Lara Ibarra, Nutritionist: The Juiciest, Healthiest Dinner Kebab Made with 150 g Plain Yogurt, Chicken Thighs, Curry, Milk, and Vinegar or Lemon

2 October 2026

The kebab is one of the most popular and beloved fast-food dishes, yet it is frequently associated with high levels of saturated fats, additives, and ultra-processed sauces. However, there is a way to enjoy it while avoiding all those ingredients that do your body no favors.

Nutritionist Lara Ibarra has shared the definitive recipe to prepare an extremely juicy homemade kebab that perfectly follows healthy eating plans, being light and high in protein. “If I told you that you can eat a juicy kebab, amazing, with its white sauce included, with potatoes, without breaking your plan, high in protein and extremely juicy, would you believe me? I’m showing you the ultimate healthy version that tastes much better than your neighborhood kebab,” she begins.

The trick of cutting and pan-cooking

To ensure the meat stays as juicy and tender as in a traditional kebab, the expert highlights two simple but essential details: the heat of the fire and patience. If you have some time, a handy trick is to put the chicken in the freezer for a while before using it, as it will be firmer and much easier to cut into thin strips. On the other hand, when cooking, it is crucial to wait until the pan is extremely hot before adding the meat, so as not to lose its juices. As she herself reminds: “Don’t put the chicken in the pan until it’s hot enough to start sealing the chicken and prevent dehydration… patience in the kitchen, patience is key.”

Healthy Kebabs

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Ingredients

  

For the chicken and its marinade

• 3-4 boned and skinless chicken thighs deshuesados y sin piel
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper or pepper blend
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic and parsley
• 1/2-1 teaspoon onion powder
• A pinch of oregano
• A pinch of paprika
• A pinch of chipotle pepper or cayenne optional if you like heat
• 1 tablespoon natural yogurt, skyr-style
• A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil for cooking

For the light white sauce

• 150 g – 200 g unsweetened natural yogurt preferably skyr
• 1/4 teaspoon curry
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• Garlic powder and oregano to taste and dill if you have it
• Pinch salt and cayenne optional
• A splash of vinegar or lemon juice
• A splash of whole milk to adjust the texture

To accompany and assemble

• Whole-wheat pita bread or kebab bread, toasted
• Leaves of fresh lettuce
• Slices of tomato
• Potatoes for fried-style sides

Instructions

 

• Mix the spices: In a bowl, combine the salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, onion powder, oregano, paprika, and chipotle.
• Marinate the chicken: Sprinkle the spice blend evenly over the chopped chicken thighs. Add a teaspoon of yogurt to provide extra juiciness and massage the meat with your hands or a fork. Leave to rest in the fridge for as long as you can.
• Prepare the white sauce: In a bowl, combine the 150 g of yogurt with the curry, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt, cayenne, and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice. If the mixture is too thick, add a splash of whole milk to soften the consistency until you obtain a light sauce.
• Slice the meat: Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and cut it with a sharp knife into very thin strips.
• Pan-cook: Heat a pan over high heat with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the chicken only when the pan is very hot to seal the meat and brown it well. Once browned, lower the heat to medium until it is fully cooked.
• Assemble the kebab: Toast the pita bread, spread a generous base of white sauce inside, add lettuce, chopped tomato, and pile on the spiced chicken. Finish with an extra touch of sauce on top.

The secret to crispy potatoes without excess oil

No kebab menu feels complete without a portion of potatoes. Lara Ibarra suggests a flawless technique to get them crispy using an air fryer and very little oil:

• Remove the starch: Cut the potatoes into regular batons and place them in a bowl filled with ice-cold water for 30 minutes.
• Dry them well: Dry them with a dish towel or paper towels. Moisture is the main reason potatoes don’t get crispy.
• Par-cook in the microwave: Put the well-dried potatoes in a microwave-safe container with a lid, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.
• Final finish: Transfer them to the air fryer basket and cook for 15 minutes at 200 °C until nicely golden.

Why it is preferable to avoid street kebabs or frozen meats

Although it may seem that a kebab only contains simple ingredients like meat, bread, vegetables, and sauce, the reality of everyday eateries and supermarket preps is quite different. In most places they do not use whole fillets but giant rolls of ground meat of poor quality that can include cartilage, additives, and unhealthy fats. Moreover, the street-style white sauces are made with oils of very low quality and a lot of thickeners.

On the other hand, frozen kebab chicken bags are not a good alternative either, as they contain barely about 80% meat and the rest are artificial ingredients designed to enhance flavor. As the expert warns: “The spice extract is a disguised way of referring to monosodium glutamate, which is a flavor enhancer in an artificial form… so it’s not something I would recommend consuming very often.”