Grilled Chicken Skewers With Deconstructed Pesto
- Total Time
- About 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼cup plus ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
- 1cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- ⅓cup toasted pine nuts
- 4teaspoons minced garlic
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
553 calories; 38 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 49 grams protein; 631 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
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.)
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
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.
- Step 4
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.
Private Notes
Comments
Perhaps the point is the grilling and the deconstructed pesto, but after making and eating it (and it was delicious) my husband said, "Why couldn't we just saute the chicken and then put on regular pesto sauce?" At that point, we realized it would make a great topping for pasta.
I have made this several times. I use Chicken breasts, because we prefer them. The cooking time is less and perhaps my chunks are 1 1/2 inches. This very good. i often add a squeeze of lemon at the end.
I put the juice of a lemon in a plastic bag and put the chicken chunks in it for about an hour. Then added the olive oil and Salt & Pepper and squished it around until coated and left it for about 15 minutes before grilling. Everything else was by the book. I really loved it! And it is so easy!
Love this recipe. Not a big fan of pesto. Often to garlicky for me. What I like about this recipe is that you just roughly chop the basil and roast whole pine nuts. It felt so fresh to me. I did use less garlic, but that’s just me. Marinated chicken in Italian seasonings and olive oil for at least 1 hour and then grill. I chose to use boneless thighs. I would recommend
Made into complete meal. Added large handful Arugula Chopped head romaine 10 chopped fried new potatoes Sauté garlic Left chicken thighs whole. Marinated in juice of one lemon EVOO salt & pepper while gathering the rest of the meal. Very good, next time toss everything but chicken first then add cubed chicken. Great for warm evening dinner.
Outstanding! I make pesto chicken all the time and did not think this would make so much difference. It was very flavorful! I gently sautéed 1/2 the garlic and added the rest raw. We will make this again and again....