Tender, juicy chenjeh kebab features lightly marinated lamb or beef skewers grilled to perfection, delivering a classic Persian flavor with every bite.
What is Chenjeh Kebab?
Iran has a rich culinary history perfected over generations, with iconic dishes like koobideh kabob and joojeh kabob leading the way. But don’t overlook juicy chenjeh made with thick chunks of lightly marinated beef or lamb, grilled over an open flame until perfectly charred on the outside and tender inside.
Key Ingredients
- Meat: Cut beef (sirloin or beef tenderloin) or lamb (loin, leg, sirloin, or tenderloin) into 1½-inch pieces for the kebabs. These tender cuts grill quickly and stay juicy.
- Onion: Thinly slice white or yellow onion to marinate and flavor the meat.
- Spices: Persian cuisine is all about delicious simplicity. A simple seasoning of kosher salt and coarse black pepper is all you need.
- Saffron Butter: Finish the kabobs by brushing them with saffron butter. Bloom crushed saffron threads in a small amount of hot water or milk to draw out their color and aroma, then stir them into melted salted butter. You can find high-quality saffron at most Indian or Middle Eastern grocery stores.
How to Make Chenjeh Kebab
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Cut the meat into small pieces and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the sliced onions, black pepper, and salt. Toss to combine, cover, and marinate for 6–24 hours (at least 30 minutes).
Step 2: Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the grill grates and preheat the grill on high for 10 minutes. Thread the meat onto wide metal skewers and transfer them to a baking sheet. Load the remaining skewers.
Step 3: Arrange the skewers over the flame, about 4–5 inches from the heat. Sear for 6–8 minutes, until the color changes, and they develop a light char.
Step 4: Bloom the crushed saffron in 2 tablespoons of hot water or milk. While the meat grills, warm the butter in a saucepan and stir in the bloomed saffron.
Step 5: Flip the skewers and brush them generously with saffron butter. Grill for another 5–6 minutes, until cooked through.
Step 6: Remove the kabobs from the grill and let them rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Uniformly cut the meat. Slice the beef or lamb into 1–1½-inch cubes so the kabobs cook evenly and at the same rate.
- Prepare the onions. Massage the sliced onions with salt to draw out their natural moisture, so they flavor and tenderize the meat as it marinates.
- Marinate the meat. Marinating is key to juicy, flavorful kabobs. Let the meat marinate for at least 30 minutes, though 6 hours or more will give you the best results.
- Bring the meat to room temperature. Remove the marinated meat cubes from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking time, and let them sit at room temperature before grilling so they cook evenly.
- Don’t skip the rest. After grilling, let the kabobs rest for 5-10 minutes to redistribute the juices and keep the meat tender.
If you enjoy this grilled chenjeh kebab recipe, try more grilling favorites!
Serving Suggestions
Serve chenjeh kabob as a main dish with a splash of fresh lemon juice, or as part of a mezze spread alongside small plates, such as butter bean hummus, vegetable crudites, dolmas, mirza ghasemi, beetroot dip, and crispy air fryer pita chips.
Chenjeh is often grilled with Roma tomatoes and bell peppers, or you can serve the kabobs with a fresh Shirazi salad, buttery saffron rice or basmati rice, and your favorite flatbread—lavash, taftoon, naan, pit, or sangak bread—to round out the meal. And don’t skip the dipping sauces. Skhug, toum, and shatta sauce will take the kabobs over the top.
More Side Dishes for Kabobs: Try kabab chenjeh with chickpea tahini salad, biwaz, grilled zucchini, or avocado cucumber tomato salad.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover kebabs in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Let the kabobs cool and transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze chenjeh kebab for 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the meat in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Warm the leftovers on a hot skillet over medium heat or in the oven at 350℉ (177℃) for about 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between barg and chenjeh?
Kabab barg and chenjeh are often confused, but the key differences are in the cut of meat and the marinade. Barg is traditionally made with tender cuts of beef or lamb, such as filet mignon or sirloin, sliced into long, thin strips. The marinade is intentionally simple, just onion, olive oil, salt, and black pepper to highlight the natural flavor and tenderness of the meat.
Chenjeh kebab is made with cubed pieces of lamb or beef, commonly from the leg or shoulder. The meat is marinated with onion, olive oil, lemon juice, and various spices (depending on the person or region), giving chenjeh its signature texture and flavor.
What does chenjeh kabab mean?
Chenjeh kabab is a traditional dish from Persian cuisine, and the word “chenjeh” literally means chunks or pieces of meat. So it essentially means chunks of meat grilled over an open flame.
More Kabob Recipes:
Chenjeh Kebab
- 2 pounds beef or lamb, cut into 1-1½-inch pieces
- 1 large white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon saffron stems, crushed slightly
- 2 tablespoons hot water or milk
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- Cut the meat into small pieces and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the sliced onions, black pepper, and salt. Toss to combine, cover, and marinate for 6–24 hours (at least 30 minutes).
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the grill grates and preheat the grill on high for 10 minutes. Thread the meat onto wide metal skewers and transfer them to a baking sheet. Load the remaining skewers.
- Arrange the skewers over the flame, about 4–5 inches from the heat. Sear for 6–8 minutes, until the color changes, and they develop a light char.
- Bloom the crushed saffron in 2 tablespoons of hot water or milk. While the meat grills, warm the butter in a saucepan and stir in the bloomed saffron.
- Flip the skewers and brush them generously with saffron butter. Grill for another 5–6 minutes, until cooked through.
- Remove the kabobs from the grill and let them rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
- Uniformly cut the meat. Slice the beef or lamb into 1–1½-inch cubes so the kabobs cook evenly and at the same rate.
- Prepare the onions. Massage the sliced onions with salt to draw out their natural moisture, so they flavor and tenderize the meat as it marinates.
- Marinate the meat. Marinating is key to juicy, flavorful kabobs. Let the meat marinate for at least 30 minutes, though 6 hours or more will give you the best results.
- Bring the meat to room temperature. Remove the marinated meat cubes from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking time, and let them sit at room temperature before grilling so they cook evenly.
- Don’t skip the rest. After grilling, let the kabobs rest for 5-10 minutes to redistribute the juices and keep the meat tender.