Tender, juicy chicken skewers
Tender, juicy chicken skewers with a marinade that gives them a savory taste. As soon as the sunny days comes out, especially in summer, we’re in the mood for a light, easy meal. Accompanied by rice and a small salad, it’s a quick and easy complete meal. I really like to accompany my grilled meats with a Shirazi salad and french ratatouille.
The evenings are so warm that I prefer dining on the terrace or in the garden without spending too much time in the kitchen. In summer, everyone loves to prepare grilled dishes and barbecues.
These marinated chicken skewers are very easy to prepare, and you won’t need a barbecue grill for cooking. You can prepare them quickly in advance, and about twenty minutes before serving, roast them in the oven.
If you have a backyard barbecue, an electric grill, or a plancha, you can use those instead of the oven. It’s all about what suits you best; the paprika and mustard chicken skewers will be delicious no matter which cooking method you choose. The success of these skewers depends on the marinade.
Say goodbye to chicken skewers with tough and dry meat. With a good marinade, you’ll have very tender and flavorful chicken skewers
Marinade for chicken skewers
Table of Contents
Unmarinated chicken skewers would be quite bland. The marinade is not only extremely flavorful but also makes the meat tender and juicy. It coats the chicken pieces, ensuring every bite is tasty.
You can use any spices and herbs you like in a marinade, such as cumin, paprika, herbes de Provence, thyme, mustard etc… By changing the marinade ingredients, you’ll be able to make chicken kebabs time and time again, without getting bored. The essential ingredient for tender, juicy chicken meat is vegetable oil.
I use olive oil, but you can use any other vegetable oil. The oil preserves the juices inside the meat, preventing them from drying out when cooked in the oven or on the barbecue.
2 other ingredients I use quite often in marinades to tenderize meats are lemon juice and yoghurt.
The acidity of the lemon juice and yoghurt is effective enough to produce soft, flavorful skewers. In addition to the marinade, if you want even fluffier chicken skewers, you can brine the meat.
I find that the marinade is more than enough for chicken breast kebabs. I use the brine when I want to roast a whole chicken.
You need 3 tablespoons of salt for 1 liter of water. Your chicken breasts or whole chicken must be immersed in the brine. You may need more water and salt. Once the water and salt have been mixed, soak the chicken in it and leave in the fridge for 30 min to 1 h. Before marinating, rinse and allow to dry thoroughly.
How to prepare oven-baked chicken kebabs with paprika and mustard?
NB: Find the quantity of ingredients in the recipe card at the end of the article, which you can print. Below are the instructions, also available with visual images.
1. Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Cut into fairly regular cubes.
2. Place the pieces in a bowl with the marinade ingredients and toss to coat the meat.
3. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 min. You can leave it for several hours or even overnight. Skewers will be all the tastier for it.
Chicken skewer marinade
4. After the marinating time, Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) on the grill setting.
5. Thread chicken pieces onto wooden or metal skewers. If you’re using wooden picks, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning during cooking.
6. Place the skewers on a greased wire rack over a drip pan to catch the juices.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, more or less. Turn skewers over halfway through cooking.
8. Once the skewers are cooked, place them on a platter and brush them with the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
9. Cover with aluminum foil for ten minutes before serving. Covering them in this way prevents the steam from evaporating, which would dry out the chicken skewers.
How to serve these chicken skewers?
You can accompany chicken kebabs with rice , french ratatouille , salad or make sandwiches with pita bread and a creamy yoghurt, dill or chive sauce. If you’re entertaining friends, suggest several accompaniments.
Grilling Chicken Skewers on the BBQ
Prepare the barbecue coals, and once ready, grill the skewers, turning them frequently for even browning. It takes about fifteen minutes, more or less.
Cooking chicken kebabs a la plancha or in a frying pan
Once the griddle is hot, lightly oil it before placing the skewers on top. Wait until chicken is seared before turning. The skewers won’t stick to the plancha. Turn regularly on all sides until cooked through and golden brown to taste.
Chicken skewers with paprika and mustard
Ingredients :
- 4 chicken breasts 950 g (33.5 oz)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Espelette pepper optional
- 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
- 2 heaping teaspoons of whole grain mustard or Dijon mustard
- 1 small onion finely grated
- 1 clove garlic grated
Instructions :
- Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Cut into fairly regular cubes.
- Place the pieces in a bowl with the marinade ingredients and toss to coat the meat.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 min. You can leave it for several hours or even overnight. Skewers will be all the tastier for it.
- After the marinating time, Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) on the grill setting.
- Thread chicken pieces onto wooden or metal skewers.
- If you're using wooden picks, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning during cooking.
- Place the skewers on a greased wire rack over a drip pan to catch the juices.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, more or less. Turn skewers over halfway through cooking.
- Once the skewers are cooked, place them on a platter and brush them with the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
- Cover with aluminum foil for ten minutes before serving.
- Covering them in this way prevents the steam from evaporating, which would dry out the chicken skewers.
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