GRILLED KEBABS & BURGERS.

One of my favorite things to eat during the summer is some good barbecue! I would have it once a week if I could... Nothing tastes better than burgers, chicken and kufta kebabs on a charcoal grill — is it even a barbecue without them?

MARINADE.

Prepping and marinading is everything when it comes to a good bbq. I like to prep hours in advance — possibly early in the morning! The longer the skewers are soaking in the spices the better. One way to get juicy and tender chicken kebabs is by rubbing a little plain yogurt all over the chicken before adding the spices! That’ll keep them juicy! Prep from early on, wrap them tight and let it sit in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fire up the grill. It’ll be worth it!

BURGERS.

My dad taught me two important things for the perfect burger: You should never get higher than 80 - 85% lean beef (otherwise it’ll be tough) and all you need is salt and pepper. Salt and pepper on top of the patty alone will give you one juicy cheeseburger that you could actually taste! Sometimes, there’s just no need for all the extra spices! You’re supposed to taste the meat in a cheeseburger! Yum!

INGREDIENTS.

Chicken Kebab
  • ​Thick, boneless chicken breasts
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Seasoned salt
  • Paprika
  • Turmeric
  • 7 spices
  • Mixed spices
  • Plain yogurt, for tenderness (optional)
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 red onion

Kufta Kebab
  • ​80% lean ground beef
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Turmeric
  • Paprika
  • Parsley flakes
  • 7 spices
  • Mixed spices
  • Crushed red pepper

Burgers:
  • ​80% lean ground beef
  • Salt
  • ​Black pepper

DIRECTIONS.

Chicken Kebab:
  1. Cut the chicken into large cubes. Toss in a bowl and rub a few spoons of plain yogurt into the chicken. Then, add a generous amount of salt, pepper, garlic powder, seasoned salt, paprika, turmeric, 7 spices, and mixed spices. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the chicken and rub in. You want your chicken to have extra color!
  2. Cut the bell peppers and red onion into large squares. After your veggies are prepped, you’re ready to begin adding everything to your skewers! Carefully stack the skewer by starting with a veggie and alternating between veggie and chicken until you have an inch at the top remaining. Repeat for all skewers, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours before grilling.
  3. You should plan to start with chicken when barbecuing since it usually takes the longest! Grill the Chicken Kebab by allowing it to cook thoroughly on the one side, then flipping it after 10-15 minutes. Allow it to cook for another 15 minutes on the second side and flip it occasionally to keep from burning until no longer pink!
Kufta Kebabs:
  1. Separate the 80% ground beef into 6 oz chunks. Spice each chunk of ground beef with a generous amount of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, 7 spices, mixed spices, parsley flakes, and a few dashes of turmeric and crushed red pepper. Using your hands, mix the spices into the meat well.
  2. Begin rolling each chunk of meat into a smooth ball, then roll the meat out into a long, 1.5 inch thick oval that’s a little smaller than the size of your skewer. Slide the skewer carefully through the kufta kebab, making sure the meat doesn’t tear off when you lift the skewer.
  3. Slightly spice the outside of the kufta with all the same spices, making sure you get it all around. Repeat for all skewers, cover tightly, and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours.
  4. Grill the Kufta Kebab by cooking it on the one side for most of the time, then flipping it to finish cooking to your liking on the other side.
Burgers:
  1. ​Take 8 oz of 80% ground beef and shape it into a ball in your hand without packing it tightly. Then, using both hands, slightly pat it down together to shape it into a burger. But do not pat it down so tightly — you want it to be airy. Make the edges to be at most a half inch thick. Also, make sure the edges are smooth and not falling apart.
  2. Sprinkle salt and black pepper to taste on the one side of the patty. They will soak through the meat, especially on the grill, so you don’t need to season both sides. Repeat for all burgers, cover tightly, and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours.
  3. You should wait to grill the burgers last when barbecuing since they take the shortest amount of time! Similar to the Kufta Kebab, grill the burgers on the seasoned side up for most of the time, then flip the burgers to cook the rest of the time until it’s cooked to your liking. Add your choice of cheese in the last couple minutes of grilling until melted! And don’t forget to toast your buns on the grill for the best outcome. 😍🤤

ENJOY!