Grilled Lebanese Chicken Kebabs with Garlic Sauce

Warm and hot spices, floral herbs, garlicky sauces, tangy lemon and yogurt, tender meats beautifully charred on a grill to juicy perfection—that’s Lebanese (and much of Middle Eastern) cooking. It’s the combination of all these rich, aromatic, and inviting flavors that gives this cuisine its signature appeal. Small bowls of sauces, olives, salted or pickled vegetables, and warm pita are common accompaniments to the main course.

Spices for the Marinade 

More Ingredients

The garlic sauce is similar to an aioli, except plain Greek yogurt is used in place of fresh mayonnaise. The key is to add the oil a little at a time, whisking to incorporate it evenly into the yogurt mixture. Adding it too quickly can cause the sauce to separate. (Which isn’t the end of the world—just stop adding the oil and whisk vigorously to combine before adding the rest.)

Only four simple ingredients—and it’s one of the most delicious sauces I’ve ever tasted. If you’re a garlic fan, you’ll think so too.

Note: Some garlic sauce recipes call for more oil than yogurt. I reversed that here, using one-half cup yogurt and one-quarter cup extra virgin olive oil. The result is a silky smooth sauce with very creamy texture.

Also note: To prevent the yogurt-and-spice-marinated chicken from sticking to the grill grate, I grilled the kebabs on a cast-iron griddle over hot coals. Key word: hot. You can get that wonderful, smoky grilled flavor and aroma when using a griddle as long as it's very hot before you start cooking. Allow it to warm about 10 minutes over high heat.

If you're a kebab fan, check out Kefta Kebabs with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce, Greek-Style Chicken Kebabs with Classic Tzatziki, Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Cucumber-Chive Yogurt, and Swordfish Skewers with Prosciutto-Wrapped Mango.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sumac
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces (about 24 pieces total)
• 16 large grape tomatoes
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 16 1-inch squares
• olive oil, for brushing
• pita, salted cucumber slices, assorted olives, and garlic sauce (recipe follows), for serving

Bell Pepper Ready to Skewer

For the Garlic Sauce

• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• sea salt
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

For the Chicken

1. Combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and all spices (through black pepper) in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir well to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Chicken in Marinade 

Marinated Chicken

1. Light a grill for high heat. When ready, place a cast-iron griddle on the grate and heat 10 minutes.
2. Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto 8 skewers (soaked in water 30 minutes, if wood), alternating with the tomatoes and bell pepper (about 3 pieces of chicken per skewer).
3. Brush the griddle with olive oil and grill the skewers, turning several times, until charred and the chicken is just cooked through, 15-17 minutes total, depending on the size of the chicken pieces.

Ready to Grill

Kebabs Beginning to Grill 

Grilled Kebabs

Stack the kebabs on a plate and serve with pita, salted cucumber slices, assorted olives, and garlic sauce (recipe follows) alongside.

Grilled Lebanese Chicken Kebabs with Garlic Sauce

For the Garlic Sauce

1. Place the garlic cloves on a cutting board and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Use a fork to mash the garlic and salt together to form a paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the yogurt.
2. Very slowly add the oil, a small amount at a time, whisking constantly to combine. Continue adding the oil and whisking until all the oil is combined with the yogurt mixture. Cover and let stand while the chicken grills.

Garlic-Salt Paste 

Garlic Sauce

Chargrilled Calamari with Hot-and-Sour Dipping Sauce

Calamari—or squid, when it’s not on your plate—is a very versatile seafood that you can slice into thin rings before cooking or stuff whole tubes with a variety of fillings. Cooking time is especially important with calamari. It should be either low and slow or hot and fast, as here. (Somewhere in between can result in tough texture for the squid.)

Most fish and seafood benefit from a quick preparation under high heat. That’s where chargrilling comes in. It takes only minutes to render smoky, rich grilled flavor to tender calamari. And don’t be squeamish—the tentacles are scrumptious too, and they grill just as easily as the squid bodies.

Calamari Tubes and Tentacles

A bright and boldly flavored sauce makes a great accompaniment for the charred calamari. Here, I combined common Chinese and Thai ingredients for a simple yet wonderfully balanced hot and sour finish, with just a hint of sweetness.

Lemon zest, chiles, garlic, and ginger are simmered with the liquid ingredients, then the sauce is strained through a sieve before serving. Stir in chopped herbs for a little floral essence.

Tip: Use a vegetable peeler to easily remove the lemon zest (yellow part only):

  

For other calamari ideas, see Pasta with Calamari and Sweet Peas in Garlicky Cream Sauce, Pan-Grilled Calamari Salads with Lemon-Rosemary Vinaigrette, and Mushroom-and-Mascarpone-Stuffed Calamari with Easy Tomato Sauce.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• zest strips from half a large lemon
• 3 red Thai chiles, stems removed
• 2 large garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut lengthwise in half
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
• 1 lb cleaned calamari tubes and tentacles
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Solids for the Dipping Sauce

Preparation

1. Light a grill for high heat.
2. Combine the first 9 ingredients (vinegar through ginger) in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir frequently until sugar dissolves.
3. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain the sauce through a sieve over a bowl. Discard solids. Stir in the cilantro and mint leaves and let stand while the calamari grills.

Sauce Ready to Simmer 

Cooked Sauce 

Hot-and-Sour Dipping Sauce

1. Place the calamari tubes and tentacles in a bowl and drizzle with sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
2. Grill until lightly charred and tender, 3-4 minutes per side, moving off heat to prevent burning, if needed.

Season with Sesame Oil, Salt, and Pepper 

Calamari Beginning to Grill 

Calamari after Turning

To serve, divide the hot-and-sour sauce among individual small bowls and serve alongside the calamari.

Chargrilled Calamari with Hot-and-Sour Dipping Sauce

Thai Chicken and Peppers

This dish is as much about color as it is about taste. Peppers and hot chiles provide one of the widest ranges of both bright and dark hues of any vegetable family—and their flavor is unmistakably earthy, whether mild or spicy.

Colorful foods are not only pretty to look at, but they’re high in nutrition as well. Even if you don’t like color on your walls, you can enjoy it on your plate.

Stir-Fry Ingredients

I used chicken thighs in this recipe to get that little extra dark-meat juiciness, but you can use chicken breast as well—just reduce stir-frying time by about 3 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.

The Thai-style sauce—with fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar—brings the dish together with savory, bold flavors and gives the chicken and vegetables a glossy finish with a little cornstarch-water slurry.

Remember: Small pieces are key in stir-fry, and having everything prepared before turning on the heat is a must. Here, I cut both the chicken and peppers into short strips, and thinly sliced the ginger and garlic instead of chopping them.

Slice the peppers very thinly

Thinly slice the Thai chiles 

Slice garlic in half lengthwise, thinly slice crosswise 

Same for the ginger

Cut larger scallion bulbs in half lengthwise

Have ingredients ready to stir-fry

For other Thai dishes, check out Scallion-and-Chile-Braised Pork Ribs with Thai Noodles, Thai Sesame Meatballs with Ground Turkey and Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Sauce, and Thai Steak and Noodles with Shiitake Broth.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbs fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp chile garlic sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tsp water
• 1 tsp cornstarch

For the Chicken and Peppers

• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into thin 1-inch strips
• 4 tbsp peanut oil, divided
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, cut into very thin 1-inch strips
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into very thin 1-inch strips
• 1/2 medium orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into very thin 1-inch strips
• 4 Thai chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise
• 4 scallions, white parts cut into 1-inch pieces, green parts thinly sliced and set aside
• 3 garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise and very thinly sliced crosswise
• 1-1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut in half lengthwise, then very thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 oz Thai rice noodles, cooked
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves (with thin stems)

Chicken Ready for Cornstarch 

Scallions, Garlic, and Ginger

Preparation

For the Sauce

1. Whisk the first 6 ingredients (through sesame oil) in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves. Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring until the cornstarch is dissolved.
2. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the fish sauce mixture and set aside. (Re-whisk before using.)

Sauce Mixture 

Sauce with Cornstarch Slurry

For the Chicken and Peppers

1. Place the cornstarch in a heavy, sealable plastic bag. Dry the chicken of any excess moisture and add to the bag with the cornstarch. Shake well to coat.
2. Heat a wok (or large, deep skillet) over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry until just cooked through, 8-9 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the wok.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok and add all peppers and chiles. Stir-fry 3 minutes.
4. Add the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry 2 minutes.
5. Return the chicken to the wok and add the cooked rice noodles. Re-whisk the sauce and add to the wok, stirring well to incorporate. Cook until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Chicken Beginning to Cook

Stir-Fried Chicken

Peppers and Chiles Beginning to Cook 

Chicken, Noodles, and Sauce Added

Divide among 4 plates or shallow bowls and garnish with the green parts of the scallions.

Thai Chicken and Peppers

Japanese Nori-Fried Rice

The sea vegetable called “nori” is typically used to make sushi rolls and is sold in ultra-thin sheets that wrap around a filling and make tightly compact rolls. But this nutritious, briny veggie is also used as a tasty, healthful ingredient in main courses such as soups, salads, and rice dishes, as here.

Nori Sheets

The nori sheets are very soft and pliable, so they need to be baked if you want a crisper, crumbly texture, which I did for the stir-fried rice. And it’s very easy to do—lay the sheets on a pan, brush with oil, and bake 12-13 minutes until they begin to dry and wrinkle. Let them cool (they’ll continue to crisp as they cool), then they’re ready to crumble.

The rice makes a hearty side dish, or a flavorful lunch all by itself.

To use nori for sushi rolls, check out Smoked Salmon Nori Rolls with Wasabi Sauce.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 nori sheets
• toasted sesame oil, for brushing
• sea salt
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 2 scallions, chopped, white and green parts separated
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
• 3 cups cooked sushi rice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 large hardboiled egg
• 1/2 cup shredded peeled carrot
• 1/2 tsp dried red chile flakes
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Lay the nori sheets on the baking pan and brush with sesame oil. Sprinkle generously with sea salt.
3. Bake until the nori becomes dry and crispy, 12-13 minutes. Remove and let cool. When cool enough to handle crumble each sheet into coarse pieces.

Brush with Oil and Season with Salt

Baked Nori 

Crumbled Nori

1. Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add the peanut oil. Add the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry 2 minutes.
2. Add the cooked rice, sake, and soy sauce and stir-fry 3 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the crumbled nori, green parts of the scallions, chopped egg, shredded carrot, chile flakes, and sesame seeds. 

Scallions, Garlic, and Ginger 

Cooked Sushi Rice

Cooked Rice Added

Remaining Ingredients Added

Serve hot or at room temperature.

St. Louis-Style Ribs with Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

St. Louis-style ribs are defined by the way they are cut—essentially, spareribs with the tips removed. Trimming off the curved ends makes a flatter, more uniform rack, which translates into more even cooking throughout.

Spareribs come from the pig’s belly-side rib cage, and they’re generally longer and meatier than their counterparts from the back, or baby-backs. Bigger can also mean tougher, so spareribs—St. Louis style or regular cut—benefit from long, slow cooking on a grill or in the oven.

For this recipe, I didn’t have a rack of ribs, but rather eight individual pieces, equaling about two pounds. I gave them a quick sear over the fire then set them off direct heat to finish grilling juicy and tender in about 1-1/2 hours.

St. Louis-Style Ribs

A couple splashes of bourbon in the barbecue sauce adds rich, oaky flavor and complements the spice of the chipotle and Tabasco. Make it a few hours ahead (or a day ahead) to allow the deepest flavors to develop.

For more rib recipes, check out Smoked Baby-Back Ribs, Slow-Grilled Western Ribs with Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce, Smoked Ribs with Spiced Maple Barbecue Sauce, or Grilled Baby-Back Ribs with Fresh-Cherry Barbecue Sauce.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce (or other bottled hot sauce)
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the Ribs

• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• smoked sea salt (or regular sea salt)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 St. Louis-style ribs (about 2 lbs), membranes removed

Preparation

For the Sauce

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and chipotle chile and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.
2. Increase the heat to medium and add the ketchup and next 6 ingredients (through Tabasco sauce) and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook 10 minutes.

Garlic and Chipotle 

Sauce Beginning to Cook 

Cooked Sauce

Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

For the Ribs

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the ribs. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Spice Mixture

Spice-Rubbed Ribs

1. Light a grill for indirect-heat cooking, medium heat (350° to 375° and let coals, if using, cool naturally).
2. Place the ribs over the flame to sear quickly, 2 minutes per side. Move off direct heat and cover the grill with the vents open.
3. Grill the ribs, shifting positions every 15-20 minutes, until almost cooked through, about 1-1/4 hours.
4. Continue grilling until cooked through, basting with the sauce a few times, 15 minutes longer.

Ribs Beginning to Sear 

Ribs after Turning 

Move to Indirect Heat

Grilled Ribs 

Basted Ribs

Stack the ribs on a plate and serve. 

St. Louis-Style Ribs with Bourbon Barbecue Sauce