This post was written in a paid partnership with Manitoba Chicken Producers. As always, all opinions are my own and I only promote products and services that I use and love.
Summer is fast-approaching and that means dining outside, weekends at the cottage and maybe a few camping excursions. I love the simplicity of this Moroccan Chicken Kofta recipe for all those activities. It’s easy to prep in advance and batch cook plus, you can cook it and serve it in a few different ways.
How to prep chicken kofta in advance
This recipe comes together in two steps: Mix and shape. Since the assembly is so quick, I would double, triple, or even quadruple this recipe since it’s easy to freeze.
The seasonings are like those used in falafel: garlic, onion, parsley, cumin and coriander. Other spices you will need are likely already in your pantry: cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, salt & pepper. The addition of a bit of fresh mint really adds a punch of flavor.
Once you have mixed and shaped the ingredients you can freeze the kofta individually on a sheet pan. It will be a lot easier to store the kofta if they aren’t on the skewers, so you might want to consider freezing the logs without skewers or shaping the kofta mixture into patties or meatballs.
Once the kofta is frozen, transfer it to a freezer bag to use at your convenience.
How to cook chicken kofta
Depending on how you decide to shape the kofta, you can make it on the grill, bake it in the oven or cook it in a skillet on the stove. You can also cook it over a campfire!
Food safety tip: To ensure that chicken is cooked to a safe temperature, use a meat thermometer. Cook ground chicken to 165°F (74°C). It’s important to note that cooking times will vary depending on the cooking method and the size of the pieces.
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Serving suggestions
Depending on how you shape the Moroccan Chicken Kofta, you have a few options for serving it:
- Serve patties in mini naan rounds, topped with hummus, pickled banana peppers, lettuce, tomato and onions.
- Serve meatballs with tzatziki and grilled vegetables or on a mezze platter with a few dips, crudités and tabouleh. You’ll likely have some fresh mint, parsley and garlic leftover from making the kofta, so tabouleh is the perfect side to maximize those ingredients.
- Stuff logs into pita pockets with hummus or tahini sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and olives and cilantro.
Meal prep tips for Moroccan Chicken Kofta
Let’s recap some of the great meal prep tips you can apply to this recipe:
- Low prep, in two easy steps
- Double, triple or quadruple the batch.
- Freeze prepped kofta raw or cooked
- Cook it in a skillet, in the oven, on the grill or over a campfire.
- Make it in advance.
- Use the same ingredients in your side dishes and/or condiments.
- Shape it in different ways.
- Serve it in different ways.
Make sure you add this to your summer menu!