Mini Kabob’s Chicken Lule Cutlets

Recipe from Armen Martirosyan

Adapted by Christian Reynoso

Published April 25, 2025

Mini Kabob’s Chicken Lule Cutlets
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(62)
Comments
Read comments

Juicy, buttery and well-seasoned, the ground-chicken lule cutlets that the Armenian American chef Armen Martirosyan serves at Mini Kabob in Glendale, California are comforting, savory and incredibly versatile. After culinary school, Mr. Martirosyan learned to make chicken lule from his father at his family’s 290-square-foot restaurant. The chicken mixture is simple, with just five ingredients; fragrant white pepper adds an earthy, grassy flavor and the generous amount of onion helps the patties stay moist and light. Sometimes Mr. Martirosyan grills the lule kebab on wide metal skewers, but here they’re hand-formed into patties and seared in butter until golden brown and tender. Serve them with roasted tomatoes, hummus, rice or parsley and sumac-marinated onions. —Christian Reynoso

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

    For the Patties

    • 1pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
    • 6 to 7garlic cloves 
    • ½ small yellow onion, cut into chunks
    • 2teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1teaspoon finely ground white pepper
    • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
    • Chopped parsley or other fresh herb of your choice, optional

    For Serving (optional)

    • Roasted jalapeños and tomatoes; hummus; parsley and sumac-marinated onions; lemon wedges; mixed greens or rice
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the chicken and garlic in a food processor. Pulse, scraping down with a spatula as needed, until the chicken and garlic are ground into a paste, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the onion to the food processor. Pulse until the onion is the same texture as the chicken, then add to the bowl. Season the mixture with the salt and white pepper. Mix well with a spatula.

  2. Step 2

    Form the chicken lule by shaping into 4 oval patties about ½ inch thick and place on a small sheet pan or plate. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 15 minutes — the patties will still be quite soft, but that’s OK.

  3. Step 3

    Heat a medium skillet or grill pan over medium. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Once melted and bubbling, add two patties, sprinkle the tops with parsley, if using, and cook until golden brown and cooked through (165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and remaining patties, using a paper towel to wipe out the pan between batches.

  4. Step 4

    Serve the patties, with any of the suggested sides.

Ratings

4 out of 5
62 user ratings
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Comments

Zach

@Brooks I think you’re missing the fat from the chicken thigh then. It’s a key part and why these are great. Mini-kabob is truly some of the best kabobs I’ve had. And it’s feels super juicy and fatty as you bite in.

Cara

I was excited to try this recipe as it is similar to another recipe I love to make, but this one was far simpler with fewer ingredients. I made the recipe exactly as written and found it to be terrible - bland and the garlic was overpowering. I couldn’t even bring myself to eat an entire patty.

Match W

Cooked as written and it was very delicious. We were surprised how much flavor there was with so few ingredients. I found putting the patties on waxed paper helped when transferring from the sheet to the cooking pan. I roasted some cherry tomatoes with olive oil and sumac and mixed them into cooked rice I made with chicken broth and the juice of a lemon. This will become part of our regular rotation.

Elijah

Really delicious, I think people who say they are flavorless are not really familiar with lule kebab, which is a bit milder than other Armenian kebabs / grilled meats (especially when it's made with chicken). I blended a small amount of parsley in with the onions. Delicious served with roasted peppers and tomatoes, alongside onions mixed with parsley, lemon, and sumac, toum if you have it (or just make it, it's really easy and keeps for weeks in the fridge).

Don

Why go through any of this process !!! Saute chicken in a pan with onions and garlic !!! Geez.

Diane Lauzon

If any readers decide to try this recipe with Chicken breasts and they turn out well, please post. I cannot have chicken thighs due to high cholesterol. 😏

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