Kebabgryta (Swedish chicken kebab casserole)
35 min · 40 g protein · 357 cals / serving
The Swedish pizzeria favorite made at home: strips of chicken thigh tossed in a warm kebab spice of paprika, cumin, coriander and garlic, seared hard with onion and peppers, then simmered in tomato and made creamy and pink with a garlicky kebab sauce of kvarg. Piled with crunchy iceberg, tomato, cucumber, red onion and sour, punchy pepperoncini, the way the kebab shop does it.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 lb chicken thigh, raw, skinless, boneless skinless chicken thighs, in thin strips
Kebab spice
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, in strips
- 1 green bell pepper, in strips
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes, canned, with liquid
- scant 1/2 cup chicken broth
Kebab sauce
- 1 cup quark
- 1 tbsp light mayonnaise
- 1 large clove garlic, grated
To serve
- 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1/2 cucumber, diced
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Steps
- Toss the chicken strips with all the kebab spices and half the salt until evenly coated.
- Heat the oil in a large, wide pan over high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in one layer (in two batches if the pan is small) and leave it alone for 2 minutes to char, then stir and fry 2–3 minutes more until browned in places. Lift it out; it finishes in the sauce.
- Lower the heat to medium-high and fry the onion and both peppers 5 minutes, until softened and browned at the edges, adding the garlic for the last minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste for 30 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes, broth and the chicken with its juices. Simmer 8–10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Stir the kvarg, mayonnaise, grated garlic and the rest of the salt into a smooth kebab sauce. Take the pan off the heat and stir in half the sauce, so the stew turns creamy and pink; keep the rest for the table.
- Serve the stew in bowls with the iceberg, tomato, cucumber, red onion, pepperoncini and a spoon of the remaining kebab sauce on top.
Good to know
What do you serve it with?
Rice is the pizzeria way, and fries are the indulgent one. For a lighter bowl, serve it over extra shredded iceberg and cucumber, or with warm pita on the side.
Store-bought kebab spice?
Use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of kebabkrydda in place of the eight spice lines and leave out the salt, since most mixes are salted.
Can I use chicken breast?
Yes. Breast is leaner and dries out faster, so sear it quickly and keep the simmer short. Thighs stay juicier and taste more like real kebab meat, and it's about the same score.
Per
- Calories
- 64
- Protein
- (45%)
- 7 g
- Fat
- (27%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (28%)
- 5 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 187 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1430 kcal goes into the pot and 2494 g of ingredients comes out as about 2240 g of food: 64 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.