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These pesto chicken kebabs are delicious, fresh, simple to make and smell like summer.
These Grilled Pesto Chicken Kebabs can be served as an appetizer or for dinner, with a side of vegetables or a salad.
Kebabs (skewers) or meat on a stick are very popular in Europe, and you can make them with different kinds of meat- pork, beef, lamb, chicken or even some kinds of fish.
In fact I have a lot of kebab recipes on the blog.
I’ve tested making meat on a stick with various kinds of meat and chicken breast seems to work best for me.
The meat always turns tender, juicy and flavorful.
I’ve also made beef and lamb kebabs, but even when marinated for a long time, they are not nearly as juicy and chicken kabobs.
The secret in making good kebabs is in the marinade.
The longer they marinade, the more tender and flavorful the meat gets.
I chose to share a recipe for chicken kebabs, marinated in pesto sauce.
Chicken can be marinated for shorter time than other kinds of meat, and can still taste great.
In this recipe I recommend marinating the meat for at least 1 hour, but again – the more time the better, overnight is best.
I like to make my skewers with just meat on them and grill some veggies on the side.
This way I make sure that my meat is perfectly grilled and my vegetables aren’t burned.
I have other recipes for kebabs like my Grilled Chicken Skewers and Chicken Kabobs With Mushrooms, Zucchini And Peppers , but this time I wanted to marinate them in pesto sauce.
I love the smell and fresh flavor of basil and that’s why I was very excited about making these skewers.
I used pesto sauce I got at the store, but you can definitely make your own, you can find plenty of recipes on the web.
I’m also planning on making homemade pesto sometime soon.
For these Grilled Pesto Chicken Kebabs you can either use wooden or metal skewers.
If you decide to use wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in cold water for 15 minutes before use.
This way the wood does not burn and the meat can be easily removed after grilling.
You can use metal skewers, which at this point is the better option for me, because they are reusable and easy to clean. Also when heated I feel like the meat cooks faster than when wooden skewers are used.
What kind of grill should you use to make these Grilled Chicken Kebabs?
I use my Webber gas grill all the time, because it heats fast and works well for my recipes.
Charcoal grill can be used as well.
The problem it that I don’t know how to use a charcoal grill, so I rely on my husband for this, otherwise the meat always smells and tastes delicious.
Can you make these Grilled Pesto Chicken Kebabs on the stove top, in a pan?
Yes, just keep in mind that you may easily dry the meat out if you are not careful.
Here is how I made there grilled pesto marinated chicken kebabs.
Pesto Marinated Chicken Mini Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tbsp pesto sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 6-8 10 inch wooden skewers
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and pesto.
- Add chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and let it marinate for 1 hour. (Refrigerate if you have to leave meat to marinate for longer than 1 hour).
- Soak wooden skewers in cold water for 15 minutes before you put the meat on them.
- Thread meat on skewers and discard remaining marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium-high temperature. I use a gas grill.
- Grill until chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes per side, turning once.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Decided to serve my skewers with some grilled zucchini and a side of pesto olive oil. Here is a simple recipe for a Grilled Zucchini Salad you might want to check out.
Original recipe posted in July 2014. New photos added in June 2018.
These chicken kebabs taste delicious!
It’s been too long since I’ve made kebabs, so I need to change that! These look wonderful, Mira! Pesto is my absolute favorite, so I know I would devour these in no time. So perfect for summer, too!
I’ve got a pesto chicken kebab recipe that I love too — the pesto sauce and lemon gives the chicken such great flavor! These look so juicy and perfect Mira!
Its Yummy and delicious. Just loved it.
Great! Thanks for the nice comment!
MAKE DELICIOUS EASY MEAL AND EVEN IF NOT HOT OUTSIDE, MAKES IT BETTER ON THE GRILL,, CAN BRING IT IN…SERVE WHATEVER,, NICE COLD COLD SLAW MIXED WITH CREAMY PEASANT DRESSING…
FRESH FRUIT FOR DESERT!
Great!