Best Chicken Skewers With Tarragon Pistachio Pesto Recipes

CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH TARRAGON-PISTACHIO PESTO

Chicken Skewers with Tarragon-Pistachio Pesto image

Rounding this main course into supper for company is easy. Get store-bought hummus and pita chips for everyone to nibble on while you're at the grill, and serve the skewers with rice or couscous on the side and a bottle of rosé\. Have a guest bring ice cream, sorbet, or cookies for dessert.

Provided by Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Time 40m

Yield Makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons unsalted natural pistachios
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
16 1-inch pieces red onion (1/3 inch thick)
16 1-inch squares red bell pepper
8 lemon slices, halved
1 pound chicken tenders (about 8 large)
8 metal skewers

Steps:

Puree first 5 ingredients in processor. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and blend until slightly coarse paste forms. Mix in 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 3 tablespoons pesto to small bowl (for brushing chicken and vegetables); reserve remaining pesto.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill with oil. Thread 1 onion piece, 1 bell pepper square, 1 lemon slice half, 1 chicken tender (lengthwise), then 1 onion piece, 1 bell pepper square, and 1 lemon slice half alternately on each of 8 skewers. Brush vegetables and chicken on skewers with olive oil, then with 3 tablespoons pesto from small bowl. Sprinkle skewers with salt and pepper. Grill until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with reserved pesto.

GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH DECONSTRUCTED PESTO

Grilled Chicken Skewers With Deconstructed Pesto image

Budget-friendly boneless, skinless chicken thighs are paired here with a version of pesto that is closer to salad than paste. For grilling, the thighs are tossed with olive oil and salt and pepper and threaded onto skewers. But they are not jammed together, so they cook fairly quickly. Simply toss with the pesto ingredients - fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan, pine nuts and garlic - and serve.

Provided by John Willoughby And Chris Schlesinger

Categories dinner, easy, main course

Time 40m

Yield 4 to 6 entree servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
4 teaspoons minced garlic

Steps:

Build a fire in your grill; when the flames have died down, all the coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill for about 5 seconds), you're ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn all burners to high, lower cover and heat for 15 minutes, then turn burners to medium.)
Combine the chicken, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss well to coat, then thread the chicken chunks onto the skewers so they press up against one another but aren't jammed together.
Put the skewers on the grill directly over the coals and cook, rolling the skewers around every 3 to 4 minutes to ensure all the sides are more or less evenly exposed to the heat, until lightly seared, about 12 to 14 minutes. To check for doneness, make a small cut and peek inside a couple of the chunks to be sure they are opaque all the way through with no pink.
Slide the chicken chunks off the skewers into a large bowl, add all the other ingredients one after the other, toss well to coat evenly, season to taste if needed and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 553, UnsaturatedFat 28 grams, Carbohydrate 3 grams, Fat 38 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 49 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 631 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams

GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH TARRAGON AND YOGURT

Grilled Chicken Skewers With Tarragon and Yogurt image

These grilled chicken skewers are gently spiced with a ginger-and-cumin yogurt marinade, which makes the meat exceedingly tender and cooks to fragrant curds. As they grill, the skewers are gilded with a tarragon-mint baste that tastes distinctly Persian. Restraint and a very hot grill are both key to getting a good char: Don't move the skewers until the yogurt is burnished and the meat releases from the grates. Color is flavor. Catch any juices that run out of the cooked skewers with warm pita bread. Leftovers make excellent chicken salad.

Provided by Clare de Boer

Categories dinner, lunch, poultry, vegetables, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
8 scallions, trimmed
6 pita breads
2 1/2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 teaspoons roasted cumin seeds, bruised using a mortar and pestle
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime), plus 4 lime wedges for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon, mint or both, plus more torn herbs for serving

Steps:

Prepare the chicken: Cut each thigh in half against the grain. Rub with salt and set aside.
Prepare the marinade: In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, salt and garlic. Reserve and refrigerate 1 cup marinade for serving. Put remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag and add the ginger, cumin and chicken; squelch around to coat thoroughly then refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 48 hours.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to grill. If using wooden skewers, immerse them in water to soak for 15 minutes. Alternatively, use metal skewers or none at all.
Prepare the grill: Clean the grate thoroughly and build a hot fire. The skewers will cook over intense, direct heat. The coals are ready when they glow red and the grate hisses when you drop water on it.
Thread the chicken lengthwise onto skewers (if using), then smear with the marinade from the bag.
Prepare the baste: Place the butter and salt in a small saucepan to melt on the cooler side of the grill (or use the stovetop). Once butter is melted, add the lime juice and chopped herbs; keep warm but do not boil.
Grilling in batches if necessary, place the chicken on the grill a few inches apart. When you see a good char forming underneath, about 3 to 5 minutes, gently tug a skewer or the chicken: If it feels very stuck, leave it a few more minutes before turning. When the chicken releases easily and looks nicely charred in places, flip it using a fish spatula to gently pry any stuck bits off the grate.
Baste the chicken with the herb butter and arrange the scallions in a single layer on the cooler edges of the grill. Let the chicken cook on the second side until firm and cooked through and turn the scallions occasionally until grill-marked and tender, about 8 minutes.
Grill the pitas until marked, about 1 minute, turning halfway through. Lay them on the serving platter and place the scallions and chicken on top. Drizzle the bread, scallions and chicken with any remaining warm herb butter. Dollop chicken with reserved marinade, squeeze with lime and top with extra tarragon or mint.