Summer’s in full swing (sort of!) and to celebrate what the warmer weather has to offer, Sal’s back with a Slimming World chicken kebab recipe that’s perfect for barbecues, picnics or (if the weather’s being typically British) the grill.

It’s been great to see you all loving Sal’s store-cupboard cook-ins. Slimming World’s chef has been helping slimmers through lockdown with easy-to-follow recipes to keep your weight loss journey on track. And these Slimming World chicken kebabs are no different! This fakeaway favourite is simple to make and uses spices you’ll probably have in your kitchen cupboards already.

Classic spag bol, a vegetarian chilli, easy chicken curry, ‘anything goes’ frittata, leftover roast chicken fajitas, chilli con carne, zesty salmon pasta, oriental green salad and coleslaw, and Slimming World paella are the dishes Sal’s already served up in her cook-along recipe videos. Now it’s time for our chef to ease your takeaway temptations with a tasty chicken kebab recipe that packs tons of flavour.

On the menu this week is a Slimming World chicken kebab. Sal tells us more…

“I first spotted this recipe in the July 2019 issue of Slimming World Magazine (always a great place to find mealtime inspiration – SW Matt), and I loved it straight away. The marinade uses just three ingredients, so it’s really simple, and the flavour is amazing.

Like all of my store-cupboard cook-in recipes, what I really like about this dish is that it’s flexible enough to work with whatever you’ve got. I often use the marinade on large peeled prawns or vegetable skewers when I’m having a barbecue, and in the winter I use the marinated chicken in my Slimming World curry to add an extra depth of flavour.

Now that we’re more able to meet up with friends and family, these chicken kebabs are great for entertaining. You can marinate the chicken and prepare the salad the night before, so you can spend more time catching up with your loved ones instead of rushing around in the kitchen.”

Sal’s Slimming World chicken kebab tips

The salad can be made from any salad ingredients, but crunchy lettuce, peppers, radishes and cucumber make a lovely contrast to the soft pitta and chicken.
This marinade is also great with a Healthy Extra portion of paneer (Indian cheese) or halloumi chunks, and vegetables like courgette, peppers, onions and cherry tomatoes – so vegetarians donʼt have to miss out on a skewer.
To deseed the cucumber before chopping, cut it in half lengthways and run a teaspoon along the length to scrape out the seeds.
Check the label of your tikka powder: if it doesn’t contain sugar, flour or oil it will be Free. Alternatively, Slimming World members can look up the brand they’re using via the Food Search on the member-only website and app.

Slimming World chicken kebab

serves 4
7 Syns per serving (deduct 7 Syns if using wholemeal pitta bread as a Healthy Extra ‘b’ choice)
ready in 25 minutes (plus marinating)

What you need:

8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
3 level tbsp tikka curry powder*
250g fat-free natural Greek yogurt
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 x 60g wholemeal pitta breads
lemon wedges, to serve

For the salad:
1 cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded and roughly chopped
200g radishes, trimmed and quartered
3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
2 little gem lettuces, shredded
100g fat-free natural Greek yogurt
25g fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped, reserving a few whole sprigs for the kebabs

What you do:

Put the chicken in a lidded plastic container (or a glass or stainless-steel bowl) with the curry powder, yogurt and garlic. Season with salt and stir to combine. Secure the lid on the container (or cover the bowl with cling film) and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat your grill to high. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, letting any excess drain off, then thread onto 4 metal skewers. Place on a baking tray lined with foil and grill for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway, or until the chicken is lightly charred and cooked through.
Meanwhile, make the salad. Put the cucumber, radishes, celery and lettuces in a bowl. Mix together the yogurt and chopped coriander, season, then stir through the salad.
Scatter the coriander sprigs over the chicken skewers. Serve with the salad and 1 pitta bread per person, and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

*Spice blends are Free so long as they’re made from herbs and spices only and don’t include any Synned ingredients like sugar, flour or oil. Check the label to be sure and count the Syns as necessary.

Slimming World members have access to more than 1,800 easy-to-make recipes on the website and app, as well as a handy Food Search tool to make meal planning easy. Add to that the support of an expert Consultant and the welcoming Slimming World community, and you’ll have all you need to set you up for a successful weight loss journey.