With only a few more weeks of summer left, I am in full barbecue mode, trying to get as many grilled recipes posted as I can before we reach the season of apples, pumpkin and brussels sprouts.
I really like the simplicity of this recipe. All you need is chicken, cherry tomatoes and pesto to make these delicious pesto chicken skewers.
The pesto recipe I have included is the same one I used for the zucchini noodle pasta salad, but you could use any pesto recipe you have including this broccoli pesto, or kale and pistachio pesto.
In my opinion, as with most chicken recipes, the longer you marinate the chicken for, the more flavourful the dish will be. Ideally I recommend marinating it overnight in the pesto, but if you are short on time, a few hours also works.
Whenever you are barbecuing skewers made of wood, soak them in water for a minimum of 30 minutes so that they don’t burn. I have found that putting them in a water bottle filled with water is the easiest way to keep them submerged and ensure the entire skewer soaks.
You can serve large pesto chicken skewers as a main course, or alternatively cut each skewer in half and serve them as appetizer with a side of pesto for dipping. They are perfect summer barbecue finger food!
Be sure to keep the tomatoes whole when putting them on the skewers. If the tomatoes are cut in half they will self destruct when heated on the barbecue. Using yellow or orange cherry tomatoes makes these skewers look even prettier.
Here are a few other skewer recipes you will love:
- Moroccan Chicken Skewers with Cauliflower Couscous
- Jerk Chicken & Peach Skewers
- Asian Chicken Skewers
- Shrimp, Zucchini & Asparagus Skewers
- Beef, Fig and Red Onion Balsamic Skewers
- Grilled Lime & Chipotle Watermelon Skewers
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Pesto Chicken & Tomato Skewers
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs or 3 chicken breasts (500 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
Pesto
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup basil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and place in a zip loc bag.
- Combine the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Place 1/3 of the pesto in a container and place in the fridge for later. Pour the remaining 2/3 of the pesto in with the chicken and leave to marinate for minimum 1 hour but preferably overnight.
- Soak 6 wooden skewers in water for a minimum of 30 minutes (skip this step if you are using metal skewers)
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
- Thread the skewers alternating between a chunk of chicken and a cherry tomato. Place the skewers on the BBQ and spoon any of the remaining pesto from the bag over the chicken. Make sure you do this right after placing the raw chicken on the grill so there is no risk of cross contamination.
- Cook the chicken for approximately 8-10 minutes turning frequently until fully cooked through. Serve the skewers with the remaining 1/3 of the pesto.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!
We made this tonight. It was delicious. Fantastic recipe.