MEAL PREP CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH OLIVE, CUCUMBER AND HERB YOGURT SAUCE

Meal Prep Chicken Skewers with Olive, Cucumber and Herb Yogurt Sauce image

Recipes that get even better with time, whether by making sauces in advance or marinating proteins, are a meal prepper's dream. Not only do you get ahead, but you also build flavor and tenderness without any extra effort. Couple that with using the same ingredients in different ways, and you get recipes with easy shopping and simple preparation. Yogurt, paprika, lemon and feta all get used in many ways throughout these recipes.

Provided by Food Network

Categories main-dish

Time 1h30m

Yield 8 to 12 servings (about 24 skewers and 1 1/4 cups yogurt sauce)

Number Of Ingredients 20

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Ingredients

1 Persian cucumber
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup roughly chopped green olives, such as Castelvetrano or Cerignola (about 8 olives)
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 clove garlic, smashed
Kosher salt
3 cups plain yogurt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 lemons, zested
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 large or 12 small), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Vegetable oil, for the pan

Steps:

For the olive, cucumber and herb yogurt sauce: Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater into a clean kitchen towel or fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Squeeze or push against the sides of the sieve to remove excess water; set aside. Put the yogurt, olives, feta, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, honey, oregano, paprika, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender and process until evenly combined and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the grated cucumber. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; the sauce just gets better as it sits.
For the chicken skewers: Whisk together the yogurt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon zest, 4 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken, stir to coat evenly, cover and marinate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
Skewer the chicken pieces onto twenty-four 8- to 10-inch metal skewers (see Cook's Note), about 6 pieces per skewer.
Heat a large grill pan over medium heat and lightly grease with vegetable oil.
Working in batches, cook the chicken skewers, flipping halfway through when they release naturally from the pan, until charred all over and cooked through but still tender, 9 to 10 minutes total. Serve immediately with the yogurt sauce, or cool completely, then remove the chicken from the skewers. The chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes if frozen and 10 to 12 minutes if refrigerated.