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Harissa Turkey Kabobs

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Turkey kabobs seasoned with a North African chili paste.
Turkey kabobs seasoned with a North African chili paste. Photo by Ryan Sparks.

By Ryan Sparks

Harissa is a North African chili paste that, when combined with wild turkey, makes a perfect weeknight meal when you feel like grilling. It is as simple as marinating the turkey pieces, placing them on skewers, and tossing them on the grill. I like to serve it with flatbread, a simple yogurt sauce, and a salad of cucumber, tomato and red onion.

Note: You can find dried chiles in the Hispanic section of grocery stores.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 24 hours (marinade time)
Cooking Time: ~15 minutes
Ingredients:

Harissa

  • 3 dried pasilla chiles
  • 2 dried guajillo chiles
  • 2 dried ancho chiles
  • 1 dried chipotle chile
  • 4 dried arbol chiles (or more if you want it hotter)
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 6 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
  • Lemon juice

Kabobs

  • 1 wild turkey breast, trimmed of silver skin and cut into 11/2 to 2-inch chunks
  • 1/4 cup harissa
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • Salt
  • Fresh mint (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Cut the chiles into large pieces and cover them with nearly boiling water. If the chiles want to float, weigh them down with a metal spatula or something similar. Let them soak for 30 minutes or until they are soft. Don’t throw away the chile-soaking water.
  2. When the chiles are soft, put them and the remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor and blitz them into a nearly smooth paste. If the paste seems too thick, splash in some of the chile-soaking water. When you’ve got it to a nice consistency, it will keep in a jar in the refrigerator for months.
  3. Put the turkey chunks in a medium bowl and add ¼ cup of the harissa and the red wine vinegar. Give everything a good mix, cover and let it hang out in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill. Overnight is best, but 12 hours is also enough time.
  4. When you are ready to grill (a charcoal grill is best), skewer the turkey pieces onto four metal skewers (or more if needed), sprinkle them with salt, and place them on a hot grill.
  5. Once on the grill, I like to spray the kabobs with light olive oil. The little drips of oil that fall onto the hot coals create a nice smoky flavor. Grill for 5 to 10 minutes on each side until little charred bits begin to form.
  6. Let the kabobs rest for 5 minutes, sprinkle with the fresh mint (if using), and serve.