With summer weather comes outdoor grilling, and these Mexican Chicken Skewers are an excellent choice for a tasty and light meal to make on the grill.
These chicken skewers are cooked with a mixture of Mexican spices that give them a mouthwatering flavor. They are easy to make and can be cooked in only a matter of minutes. It’s better if you can make them on a grill, but if you don’t have access to one, don’t worry, you can still make them in your kitchen with a grill pan.
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Skewers (or “Brochetas”) in Mexico
In Mexico, chicken skewers are called “Brochetas de Pollo”, although some people also call them alambres instead of brochetas. “Alambres” refers to the metal skewers that are more popular in Mexico, as opposed to the disposable wooden/bamboo skewers you can now find at most supermarkets. In other Spanish-speaking countries, the name pinchos is used to describe meat cooked on skewers.
The metal skewers we use in Mexico are usually made of stainless steel, and are used to cook meat over a charcoal grill. The skewers are assembled using beef or chicken, with a mix of vegetables between each piece of meat. Traditionally, beef skewers (brochetas de res) were the most common type of skewer in Mexico, but chicken is becoming more and more popular given the fact that chicken is less expensive.
Marinating the Chicken Breasts
The lack of fat content in the chicken breast means that if you overcook it, the chicken will come out dry. This is why it is important to coat the chicken with a marinade, like the one in this recipe. I made it using a mixture of spices, herbs, lime juice, and heart-healthy* Mazola® Corn Oil. While I didn’t include it here, some cooks also like to add vinegar in order to help tenderize the meat.
The chicken does not actually have to marinate for any length of time. For this recipe, you can start grilling the chicken immediately after you coat it with the mixture, but if you want you can let it marinate for a longer time.
Spices & Herbs for Marinating the Chicken Breasts
For this marinade, the spices I’m using are garlic & onion powders, ground cumin, Mexican Oregano, and salt and pepper. Just these few ingredients are enough to give a great amount of flavor to the chicken. They are combined with lime juice and the Mazola® Corn Oil to bind all the flavors together and form a mixture that will enhance the taste of the chicken skewers.
I use Mazola® Corn Oil because it has a neutral flavor that does not interfere with other ingredients. It also has a high smoke point of 450ºF allowing it to tolerate higher temperatures when you cook the chicken on a charcoal grill. If you want to add some extra smokiness to your marinade, you can add some smoked paprika to it.
Vegetables to make the Chicken Skewers
Bell peppers allow us to create a colorful skewer, and they add some heat and texture to it. On the other hand, the onion adds some sweetness and a rich umami flavor. If you want to add a little more spiciness you can substitute the green peppers for Poblano peppers.
Other veggies you can add to the skewers are mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and squash or zucchini. Adding a variety of vegetables helps to create a wholesome meal on a skewer!
What to serve with Mexican Chicken skewers?
To complete a summer cookout spread, I would serve these skewers with freshly-made Guacamole (or avocado slices), some Mexican rice, a red salsa, some radishes, lime wedges, a fresh Pico de Gallo, warm corn tortillas, and roasted serrano peppers or chiles toreados.
Some people like using the tortillas to make tacos with the chicken, topping them with a salsa and some chopped onion and cilantro.
Tips for cooking chicken skewers
● When cutting the chicken breast, make sure that all the pieces are the same size, in order to ensure even cooking.
● You can use chicken thigh meat if you want, just make sure to trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs to avoid any flares from the fire (if cooking on an outdoor grill).
● Soak your wooden skewers before using them (in order to keep them from burning in the flames). You can soak them in a baking pan or a tall pitcher full of water.
● To cook the chicken skewers on a gas grill, turn your gas grill to medium-high heat. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side.
● If you are using a charcoal grill to cook the chicken skewers, prepare your grill by piling the charcoal into a mound to increase the contact. Light the charcoal, and once the charcoal pieces look like they are forming white ash on the edges, place the chicken skewers on the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side.
● The dry ingredients in this marinade can be used as a rub for other chicken recipes. You can even make a small batch of it and store it in a glass bottle to have ready for other recipes.
● You can use this marinade to make chicken fajitas or another fajita style dish.
● If you want to enhance the marinade, you can add Worcestershire sauce or seasoning sauce to it.
● Depending on the country, there are different names for meat cooked on a skewer. These include Pinchos, Brochettes, Satays, and Kebabs/Kababs/Kabobs.
How to make mexican chicken skewers
Makes 2 servings (4 skewers)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12-15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ tsp. Mexican oregano
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon Mazola® Corn Oil
- 1 lb. Chicken breast, cut into 1 to 1¼-inch cubes
- 4 thick center-cut Bacon slices, cut into 4 pieces each.
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into squares
- 1 large green bell pepper, cut into squares
- ½ medium-size red onion
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a medium-size bowl, mix the Mexican oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. You can consider this the “spice mix” (or “rub”) for the chicken meat.
2. Add the lime juice and Mazola® Corn Oil to the spice mix, and stir to mix well.
3. Stir in the chicken pieces, making sure they are well coated with the marinade.
4. Start assembling the skewers by first placing a red or green pepper square, then thread a piece of chicken, then a square of bacon, then a slice of onion, and another slice of pepper. Continue adding the ingredients in that order until you assemble the skewer. Repeat with the rest of the skewers. It is very important to place the bacon next to the chicken so that it can infuse the chicken breast with some of its flavors.
5. Heat your grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Instructions to cook on an outdoor grill are given in the notes below.
6. Place the skewers on the hot grill (or pan) and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each of the four sides until the chicken is cooked. Serve the chicken skewers directly on a plate to allow each person to remove the meat and vegetables and enjoy with warm corn tortillas.
*See www.mazola.com for information about the relationship between corn oil and heart disease.
**Corn oil is a cholesterol-free food that contains 14g of total fat per serving. See nutrition information on product label or at Mazola.com for fat and saturated fat content.
📖 Recipe
Chicken skewers
Ingredients
- ½ tsp. Mexican oregano
- ¼ tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp. Mazola® Corn Oil
- 1 lb. Chicken breast cut into 1 to 1¼-inch cubes
- 4 thick center-cut Bacon slices cut into 4 pieces each.
- 1 large red bell pepper cut into squares
- 1 large green bell pepper cut into squares
- ½ medium-size red onion
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl, mix the Mexican oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. You can consider this the “spice mix” (or “rub”) for the chicken meat.
- Add the lime juice and Mazola® Corn Oil to the spice mix, and stir to mix well.
- Stir in the chicken pieces, making sure they are well coated with the marinade.
- Start assembling the skewers by first placing a red or green pepper square, then a piece of chicken, then a square of bacon, then a slice of onion, and another slice of pepper. Continue adding the ingredients in that order until you assemble the skewer. Repeat with the rest of the skewers. It is very important to place the bacon next to the chicken so that it can infuse the chicken breast with some of its flavors.
- Heat your grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Instructions to cook on an outdoor grill are given in the notes below.
- Place the skewers on the hot grill (or pan) and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each of the four sides until the chicken is cooked. Serve the chicken skewers directly on a plate to allow each person to remove the meat and vegetables and enjoy with warm corn tortillas.
Notes
- When cutting the chicken breast, make sure that all the pieces are the same size, in order to ensure even cooking.
- You can use chicken thigh meat if you want, just make sure to trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs to avoid any flares from the fire (if cooking on an outdoor grill).
- Soak your wooden skewers before using them (in order to keep them from burning in the flames). You can soak them in a baking pan or a tall pitcher full of water.
- To cook the chicken skewers on a gas grill, turn your gas grill to medium-high heat. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side.
- If you are using a charcoal grill to cook the chicken skewers, prepare your grill by piling the charcoal into a mound to increase the contact. Light the charcoal, and once the charcoal pieces look like they are forming white ash on the edges, place the chicken skewers on the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side.
- The dry ingredients in this marinade can be used as a rub for other chicken recipes. You can even make a small batch of it and store it in a glass bottle to have ready for other recipes.
- You can use this marinade to make chicken fajitas or another fajita style dish.
- If you want to enhance the marinade, you can add Worcestershire sauce or seasoning sauce to it.
Sofia Graf
Mexican Chicken skewers making are indeed easy I felt after reading this well-narrated recipe. Thanks for sharing the cooking tips. I have tried the recipe but I have used butter ghee instead of corn oil. Butter ghee is nutritious and it offers the support of a high smoke point, which is a definite advantage, I feel. I am satisfied with the ghee cooking.