Chicken skewers are the perfect year-round dinner. They add a bit of heat to a salad in the winter and can be cooked on the barbecue in the summer.
I’ve used harissa paste in this recipe. It quickly adds a punch of flavour and just enough of a chilli kick without being too hot.
You can buy harissa paste in pretty much any supermarket. It’s usually in a small glass jar in the spice aisle. The paste is a wonderfully fragrant mixture of peppers, chilli, garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, caraway seeds and oil.
This recipe is very easy but it does take a bit of forward planning since the chicken needs to be marinated in the harissa paste for a couple of hours before you cook it. It’s totally worth it though!
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
7 tbsp natural yogurt
2 tsp harissa paste
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 tbsp lime juice
2 lime wedges
6 wooden or bamboo skewers
Serves 2
Directions
Put 1 tablespoon of the natural yogurt into a glass bowl. Add the harissa paste. Dice the chicken breasts and add to the bowl. Stir well to ensure the chicken is fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 160°c.
Slice the peppers into big chunks. Thread the chicken and the peppers onto the skewers. Put the skewers into an ovenproof dish and cover with baking paper.
Cook in the oven for about 20 – 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked throughout.
Meanwhile, take the remaining yogurt, add it to a small serving dish and mix in the 2 tablespoons of lime juice.
Squeeze the lime wedges over the cooked chicken and serve with the yogurt side and a green salad.
Tip: you can also cook these skewers under the grill or in a griddle pan. I prefer to put them in the oven because I can pop them in then do something else. Cooking under the grill means you have to keep a closer eye on them and turn them regularly.
Any leftovers will make a great cold salad or add to a wrap for lunch the following day.