Lula Kebab (Best Ever Ground Chicken Skewers)

I have no doubt, you will quickly become a fan of this juicy and tender Lula Kebab. The recipe is easy to make and uses just 6 ingredients not counting salt and pepper. Great for summer grilling and picky eaters approved. You can also prepare this in the oven, see my tips below.

Lula Kebab Recipe

One reason why I love Georgian and Armenian recipes is that they are often bursting with flavor without adding too many spices. That is why most Caucasian dishes are so easy to make and you don't need to spend a fortune to prepare a single recipe. 

One dish that took me embarrassingly long to try is Lula Kebab. It's a type of kebab that you cook on skewers. This dish has many names across the whole Caucasian region. In Armenia - it's called Lula Kebab, in Georgia - Kababi.

I remember having summer seaside vacations in Crimea many years ago and often seeing Lula Kebabs being sold at local vendors. Let's just say, I wasn't a foodie back then and wasn't interested to buy it.

But when I finally tried Lula Kebab, I was hooked. It's super flavorful, juicy and healthy. Plus, you don't need many ingredients to make it. 

A distinctive feature of Lula Kebab is that it's made with ground meat which is wrapped around a skewer and then grilled. In summer, that's a awesome dish to serve at BBQ gatherings (think 4th of July and Labor Day). In winter, you can prepare Lyula Kebab in the oven. I'm gonna share with you both ways.

Of course, in Caucasia as well as in middle East region, Lula Kebab is often made with lamb, or mixture of pork and beef. In my recipe I wanted to use chicken which makes for even faster cooking time.

How do you make Lula Kebab with chicken?

Combine and mix the ingredients

In a large bowl combine ground chicken thighs, minced garlic, cumin, coriander, minced onion, dried Barberries, salt and pepper. Dried Barberries are optional but I think you will really enjoy a mild tart taste of it. 

Now comes the most important part - mixing the Kebab mixture. You need to mix it for no less then 10 - 15 minutes. This will help the meat to stick better to a skewer and not fall apart. After you've done with the mixing, the meat should be sticky like a dough. 

Next, take about a fistful of the meat mixture into one hand and drop it back into the bowl. You need to apply a little force here. Repeat this step for the remaining of the meat mixture for about 20 times. Don't worry, it's not difficult!

This step is important because this will help the air to be released from Lula Kebab mixture making it more dense and suitable or skewering. 

Now, cover the bowl with a plastic film and place it in a fridge for 2 hours or overnight. This time will allow fat to harden hence making it easier for Lula Kebab to stick to the skewer. 

Option #1 - Fire up a grill 

• If you use Weber grill, preheat it to a medium high heat. 
• If you use a stainless steel grill that can withstand the heat of wood-burning fire, place wood charcoal on the bottom of the grill followed by wood chips. This will help to fire up the grill. It will take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes for the heat to spread evenly to the charcoal. You'll know the charcoal is ready when it looks gray and covered in ash. 

(Tip: Make sure there’s no presence of fire and if fire occurs, sprinkle on some water.)

Option #2 - Turn on the oven.

Preheat the oven to 400 F and like a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Arrange Lula Kebab on skewers

30 to 60 minutes before you arrange Lula Kebab on skewers, I recommend soaking the skewers in water. This will keep them from burning up on the grill.

Remove a bowl with Lula Kebab mixture from the fridge. Take about ½  cup portion of meat mixture and wrap it around a skewer. You can either have 1 long kebab (in this case I recommend using about ¾ -1 cup portions of meat per 1 skewer). Or you can do what I did and have 2 little kebabs on a skewer. 

Cook kebab skewers

If you're using an outdoor grill, you need to grill Lula Kebab for 4-5 on each side until it's nice nice and charred.

If you're cooking in the oven, place skewers on a prepared baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes turning once. 

What to serve with Lula Kebab?

Lula Kebab is so flavorful, it doesn't need a complicated side dish. Simple salad with summer vegetables would be a great option. Here are my suggestions:

• White Bean and Roasted Bell Pepper Salad
• Creamy Cauliflower, Cucumber and Radishes Salad
• Marinated Zucchini Salad
• Baby Sweet Peppers and Zucchini Salad

More delicious Caucasian recipes you should try

• Khachapuri - Georgian signature flatbread with cheese and egg
• Satsivi - chicken in a walnut-garlic sauce
• Shashlik - the best ever Georgian pork skewers

If you make this recipe, make sure to snap a photo and post it on Instagram with a hashtag #lavenderandmacarons.

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