Joojeh kabab is a classic Persian chicken kebob recipe that's packed with so much flavor. Chicken pieces are smothered in a delicious marinade and have such delicious flavor thanks to saffron and lemon.
Have you tried any Persian recipes recently? If you haven't, start with some classic dishes such as zereshk polo, ghormhe sabzi and a nice creamy fesenjan (Persian pomegranate and walnut stew). This delicious Persian chicken kebab called Joojeh Kabab or Jujeh Kabob is another favorite flavored with saffron and traditionally grilled on charcoal.
Table Of Contents:
What is joojeh kabob?
Joojeh kabob is a traditional chicken kabob from Iran, flavored with saffron and usually gilled on charcoal grill. Iranians love joojeh kabob on weekends or holidays, and there is always that one person in the family who knows how to make the best joojeh.
Joojeh kabab comes in two forms: bone-in and boneless. The bone-in jujeh kabob is usually made with wings and drumettes whereas boneless chicken kebab is made with chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs. This chicken kebab marinade would work perfectly for both forms.
Classic Persian chicken kabob is made on a charcoal grill using metal skewers but I have tried different methods such as stove top and oven and it has worked just as fine.
Persian chicken kabob marinade
The most important part of this Persian grilled saffron chicken is the marinade. Chicken pieces are marinated in a saffron and yogurt based mixture and it's best to let them marinate overnight. The chicken absorbs the flavors of saffron and lemon perfectly and becomes extra juicy and flavorful.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken: Joojeh means young chicken, and this Persian kebab would taste the best if made with young and organic chicken.
- Bloomed saffron: Don't use saffron threads directly in the marinade. Learn how to bloom saffron for maximum flavor, color and aroma. My favorite saffron to use is this one (affiliate).
- Yogurt: You can use either non fat or whole milk yogurt. My preference is whole milk. Yogurt makes the chicken very tender.
- Lemon: It adds some brightness to the marinade.
- Onion: Sliced or grated onion would work perfectly.
- Olive oil: Try to find the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find.
How to make joojeh kabob at home
- Start by making the marinade. Mix the yogurt, sliced onion, oil, lemon juice, salt and bloomed saffron in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture and make sure all the pieces are well coated with the marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate the chicken for at least 3 hours up to overnight. This will help the chicken get all the flavor it needs. Before you start cooking the chicken, place the bowl on the counter for 15 minutes so the chicken comes to room temperature. This will help with even cooking.
- Preheat the grill to medium high and thread the chicken pieces on skewers. Grill for about 5 minutes on each side until they are cooked and juicy.
Serving suggestions
Traditionally, this Persian grilled chicken is served with saffron Persian rice smothered with butter, grilled tomatoes and peppers and some salad shirazi and mast o khiar (Persian yogurt and cucumber).
You can also serve it simply with some green salad, pita or lavash bread as well. I love joojeh kabab with bread and lots and lots of grilled tomatoes, and maybe sometimes a little bit of sumac.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, to make joojeh kabab in the oven, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Thread the chicken pieces on skewers and place them on a baking sheet. Cook in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them halfway through until the kabobs are fully cooked.
Yes, heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken for about 8 minutes and flip them halfway through. Don't overcrowd the pan and don't stir the chicken too much.
You can either use plain dairy free yogurt for this recipe or leave out the yogurt completely. If leaving out the yogurt then increase the amount of olive oil to ½ cup.
The longer, the better. It's best to marinate the chicken between 3 and 24 hours.
Leftovers and reheating
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two days. To reheat, place them in a pan and heat over medium heat or place the chicken pieces on a baking sheet, cover and heat in the oven at 250°F for fifteen to twenty minutes.
You can serve the leftovers with rice or potatoes. I also enjoy having them with some salad such as fattoush or couscous salad.
More Chicken Recipes
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Joojeh Kabab (Persian Saffron Chicken Kebab)
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1.5 inch cubes
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 lemon juice of
- ¼ cup bloomed saffron See notes
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix yogurt, sliced onion, oil, lemon juice and saffron and salt.
- Place the chicken in the marinade and stir well so all pieces are covered with marinade.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate and let the chicken marinate for at least three hours up to twenty four hours.
- Once ready to cook, place the bowl in room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium high. Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and place them on a baking sheet.
- Once the grill is hot, grill the chicken kabobs for 5 minutes on each side until golden and fully cooked on the inside.
Notes
- I used chicken breast but you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs or even a combination of both.
- Stove top instructions: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Put some of the marinated chicken in the pan and let them cook on one side before turning them to cook on the other side, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Do not over crowd the pan and don't stir the chicken too much. Repeat with the remaining marinated chicken.
- Oven instructions: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Thread the marinated chicken into skewers and place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Cook the chicken in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken pieces are fully cooked. Turn the broiler on and broil the chicken kebabs until they're golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, turn half way so both sides are golden brown.
- Classic joojeh kabab is not spicy, but if you like your chicken kebab to be spicy, add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the marinade.
- There are two types of chicken kabob marinades used to make joojeh kabab: with and without yogurt. Both are very delicious and make chicken very tender and juicy. If you prefer to make the marinade without yogurt, increase the amount of olive oil to ½ cup.
- You can marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours. The longer they marinate, the more tender and juicy they will be.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two days. To reheat, place them in a pan and heat over medium heat or place the chicken pieces on a baking sheet, cover and heat in the oven at 250°F for 15-20 minutes.
Jill
I ate at a Persian restaurant once on a work trip to Atlanta and absolutely loved it. So excited to be able make these kebab's at home. Thank you for the recipe!
Carrie Robinson
Oh man! These marinade sounds absolutely delicious! I am definitely adding this to my weekly dinner plan soon. 🙂
Andrea
This chicken looks fabulous and what an amazing sounding saffron marinade. I can't wait to try this. Hope mine becomes the one that everyone says is the best.
Mirlene
I made this for dinner the other night and my family loved the chicken! I marinated the chicken overnight and it came out more flavorful. Served the kebabs over rice and roasted veggies!
Sharon
I love the simple marinade for this chicken, but the flavor that comes from it is amazing! The perfect dinner idea.
Cam
I love anything with saffron so I HAD to make this recipe and let me tell you it was incredibly delicious!! The marinade has so much flavor and it was overall such an easy dish to make!
Lara
How would you suggest making this dairy free? Leaving out the yogurt or using a dairy free yogurt? Thank you.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Yes! Plain dairy free yogurt would work!
Mary Ellen
Shadi, do I really use 1/4 cup of saffron or do I use 1/4 tspn (as in your directions on how to bloom saffron)?
Thanks, and btw, I love your recipes!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Mary! You need to use 1/4 cup "bloomed saffron" which is roughly about 10-15 strands of saffron crushed and sprinkled over 2-3 cubes of ice and left to melt. Hope this helps 🙂
Ren
Hello, can I use powdered saffron ? And if so, what is the equivalent measurement and can it be bloomed using the same process ?
Thanks
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Ren, yes powdered saffron is what we need here, saffron strands won't release as much flavor and color. Use about 1/4 teaspoon ground saffron 🙂
Sara
This is my go-to joojeh kebab recipe! So simple and comes out so tasty every time.
My boyfriend is half Iranian and he says this is the best joojeh kebab he’s had. We always bbq it and serve it on Iranian bread with some yogurt, rice, and Shirazi salad. I use a little less saffron than the recipe says as I prefer a more subtle saffron flavour, but this is just my personal preference. I also use sheep yogurt which works just as well as cow.
Thank you for an awesome recipe1
Amy
Hi! Thank you for this recipe. Have you ever made this using a Sous Vide? I'm wondering if it would be safe to sous vide the chicken in this marinade...?
Thank you!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Amy, I haven't tried this recipe using sous vide therefore unfortunately I don't know how it would work out.
Shirin
Thank you for this recipe! This came out amazing! We grinned the chicken. I’m wondering for my nondairy friends if there is a substitute for the yogurt? We also fried the remaining onions from the marinade and it was sooo good! Especially with grilled tomatoes. You can also add sumac on the side.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Shirin, thank you for your comment. Glad you like this recipe! As for the non dairy marinade, I suggest you leave the yogurt out and add one more tablespoon of lemon juice to the marinade. Love the addition of sumac!
wilhelmina
Oh my goodness, this was delicious! Already have it on the menu to make again!