TENDER, JUICY CHICKEN BREAST KEBABS

I know chicken breasts (white meat) are healthier than chicken thighs (dark meat) and when it comes to ordering grilled chicken breasts at a restaurant, I'm always skeptical whether the chicken will be tough, dry and probably inedible! I realized that there are tips and tricks to cooking chicken breasts that ensure succulent, juicy, tender pieces that people don't know about.  This was really apparent on my recent trip to Nantucket when my daughter and her friends were so surprised that they were eating chicken breasts (white meat) and not chicken thighs (dark meat).  (I also saw what they were not doing correctly when helping me skewer!) This tender, juicy chicken breast kebabs recipe is not only a tutorial for my Nantucket foodies which highlights the techniques to a juicy, tender dish, but also showcases the Sammy Wong's Kitchen all-purpose seasoning that enhances the flavor of the lean, white chicken breast meat to perfection!

Tips for making tender, juicy chicken breast kebabs.

Chicken

Grilled chicken thighs are usually easier to grill and keep succulent due to the high fat content relative to chicken breasts.  However, chicken breasts, when cooked correctly are definitely healthier with less fat and calories.  The key to making perfect, succulent, grilled chicken breasts is to keep the chicken pieces uniform in size, marinating correctly and not overcooking the pieces.  If you are putting the chicken breasts on skewers, thread like- sized pieces together so that all the chicken pieces on that particular skewer will cook at the same time.  It is easier to take skewers off the grill at different times so that the chicken on a particular skewer is adequately cooked rather than trying to cook a particular skewer with different sized pieces and getting them all cooked properly.

Marinate your chicken breasts for at least an hour in an acid like lemon or lime juice to break down the muscle.  It is preferable to marinate the meat overnight making sure you turn them in the marinade so every cube is well marinated. Before skewering, add some olive oil to the meat if your BBQ grill grates are not seasoned as the meat will tend to stick to the grates.

Skewers

There are 2 main types of skewers: wood and metal.  

The traditional skewers are long and round.  Skewers can also be flat. The minimum length of the skewers should be about 14 inches since you don't want to overstuff the skewer.  When skewers are overstuffed, heat cannot circulate around each piece of meat and vegetable easily, making it difficult to cook and resulting in dry, overcooked kebabs because it takes so long to cook the center of the meat.

Wooden skewers.

Wooden skewers can be found in any market. Buy sturdy skewers that won't break under the weight of the meat.  You are not cooking street food! Wooden skewers need to be soaked for at least a half an hour before grilling to avoid the wood from being scorched or worse, burning!  Make sure that the skewers don't have any splinters! If possible, purchase long, flat wooden skewers that gives you sufficient room to space the meats and vegetables that allows for uniform cooking. If your meat is spinning around the skewer, use two skewers!

Stainless steel skewers.

There are benefits to the flat metal skewers.  Due to the shape of the skewer, the meat and vegetables has less of a tendency to spin around the skewer, making it easier to grill.  Also, the conduction of heat from the metal helps cook the meat faster than wooden skewers, resulting in faster , more even cooking and juicier pieces!

Vegetables.

Choose vegetables that won't fall off the skewer and also provides beautiful color.  Colored peppers and zucchini are good options.  I like adding red onion to provide both flavor to the chicken and a little bit of crunch! Cut the vegetables uniform in size and pretty chunky, about the same size as your meat so that they would cook at about the same rate as the meat.

Skewering.

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least a half an hour before skewering to prevent them from scorching and possibly snapping during grilling. When skewering the pieces of chicken and vegetables, allow a little space between each piece so that the heat can cook the pieces evenly.  Also, vary the color of the vegetables so it creates a rainbow of colors.  We do eat with our eyes as well!  When using metal skewers, the metal will become hot and this allows the internal part of the meat and vegetable pieces to cook.

Grilling.

It is somewhat difficult to measure the internal temperature of such small pieces of meat.  DO NOT OVERCOOK.  Use the "feel" method to test doneness for these tender, juicy chicken breast kebabs. The firmness of the meat should be the same as the area at the base of the thumb when the thumb and ring or pinkey finger are touching.

Enjoy!