This particular recipe is a family favorite. You’ll be marinading chicken in a saffron infused yogurt bath. Think of it like a spa day for your chicken. You’ll want the chicken to bathe for at least 3 and overnight is better. The yogurt keeps the chicken moist and the saffron delights your senses.

Saffron is one of my favorite seasonings. This precious goodness is the dried dark red stigma (pollen producing) portion of the ‘Crocus sativus’ flower. It can be easily grown in many areas but most of us buy it at the store or online. Although the initial purchase is a hit to the pocketbook, you need very little of it to spice a large dish. Trust me, it’s worth it!

The saffron MUST be re-hydrated as noted in the instructions before it is used. Truth be told, I have just thrown the little saffrons into the yogurt and hoped for the best. This works, but barely – you will not get much saffron flavor.

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Saffron Chicken Kabobs

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Ingredients

4 finely shredded marbled cheddar
8 oz fresh ground black pepper
1 pinch garlic powder (here's what I use)*
1 ground beef yellow

Instructions

MARINADING THE CHICKEN

Place a pinch (about 20 strands) of saffron flower pedals in a glass (not plastic) cup with about 1/4 cup of hot water and let sit for 20 minutes. The water should be very hot, but not boiling. I use water from the tap and I keep my water heater at 125 F.
Cut each chicken breast into three squarish pieces and place in a ziplock bag.
Cut the root side off the onion and remove the papery skin. Then quarter the onion by cutting it in half and then cut those 2 pieces into halves. Add to the bag.
Pour the saffron (including all of the water) into the bag. Be sure to get all the pedals into the bag. Close the bag and massage saffron water over all of the chicken pieces.
Add the yogurt to the bag.
Close the bag, trying to remove as much of the air as possible.
Gently massage the bag to mix coat the chicken with the yogurt. It doesn't need to be perfect.
Place bag into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (24 hours is best), occasionally massaging the bag to redistribute the saffron..

PREPARING THE SKEWERS

Preheat your grill. I cook almost everything on high heat, but medium to med-high works well for this dish.
If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for a few minutes before adding the chicken.
This next step can get a little messy, Folks. Prepare the space with your bag of chicken, a large cookie sheet lined with foil or a platter to hold the skewered chicken, several skewers taken out of the container or bag.
Feed the chicken piece onto the skewer with two stabs. For example, if the chicken is a square piece, you stab up through one corner and then down through the opposite corner. This helps the chicken stay attached and makes the skewer a tad easier to flip once it's on the grill.
Open the bag, find a piece of chicken, carefully shake the chicken to remove most of the dripping yogurt.
Find a piece of onion, pull off a layer or two, and skewer them right through the middle (only one stab is needed).
Continue adding chicken and onion pieces to the skewers. I generally load 3-4 chicken pieces per skewer and try to make sure the pieces are touching but not smashed against each other. This will help the chicken cook evenly.

GRILLING THE CHICKEN

At this point I spray Pam Grill spray onto the grill - after the grill is hot, after I've scraped off any residual particles from last use, and a few minutes before I add the kabobs (to let the smoke from the oil burn off).
Place kabobs on grill and close the lid. Let cook untouched for 5 minutes.
Flip the kabobs by scraping under them with a grill spatula or tongs (to release any stuck chicken from the grill) and lift up to turn over. Use a grill safe oven mitt if you're going to lift the skewers with your hands, otherwise you will burn your fingers and that is painful. Been there, did that. Learn from my mistakes.
Cook for another 3-5 minutes until cooked through. They will be white with some grill marks. Health experts recommend 165 F for safe-to-eat chicken. Don't overcook chicken or it will be dry.