Grilled Yucatan Chicken Skewers Recipes

THE JUICIEST GRILLED CHICKEN KABOBS

Steps:

• To brine the chicken breasts, fill a large bowl with 1 quart of warm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until most of the salt is absorbed. Add the whole chicken breasts and let them sit in the mixture to brine for 15 minutes. Or you can also also cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, then pat them dry with some paper towels. (If the chicken breasts you purchased have already been pre-brined in a sodium solution, skip this brining step completely.)
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15 minutes before using.
• Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Add them to a large mixing bowl and drizzle evenly with the olive oil. Toss to combine.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika until combined. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the chicken. Then toss for 1 minute, or until the chicken is evenly coated with the seasoning. Thread the chicken evenly onto the skewers.
• Once the grill is hot, place the chicken kabobs evenly on the grill. Cook for 10-14 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (no longer pink on the inside).
• Transfer the kabobs to a clean plate, and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
• Then serve warm while the chicken is hot and juicy, drizzled with freshly-squeezed lemon juice if desired. Or, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.
• To make the peanut sauce, put the peanut butter in a blender with the soy sauce, honey, ginger, red pepper flakes, chili oil and lime juice. Add 1/4 cup very hot water as you blend the mixture. Check the consistency and add a little more hot water if needed to make it very smooth. Transfer the sauce to a small dish, cover it with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Brush the grill with oil. Thread the chicken onto the skewers and grill on both sides until the chicken is done in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle on the cilantro.
• Serve the skewers with dishes of the peanut sauce and a good-quality barbecue sauce for dipping.

YUCATAN MARINATED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH PEANUT-RED CHILE MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, chile powder, and garlic in a non-reactive large baking dish. Add chicken cubes and turn to coat. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
• Prepare a charcoal or wood fire and let it burn down to embers, or preheat the broiler.
• Thread each piece of chicken onto a skewer. Season with salt and grill for about 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through completely. Place each skewer in a Bibb lettuce leaf, drizzle with Peanut-Red Chile Mole Sauce, and garnish with cilantro and mint.
• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the mango, peanuts, sesame seeds, ginger, allspice, and cloves and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the cinnamon, chiles, and stock, and season with salt and pepper; cook for 1 hour. Add the tortillas and cook for another hour.
• Remove cinnamon sticks and carefully ladle the hot mixture, in batches, into a blender* and blend until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a clean saucepan and cook until slightly thickened.

YUCATAN CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH PEANUT-RED CHILE BBQ SAUCE AND RED CABBAGE SLAW

Steps:

• Skewer each half chicken thigh with 2 skewers so that they lay flat. Place the chicken in a large shallow baking dish.
• Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, honey, oil, chili powder, and garlic. Pour over thighs and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours.
• Preheat grill to high or grill pan over high heat.
• Remove thighs from the marinade and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until just cooked through.
• Remove chicken from skewer, place in a butter lettuce leaf, drizzle with some of the peanut-red chili sauce, and top with slaw, mint, and chopped peanuts.
• Heat the oil in medium saucepan over medium heat; add the ginger and cook until soft. Increase heat to high, add the BBQ sauce and chicken stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half. Whisk in the soy sauce, peanut butter, chipotle puree, and honey and cook until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 30 to 40 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature. Sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator stored in a tightly sealed container.
• Place cabbage and onion in a large bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, oil and honey and pour over the cabbage. Add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

GRILLED YUCATAN CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Skewer each half chicken thigh with 2 skewers so that they lay flat. Place the chicken in a large shallow baking dish.
• Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, chili powder, and garlic. Pour over the thighs and marinate in the refrigerator 1 to 4 hours.
• Prepare a charcoal grill to high heat.
• Remove the thighs from the marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the thighs directly over the coals and cook until each side becomes golden brown and slightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Turn, cover the grill and cook for another few minutes until tender.
• Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes. Cut the thighs directly down the center creating 2 skewers. Remove the chicken from the skewers and serve garnished with scallions and lime wedges.

YUCATAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Blend marinade ingredients in a food processor until the mixture is thick. Pour into a sealable plastic bag, add the chicken and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Barbeque with marinade on chicken, being careful not to burn the chicken as it cooks. Watch closely. The finished chicken will have nice orange red color.

GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Start a gas or charcoal grill (or preheat the broiler); the fire should be moderately hot. If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water to cover while you prepare the food. Using 8 skewers, alternate the ingredients, but generally, surround both chicken and sausage with the moister lemon and eggplant. Pack the food fairly tightly together on each skewer, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you're not using rosemary skewers, tuck some rosemary among the chicken and vegetables.
• Grill over moderate heat, covered or not, turning the skewers 3 or 4 times to brown evenly. Total cooking time will be 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill and the distance from the heat source. When the chicken and sausage are browned, the eggplant will be tender; do not overcook.
• Serve, squeezing hot lemon juice over all.