroughly combined.
Cut chicken thighs into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
Add chicken and marinade to a non-reactive container, cover, and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Thread chicken pieces onto skewers and preheat/prepare a gas or charcoal grill.
Grill the chicken over low to medium heat, turning and basting with any leftover marinade, until it’s browned all over, about 15 minutes.

Notes

Emulsified Marinade: Blending the onions, garlic, lemon juice, and dry spices before slowly drizzling in the oil creates a thick, stable emulsion. This ensures the oil and acid do not separate, allowing the marinade to cling uniformly to every piece of chicken and deliver consistent flavor.

The Levantine Chili Synergy: Combining Maras biber, Urfa biber, and Aleppo pepper creates an incredibly sophisticated flavor profile rather than just raw heat. Aleppo brings a bright, vine-ripened tomato acidity; Maras adds a mild, sweet fruitiness; and Urfa—which undergoes a special night-time fermentation process—injects a deep, dark purple hue with smoky notes of chocolate and raisin.

Enzymatic Acid Tenderization: The lemon juice provides citric acid that chemically unravels the tightly coiled proteins on the surface of the chicken thighs. This allows the water and oil-soluble flavors of the spices (like the curcumin in the turmeric) to penetrate deeper into the meat.

Low-to-Medium Heat Grilling: High heat would quickly scorch the delicate sugars in the pureed onion, garlic, and saffron marinade before the inside of the chicken could cook. Low-to-medium heat ensures the interior cooks gently while the exterior develops a perfectly caramelized, non-bitter crust.