My family loves these chicken skewers and I make them at least once a month. We’ve gotten fond of making homemade pita bread, which I do not call for you to do here, though I may post the recipe into the future as they are delicious and far less fussy to make then you might expect. When you purchase your pita, make sure it is a very soft variety, as some packaged pita can be tough and flavorless. Alternatively, you might try packaged naan bread which many supermarkets now carry. I do, however, suggest making your own hummus- it is infinitely better than store bought. I use pink lentils, as they cook up quickly and create a silky smooth texture. You could easily substitute canned chickpeas if you want a shortcut.

Cooked lentils soft and ready to puree.

Add the tahini and other ingredients and process to a creamy consistency.

Toss the chicken in the marinade ingredients.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Skewers with Pita and Fixin’s

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the hummus:

• 1 cup pink or red lentils
• ¼ cup well-stirred tahini
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic grated
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:

• 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 3 garlic cloves grated or chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the cucumber tomato salad:

• 1 medium cucumber peeled and diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves torn or roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• Pita bread for serving

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, cook the lentils in water to cover by 2 inches until very tender, about 45 minutes. Drain in a fine mesh sieve, then dump into a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until very smooth, 4-5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, garlic, or cinnamon if if needs more flavor. Scrape into a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to use (can be made a few hours ahead).
• While the lentils are cooking, marinate the chicken. Cut the chicken into bite sized cubes. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Let marinate for an hour or up to 4 in the refrigerator. Using wooden skewers, place 4-5 pieces of chicken on each and place them on an oiled baking sheet (you could also grill them).
• Preheat the oven to 350 and cook the chicken, turning once, until done throughout, about 10 minutes per side.
• To make the salad, combine all the ingredients in a serving bowl and toss together.
• To serve, give each person a pita bread, and top with a the chicken, some hummus, and the salad. Either fill the pita pocket, or top it and wrap up like a gyro sandwich.