Lemon-Garlic Chicken and Tomato Skewers with Basil Chimichurri
Grilled chicken doesn’t always need a long marinade to be full of flavor. These spend just a few minutes in a lemony-garlicky mix before they’re grilled to charred perfection. The hot chicken absorbs the flavor of the fresh basil chimichurri, and the grilled cherry tomatoes bring sweetness and acid.
Servings: 4 -6
Ingredients
For the kebabs (makes 6 12-inch skewers)
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or boneless skinless chicken breasts)
- 1 pint large cherry tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves grated or minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Zest from one lemon finely grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Basil Chimichurri:
- 1 1/4 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove grated (1 teaspoon)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to a medium-high heat. Clean and oil grill grates. If you’re using wooden/bamboo skewers, immerse them in warm water to prevent them catching on the grill.
- In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, oil, red pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
- Prick chicken thighs all over with a fork, then cut into two-inch chunks. Add to the marinade bowl and mix to coat. It only needs to sit for around five minutes.
- While the chicken marinates, make the chimichurri : add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the herbs are coarsely chopped. Check seasoning to taste. Leave at room temperature until the chicken is ready.
- Thread the chicken onto metal (or pre-soaked bamboo) skewers. Make sure to leave a little room between pieces on the skewers so they cook evenly.
- Thread the tomatoes onto separate skewers, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a little sea salt.
- Grill the chicken kebabs until lightly charred and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally. This should take around 10 minutes.
- Transfer the skewers to a platter and serve with the chimichurri sauce.
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