Chicken Koobideh

Chicken koobideh features seasoned ground chicken cooked on flat metal skewers. Make this Persian kebab recipe for a flavorful healthy meal!

There are so many different ways to cook chicken, but there's something extra special about grilled or broiled chicken.

The crispy bits of caramelized meat are packed with flavor, and even better, grilled chicken dishes are typically healthier than most other preparations.

Chicken koobideh

Cuisine: Middle Eastern / Iranian (Persian)

Kebabs are incredibly popular in Persian cuisine. In fact, chelo kebab is considered the national dish of Iran. The majority of Persian kebab recipes, including koobideh, call for either beef or lamb.

While beef and lamb koobideh are delicious, chicken koobideh is a fantastic option for anyone looking for a healthier option. It's a nice way to cut back on your consumption of red meat, too.

Plus, ground chicken is leaner, lower in cholesterol, fat, and calories than ground beef or lamb.

Common names/spellings: 
Persian ground chicken skewers, koobideh kebab

Pronunciation:
koo · ​buh ·​ dae

Course:
Main dish

Preparation:
broiled or grilled

Difficulty: Easy 🥄

Description:
Seasoned ground chicken and vegetable mixture formed around flat metal skewers, then grilled or broiled.

This chicken koobideh recipe is a cross between a traditional koobideh kebab and joojeh kebab, a Persian chicken kabob with pieces of chicken rather than ground meat.

I think you'll love this simple Persian grilled chicken recipe!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Ground chicken

The ground chicken sold at most grocery stores has a combination of white and dark meat, and about 20% of it is fat. An 80/20 blend is perfect, as the fat adds moisture (and flavor) to the koobideh.

If you have trouble finding packages of ground chicken, you can do what I do; make your own ground chicken!

All you need is a food processor or meat grinder. Grinding your own meat and poultry is usually less expensive, and the flavor is better too.

Spices and herbs

Saffron is a very popular seasoning in Persian dishes, but for this koobideh recipe, I changed things up a bit.

To give the dish Middle Eastern flair, I use ground coriander, paprika and Persian advieh to season the meat. Feel free to switch it up and try my Lebanese 7 spice instead. In addition to the spices, I use fresh parsley, cilantro, and lemon zest to add brightness.

Basting sauce

To add flavor to the ground chicken mixture and also to help keep the chicken koobideh from drying out, I used a basting sauce.
The sauce has flavors of red bell pepper, red onion, and red shatta sauce and it is SO delicious!

Chicken Koobideh FAQ

Instructions and tips for assembling Koobideh kebabs

1. Chill the skewers, the meat and your hands.

Before you start assembling the chicken Koobideh, place the meat mixture and metal Koobideh sticks into the refrigerator for a few minutes.

If you'll be using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from catching fire.

PRO TIP
You'll want to have a bowl of cold water next to you during assembly. When you're filling the bowl, slip your hands under the cold water for a minute. This helps prevent the warmth of your hands from overworking the chicken koobideh mixture.

2. Shape chicken mixture around each kebab skewer.

Separate your ground chicken mixture evenly for however many koobideh you'll be making.

Take one portion of the mixture and press it onto a skewer, then dip your hands in the water and shape the meat around the flat metal skewer.

You can keep this simple and just create a log shape. For a traditional presentation, use the index finger and thumb of one hand to pinch some of the meat mixture together. The technique (shown in the below image) is similar to fluting a pie crust.

3. Grill or broil the chicken koobideh.

If you plan to cook your meal indoors, place the skewers on a metal rack set over a baking sheet. Then set an oven rack 4 to 5 inches below the broiler element.

For grilling koobideh on a gas grill, be sure the grates are clean, then set the grill to 350°F. Also, to prevent the food from sticking, oil the grill grates before adding the chicken skewers.

Before cooking, brush the basting sauce onto one side of each chicken koobideh.

Cook on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip the skewers over and apply basting sauce to the other side. Then, cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 163°F.

The food will continue to cook as it rests prior to serving.

Chicken Koobideh

Chicken koobideh features seasoned ground chicken cooked on flat metal skewers. Make this Persian kebab recipe for a flavorful healthy meal!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main dishes

Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Persian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Chilling Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 23 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 206kcal

Author: Kevin

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless chicken breast (cut into 2 inch chunks)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoon advieh spice blend (or Lebanese 7 Spice)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Basting Sauce

• reserved water from red pepper and red onion
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red shatta sauce or favorite chili paste
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

• If using wood skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning.
• In a food processor, pulse red bell pepper and red onion until minced. Remove and drain in a sieve over a bowl to collect water for basting sauce.
• In a food processor, pulse the chicken until minced well. Add the pepper/onion mixture, garlic, parsley, cilantro, lemon zest, flour and remaining spices. Pulse until mixed well.
• Place chicken mixture in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Make the basting sauce. Add lemon juice, chili paste, tomato paste and salt to reserved red pepper and onion water. Stir to combine; set aside.
• Divide meat mixture evenly into 8-10 portions. Dip fingers into bowl of cold water, then one portion at a time, form meat around a 1-inch wide flat metal shish kebab skewer, molding and flattening meat to make each chicken koobideh kebab about 6-8 inches long (See Note 2).

  For a traditional look, gently press meat between your thumb and index finger once meat is on skewer (see photos). If not using skewers, shape meat into 8-inch long log shape.

  Set kabobs aside on greased wire rack set over a baking tray. Brush each koobideh kebab with basting sauce.
• Turn on oven broiler OR clean and preheat charcoal or gas grill to 350°F. Apply cooking oil to grill grates to prevent sticking.

  Place tray of skewers under broiler, or each kebab skewer on grates of grill. NOTE: Lay skewers perpendicular to the direction of grates to prevent ground meat mixture from falling off into the fire.

  Cook 3–4 minutes, then turn each skewer over and baste with remaining sauce. Continue cooking another 3-4 minutes.

*The information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 783mg | Potassium: 730mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1163IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg