Chicken skewers with a Moroccan-inspired spice blend by Spice Tribe, along with a glorious summery salad of seared peaches and nectarines, apricots, grapes, castelvetrano olives, and burrata(!), with a tangy sizzled mint dressing over everything to bring it all together.
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I am so pumped for stone fruit season and lately I’ve been experimenting with ways to incorporate peaches, nectarines, and apricots into sweet-savory dinners. Obviously they are awesome with burrata! But for something with a little more substance, chicken skewers are the perfect accompaniment because they are fun to eat with a chunky medley like this one and so easy to make. All you need is a good quality spice blend like Spice Tribe’s Marrakesh Sitar to sprinkle on cubed chicken thighs right before you’re ready to assemble and cook—no marinating required. The chicken easily took on the medley of ginger, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, rosebud, cumin, and cardamom that gave them great deep flavor in no time. I bought whole thighs and deboned them myself so I could have crispy chicken skin on these skewers too but buying boneless/skinless would make these even easier. (Any other crispy chicken skin fans here?)⁣
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For this recipe, I was inspired by how Moroccan tagines often have chicken, preserved lemons, and dried raisins/stone fruits cooked slowly together into a hearty stew. My idea for this recipe was to take that combination but reimagine it in a way that is quick and celebrates the fresh fruit in season. My recipes often start with an inspiration dish and wind up looking completely different, but I still like being able to share my thought process of how I got there with you all.

Ingredients

Mint Dressing

• .5 teaspoon dried oregano, finely crushed
• 1 clove garlic, microplaned
• .25 teaspoon Spice Tribe Maras Chile Flakes
• .5 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• .25 cup mint leaves, chopped
• .25 cup extra virgin olive oil

Chicken Skewers

• 2 large chicken thighs, deboned and cut into 1-inch chunks*
• .25–.5 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1.5 teaspoons Spice Tribe Marrakesh Sitar blend
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for cooking
• 1 lemon, halved

Salad

• 2 peaches or nectarines, cut into eighths
• 2 apricots, cut into halves or quarters
• .5 cup seedless grapes, halved
• .5 cup castelvetrano olives
• 4 ounces burrata
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

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Directions

1. Begin preparing the mint dressing. In a heat-safe bowl, combine dried oregano, garlic, Spice Tribe Maras Chile Flakes, salt, and vinegar. Mix together and let stand for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
2. Prepare the chicken skewers. Combine chicken pieces, salt, Spice Tribe Marrakesh Sitar spice blend, and olive oil in a small bowl and mix so the chicken is evenly coated in the spices. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes, then divide the chicken among 4 skewers.
3. In a small saucepan, heat olive oil for the dressing until it starts to ripple. Add the mint on top of the dressing mixture, and then carefully pour the hot oil on top of the mint. (There will be some splatter.) Stir dressing together and set aside.
4. On high, heat a griddle pan or a cast iron skillet large enough to accommodate the skewers. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into the pan and use tongs and a folded piece of paper towel to spread a thin layer of oil over the whole cooking surface. Turn heat down to medium-high and add the chicken skewers. Cook for about 12 minutes, rotating a quarter turn every 3 minutes; if necessary, place a pot lid or grill press on top of the skewers to weigh them down and ensure even contact with the cooking surface. (Chicken is cooked through if a toothpick is inserted and juices run clear.) Transfer cooked skewers to a plate, squeeze half the lemon over them, and cover tightly with foil to keep warm.
5. Add the peach/nectarine and apricot slices to the griddle cut side down. Sear until there is slight browning, then flip and lightly sear the other cut side.
6. Scatter the peach/nectarine and apricot slices on a platter, along with the grapes and olives. Tear burrata into a few chunks and add them to the platter. Add skewers. Drizzle mint dressing over everything and scatter fresh mint leaves for garnish. Cut the remaining lemon half into 2 pieces and serve with the platter.
7. Enjoy with flatbreads or couscous.

Recipe Note

Feel free to use skin-on or skinless, according to preference. I used skin-on because I love crispy chicken skin!