Best Cosmopolitan Kick Off Chicken Skewers Recipes

CHICKEN KABOBS

Steps:

• If using wooden skewers, soak them in a dish of warm water for at least 20 minutes.
• Combine the chicken marinade ingredients in a zip-top bag or dish: olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Squish to mix in the bag or whisk if using a dish.
• Add the chicken pieces to the marinade. Make sure that all of the chicken is coated with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Place the zucchini rounds and chopped bell peppers in a baking dish or bowl. Drizzle with the 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Add the onion to the bowl last and mix in very gently so that the onion layers stay together as best as possible.
• Put the chicken and vegetables on the skewers, dividing evenly between the 8 skewers and arranging the vegetable pieces in between the chicken pieces. Aim to put about 3 chicken pieces and 2-3 pieces of each vegetable per skewer. Discard all of the used marinade that held the chicken.
• Grill over medium heat for 12-18 minutes, turning every few minutes to cook all sides evenly. Kabobs are done when chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165° F.

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 WITH DECONSTRUCTED PESTO

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.

SKEWERED CHICKEN WITH LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add chicken; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat broiler. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in another large bowl. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Add chicken to breadcrumb mixture; toss to coat. Arrange chicken on skewers.
• Broil chicken until cooked through, turning frequently, about 8 minutes. Transfer to platter.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and mix in lemon juice. Drizzle butter over chicken.

COSMOPOLITAN KICK-OFF CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan placed over low heat, whisk the cranberry sauce and orange marmalade just until melted and blended. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before whisking in lime and orange juices and vodka (or lemon juice). Spoon half the cranberry-orange mixture into a zip-top plastic bag (reserve remainder for later use); add chicken cubes, coating well. Place in refrigerator and let marinate, turning occasionally, for at least 30 minutes or as long as an hour. Preheat outdoor grill. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade in plastic bag. Thread chicken on 8 skewers (if using bamboo, soak in water for 30 minutes prior). Place chicken on preheated grill over medium heat; cook for about 8 minutes total, or until tender and done, turning every two minutes or so to brown evenly, basting with reserved cranberry-orange mixture not used to marinate the chicken. Remove chicken from grill; sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired. May be garnished with orange and lime slices, if desired. Yield: 8 servings of 1 skewer each.