I made chicken kebabs in 30 minutes

One of the most draining aspects of adult life is figuring out what to put on the table each evening. Trying to find meals that are both nutritious and genuinely tasty — while remaining straightforward to prepare — can feel like an uphill battle. These oven-baked chicken kebabs , however, are one of those rare recipes that manage to tick every box. Despite what appears to be a rather lengthy list of ingredients, they can be prepped in around 10 minutes and cooked in 20, meaning a satisfying dinner can be on the table within half an hour.

Better still, the yogurt sauce can be made the day before, making the whole process even more efficient. Fresh, flavourful and wonderfully juicy, these kebabs are sure to go down a treat with the whole family.

I was battling a cold throughout the week, yet still managed to produce this meal without any real difficulty — and it tasted absolutely brilliant. The tomato and onion salad added a lovely tanginess, while the chicken itself was delightfully juicy and perfectly seasoned.

One word of caution, though — keep a close eye on the kebabs once they go into the oven. After the first ten minutes, my meat mixture had released a considerable amount of juices that required careful removal to prevent any mess.

Ingredients

Kebab mix

• One kg chicken minced
• Two tbsp tomato paste
• One tbsp sweet paprika
• Two tsp dried cumin
• One tsp onion powder
• One tsp garlic powder
• One tsp oregano
• Olive oil spray

Yoghurt Garlic Sauce

• One tbsp lemon juice
• One tbsp olive oil

Half tsp sea salt flakes Tomato and Onion Salad

• 200 grams cherry tomatoes, quartered
• Quarter red onion, very finely sliced
• Two tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Half tsp sumac
• One tbsp olive oil
• One tbsp lemon juice
• One pinch sea salt flakes

To Serve

• Flatbreads
• Hummus (optional)
• Lemon wedges

Method

Preheat your oven to 225C and combine all your chicken kebab ingredients (except the olive oil) in a large bowl. Take care not to overmix, as this will result in a tougher texture.

Simply use your hands to bring all the ingredients together. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper, then shape your chicken mixture into a rectangle on top.

Using a spatula, lightly score the chicken mixture into strips — but do not cut all the way through. Lightly spray or brush the surface with olive oil.

Place on the top shelf of the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep a close eye on it throughout and drain off any excess liquid as needed. While your chicken is baking, prepare your garlic yogurt sauce. Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl and leave it to rest in the fridge while everything else cooks.

Do the same for your onion and tomato salad. Once the chicken is thoroughly cooked, you can begin assembling your flatbreads. Gluten-free breads work particularly well here — slice them in half and pack the filling inside, though wraps would work equally as well. Spread generously with hummus, then layer up your meat, sauce and salad.

Enjoy!