Jujeh kabobs are an Iranian dish which translates to English as “Grilled Chicken”. The dish consists of grilled chunks of chicken that have been marinated in lemon juice, saffron, and sliced onions. It’s one of the most common and popular dishes in Iran. If you have ever been to a kabob restaurant, you’ve probably seen some form of these kabobs there. This dish is commonly served with fire roasted tomatoes, lavash bread, and a side of rice.
The real star of this recipe is the yogurt! Yes, you heard me right. Yogurt is a fantastic tenderizer because it slowly softens the meat. This results in meat that can often be pulled apart by hand. Yogurt provides juicy and tender meat if you marinate meat for a longer period of time. It is really noticeable after the 12 hour mark. Not only that, but when the outer yogurt layer caramelizes, a crispy outer layer is formed followed by underlying softness (almost like a layer of insulation) from the caramelized dairy proteins and sugars.
Weather permitting, I highly recommend throwing this on a high temp smoker for a beautiful char. If its too cold or rainy though, an oven at the same temperature will also get the job done and provide a delicious end product.
Notes: If you don’t know how to bloom saffron, check out this link for a tutorial!