Not a great Memorial Day weekend here in Greater Boston, weather-wise. Saturday was brutally hot but then Sunday overcast and cold. Nevertheless, I needed to eat and I had all the ingredients for these lovely kebabs, and I was just itching to use the grill on Saturday. Wrapped them in a tortilla to serve, but could also just serve with a side of rice and beans. Also, I had leftovers, which I diced up fairly small added a bit of mayo and guacamole, and it made a lovely chicken salad for dinner last night.
Ingredients
for the chicken marinade
1 teaspoons kosher salt
6 garlic cloves, chopped coarse
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons grated lime zest plus 1/4 cup juice (2-3 limes)
for the skewers
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut to narrow strips
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds remmoved, cut to 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, ribs and seeds remmoved, cut to 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 orange bell pepper, ribs and seeds remmoved, cut to 1 1/2 inch pieces
3-4 large jalepenos, ribs and seeds remmoved, cut to 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 red onions, ribs and seeds remmoved, cut to 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
You will also need 4-6 metal kebab skewers and a pastry brush.
Directions
Combine salt, garlic, pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, and lime zest and juice in bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours. Do not marinade the chicken for more then 2 hours as it will become mushy. With 10 minutes to go in your marinade time, add the veggies and toss.
Carefully thread the chicken and veggies onto skewers. I use two skewers per kebab, so that the meat and veggies don’t “spin” when grilling. This should been enough for two or three kebabs in total, which will feed 4 people.
Pre-heat grill to medium high (direct flame); clean and oil the grill grate. Brush each skewer with oil and place on grill. Grill for 5-7 minutes per side, for a total of 10-14 minutes, being careful that they don’t burn or stick to the grill. Let rest, tented with aluminum foil, for 10 muntes before serving. Serve wrapped in tortillas, or with rice and beans, salsa and guacamole.
