Barbecued Chicken Kebabs Cooks Illustrated
"I haven't tried this yet, but it looks delicious! It uses bacon paste which I have never tried before. A bit of prep work but it looks like it's worth it. The recipe calls for breasts, but I think thighs would work as well and they stay a bit more juicy than breasts, just add a few minutes to the time. I am also sure that your favorite b-b-q sauce would work instead of the home-made, to cut back on time. Time does not include refrigeration time. From Cook's Illustrated, May/June 2011"
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 14
- Serves:
-
4-6
ingredients
-
Barbecue Sauce
- 1⁄2 cup ketchup
- 1⁄4 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons onions, grated
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
-
Kebabs
- 2 lbs chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 48 inches metal skewers
directions
- Add the chicken and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
-
Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and reduces to about 1 cup.
- Set aside 1/2 cup of the sauce to serve with the cooked chicken, the other 1/2 cup is for brushing the kebabs.
- Preheat your grill - turn the burners to high, close the lid and let heat for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, use paper towels to pat chicken dry.
- Mix the sweet paprika, sugar and smoked paprika together in a small bowl.
- Add the bacon to your food processor and pulse until the bacon becomes a smooth paste, about 30-45 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Combine the chicken, spice mixture and bacon paste in a large bowl and use your hands to mix and coat the chicken evenly.
- Thread the chicken onto the skewers.
- Leave one burner of your grill on high and turn the others off. Place the kebabs over the hot burner, and grill (covered), giving them a quarter turn every 2 minutes, until browned and slightly charred on all sides, about 8 minutes.
- If a flare-up occurs, just move the kebabs to the cool side of the grill temporarily.
- Brush one side of the kebabs with about 1/4 cup sauce then flip and cook until the sauce browns a bit, about 1 minute.
- Brush the other side with the remaining 1/4 cup sauce, flip and cook until brown, about 1 more minute. The chicken should register 160 F on an instant read thermometer.
- Transfer the kebabs to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes before serving with 1/2 cup reserved sauce.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Scoutie
Roseville, California
<p>Hello all, being from California, I can honestly say I am a foodie. You can walk by construction workers here and hear them saying things like, So I used some fresh garlic and olive oil, then threw the rest into the pan to sautee. LOL I love all kinds of food, and trying to eat healthier as I get older, but still indulge in the occasional deep-fried food or sweet. <br />I LOVE this site! I have 3 or 4 other food sites such as Epicurious and Food Network, but I always come back here! The ease and all of the features just can't be beat. <br />Thanks Zaar and I look forward to participating more.</p>
