Spiced Turkey Skewers With Cumin-Lime Yogurt

Published July 17, 2020

Spiced Turkey Skewers With Cumin-Lime Yogurt
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,070)
Comments
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This recipe is a twist on the kebabs, kofte and grilled meats that are staples of Middle Eastern cuisines. Sumac powder, which is made from dried, ground sumac berries, is sprinkled on the kebabs to add a tart, lemony brightness to them, but if you don’t have sumac, you can leave it out. Eat the skewers with a knife and fork, or, better yet, make little pita sandwiches with all of the fixings — the crunch of the cucumbers, cooling yogurt and the refreshing bite of mint are essential to balancing the dish. If you have trouble finding Persian cucumbers, use English cucumbers instead.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4large pitas
  • 1tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1cup full-fat (at least 5 percent) Greek, skyr or other thick yogurt
  • 1lime, halved
  • 1tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Kosher salt
  • 1pound ground turkey, preferably dark
  • 1tablespoon ground turmeric
  • 1medium red onion, peeled and halved (one half grated and strained, and the other sliced into 1-inch wedges)
  • ½tablespoon sumac powder (optional)
  • 1packed cup fresh mint sprigs
  • 2Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced into thin coins
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

452 calories; 16 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 834 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Soak 8 bamboo or wooden skewers in water for 10 to 30 minutes before you begin the recipe.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush the pitas with oil, place on a sheet pan under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes per side, then wrap in foil to keep warm.

  3. Step 3

    In a small serving bowl, stir together the yogurt, juice of ½ lime, ½ teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Scoop out ¼ cup of the yogurt mixture and place in a large mixing bowl. Place the remaining yogurt in the refrigerator.

  4. Step 4

    Gently combine the turkey, remaining cumin, turmeric, grated onion and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in the bowl with the yogurt until most of it has a mustard-orange hue. Divide the meat into 8 similar-sized loose balls. Lightly wet your hands so the meat doesn’t stick, then shape the meat around the skewers by placing the meat in one hand, pressing the skewer in the center, then using the fingertips and thumb of the bottom hand to shape the meat by lightly pressing it to create an oblong shape.

  5. Step 5

    Place the skewers in the center of a sheet pan and sprinkle the sliced onion on the outskirts. Use your hands to rub the onions and the outside of the skewers with oil, then season the onions with salt. Place the remaining ½ lime on the pan cut-side up, and roast until the outside of the meat is a darker mustard color and no longer pink inside, 11 to 14 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Squeeze the lime juice on top of the turkey and slide the meat off the skewers. Place the pitas on a serving plate, spoon some of the reserved yogurt on them, then place the turkey and onion slices on top. Sprinkle all over with the sumac, if using, and serve with mint, cucumbers and the remaining yogurt.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,070 user ratings
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Comments

Very flavorful and easy recipe with little clean up. Skipped the skewers but shaped the meat as if they had them. Looked a little phallic but saved the trouble of soaking and removing the skewers.

I shaped the chicken mixture around the skewers on a broiler pan coated in olive oil as my mixture was quite wet. Squeeze the onion out VERY well. I made the yogurt sauce first, then prepped the chicken mixture. Toasted pita breads in a hot pan last and wrapped in foil to keep warm. Could do with extra grilled and salted red onion. I dressed the cuke and mint with a generous glug of strong olive oil, the squeezed lime juice and sprinkled sumac on top. Very fast and flavorful.

This was relatively quick and tasty, but got a very wet turkey mix thanks to onion juice. Added some panko to fix that. It also took closer to 20 min and I finished off on the grill to get more color and grill marks. The yogurt and grilled onions were glorious. Will add more next time. Don’t skip the sumac!

I've made this several times. Heed the comments about wetness: squeeze out onion juice, and if you're using regular yogurt, drain it (over fine mesh, cheesecloth, etc.) a bit. That aside, it's good!

Delicious and fresh. Ran out of cumin so used a homemade berbere spice mix instead. Also finely diced the onion bc I don’t have time for grating and squeezing. It was still delicious and I will make again. I won’t bother with skewers next time

IMO anything made with ground turkey will taste better if you use ground pork, preferably pork with some fat in it.

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