Shish kebabs are an invariable attribute of picnics. Not a single trip to nature is complete without them. For the preparation of a delicious dish, different types of meat are used. Our housewives often make all the choices in favor of pork and chicken. Lamb is used much less frequently. In our article we want to talk about how to marinate chicken skewers and cook it in the oven or on the grill.
Meat selection
Delicious barbecue can be prepared from any kind of meat. Chicken kebab is the most budget option. Some housewives believe that chicken is not suitable for cooking. This is actually not the case. The taste of the dish largely depends on the marinade used and the quality of cooking. You must also be able to choose the right meat. To prepare a delicious chicken kebab, you need to know some nuances. A properly prepared dish is as good as pork to taste. But it is less caloric.
Practically any part of the chicken is suitable for cooking barbecue. Thighs would be an ideal option. They always have a lot of meat and it is juicy. Chicken fillet is used less often because it is dry. But as a dietary option, it is also acceptable.
If you opted for chicken thighs, then pick them up about the same size. This will further ensure a more uniform preparation of the pieces.
For the preparation of chicken skewers, it is better to use chilled meat. It turns out more delicious. Thawed chicken is drier.
Sometimes in supermarkets you can find a boneless thigh. Such meat for housewives is a real find, because you do not have to remove unnecessary parts yourself. When cutting chicken into pieces, do not make them too large or small. Small slices are too dry, and large slices may simply not be fully cooked.
As for the skin, some housewives do not remove it, since with it the kebab from chicken is juicier. However, professional chefs recommend cutting it. Without the skin, the finished dish looks more aesthetically pleasing, and not every person loves it. In general, you should focus on the taste preferences of your family.
How to marinate chicken skewers?
Choosing the right marinade is a very important point for making barbecue. Fatty foods like mayonnaise and sour cream are very good for use. Marinades based on soy sauce, wine, fruit juice are also considered very successful. You can use the classic options based on kefir and vinegar.
Marinating chicken is recommended in enameled, glass or ceramic dishes. Stainless steel tanks are allowed. Aluminum utensils are not suitable due to the fact that harmful substances are released upon contact with the acids of the marinade. Wooden tubs give the meat a specific flavor, and therefore are also excluded.
To get a juicy kebab of chicken, you need to marinate the meat for at least three hours. If you have the opportunity, then ideally chicken can be kept in solution and spices for six to ten hours. She will not get worse from this. On the contrary, its taste is enriched and the meat will turn out more juicy.
Marinade recipes
There are many options for preparing marinades. Each hostess can make changes to existing recipes.
The simplest marinade can be made from wine vinegar and sunflower oil. They are mixed in equal amounts (take 50 g). Add pepper and salt to the mass, and then pour its meat.
Mayonnaise-based marinade is one of the most popular and easiest options. Rub the prepared chicken with garlic, pepper and salt. Lubricate the pieces with mayonnaise and add the onion rings. We leave the chicken in the marinade until the morning.
Beer is often used to prepare meat for cooking. Grease chicken meat with suitable spices and salt, add oregano and onion. From above, the meat is poured with beer and allowed to marinate for ten hours. Of course, this option is suitable for an adult company. But for children it is worth using other recipes.
Kefir marinade does not lose its popularity, because it is very good for any meat. Rub chicken with salt, pepper, add other spices, garlic and onions. From above, fill the meat with kefir and leave for at least two hours.
Walnut marinade is also good for chicken. Rub the meat with a mixture of grated garlic, onions, vegetable oil and chopped nuts. Thirty minutes later, chicken can be cooked.
Classic kebab recipe
For the preparation of barbecue chicken on the grill, you can use the classic recipe.
Ingredients:
- spices for chicken,
- onion (520 g),
- kilogram of thighs,
- wine vinegar (110 g),
- sugar (tsp)
- salt to taste
- two bay leaves
- black pepper.
Cut the onion into rings. In a deep dish, mix all the ingredients for the marinade. We wash the chicken and cut into portions. Next, we transfer the meat to the marinade, add the onion, mix everything thoroughly with your hands. Each piece of chicken should be saturated with a fragrant mass. Close the pan from the top with a lid and put it in a cool place. It is necessary to marinate the meat in advance, it must be infused for at least two hours. If in the marinade the chicken stays all night, then it certainly will not get worse from this.
To cook chicken skewers on skewers or on the grill do not need a lot of firewood. Chicken is cooked much faster than pork, so the heat should not be strong. Otherwise, you may overdry or spoil the meat. In the process of cooking, there should always be a bottle of water near the barbecue, so that when a fire appears, it can be quickly extinguished. It is most convenient to use a grill for cooking chicken. Experienced chefs believe that it is preferable to take wine vinegar for the marinade. Ordinary chicken is not suitable, because it makes its meat stiff.
Kebab with soy sauce
The barbecue marinated with soy sauce is very tasty. For cooking, use any part of the chicken and even wings.
Ingredients:
- kilogram of chicken
- 0.5 kg of onion and grapefruit,
- soy sauce (70 ml),
- barbecue seasonings
- a mixture of peppers.
Cut the chicken into pieces, wash and dry with napkins. We cut grapefruits into two parts and survive from each half juice. Pour fresh juice into a pan and mix it with soy sauce. Add spices and pepper mixture. We put the meat in the marinade and mix well with our hands. Add the onion, sliced in rings. We cover the pan with a lid and put in the refrigerator. In such a marinade, it is enough to keep chicken for two to four hours. This time is enough to get a delicious barbecue. We do not add salt during cooking, as soy sauce itself is quite salty.
Meat in mayonnaise
Many housewives pickle chicken skewers in mayonnaise. Since chicken is lean, this marinade is very good. It is not suitable only for those who seek to cook a more dietary dish.
Ingredients:
- onions (480 g),
- kilogram of chicken
- mayonnaise (240 g),
- pepper,
- salt.
We wash the chicken and cut into pieces. Cut the onion into rings. Add meat to the dishes, add onions. Sprinkle chicken on top of spices. Next, fill the mass with mayonnaise and mix all the products with your hands. We remove the capacity in the refrigerator, closing the lid. After three to four hours, the meat can be fried.
Mayonnaise is good because it is oily and makes up for the lack of this very fat in chicken. The meat marinated in mayonnaise always turns out to be juicy and tender.
Chicken with pineapple
A delicious barbecue of chicken fillet can be prepared using canned pineapples, honey and beer. The original marinade allows you to make the meat juicy and flavorful.
Ingredients:
- a can of pineapples
- fillet (830 g),
- three table. l honey
- as much beer
- table. l soy sauce.
For the marinade, we need the juice of canned pineapple. Mix in a container three tablespoons of juice with soy sauce and beer. We warm the honey a little in a water bath so that it becomes liquid, after which we add it to the marinade. Each fillet is cut into four parts. We wash the meat and put it in the marinade. All components are thoroughly mixed by hands. We close the container and the lid and put in the refrigerator.
By morning, the meat will be ready. Stringing chicken on skewers, it is necessary to alternate its pieces with pineapple washers. Ready kebab will have an original sweet flavor.
Kebab marinated in kefir
If you want to cook tender meat, but do not like mayonnaise, you can marinate chicken skewers in kefir.
Ingredients:
- kilogram of fillet,
- onion (520 g),
- kefir (240 g),
- salt,
- seasonings for chicken.
We wash the fillet and cut into four parts. Dry the pieces with napkins. We mix kefir with seasonings for chicken. We shift the meat into a deep bowl and fill it with kefir mass on top. Add the onion, chopped in rings, to the barbecue. Mix all the ingredients with your hands. We close the pan with a lid and put it in the refrigerator. In kefir, meat can be held for longer.
Oven Chicken Kebab
Meat fried at the stake is a must for any trip to nature. But what if the weather does not allow you to organize a picnic in the fresh air? In this case, you can cook chicken skewers in the oven.
There are several ways you can use to cook meat at home. You can fry chicken in the oven on the grill. But under the bottom you need to put a regular baking sheet. Marinade will be dripped into it during cooking.
Also, pickled meat can be baked in a mold. If you want to get real skewers on skewers, then this is not a problem. Chicken should be strung on wooden or metal skewers and put them on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Next, send it all to the oven and bake. If your stove is equipped with a grill function, then it can be used in the baking process. The finished dish is very tasty.
Mineral water chicken
Ingredients:
- kilogram of thighs,
- soy sauce (45 g),
- mineral water (240 g),
- vegetable oil (110 g),
- spice,
- onions (520 g).
We cut the chicken into pieces, wash it and rub it with spices. Top grease the meat with vegetable oil. Next, put the chicken in a deep bowl and add the onions, sliced in rings. Top the meat with a mixture of mineral water and soy sauce. We send chicken to the refrigerator for five hours.
Barbecue with lemon
It turns out very tasty chicken, pickled with lemon and spices.
Ingredients:
- fillet (980 g),
- garlic,
- lemon juice,
- paprika,
- Italian herbs
- cumin
- salt,
- ground pepper
- cinnamon,
- two table. l olive oil.
In a small container, mix all the spices, including Italian herbs. Add the chopped garlic and the juice of one lemon to the mass. My chicken fillet and cut, put it in a pan, and on top lay the lemon mass with spices and add a little olive oil. All the ingredients are thoroughly mixed by hand. Close the pan and put it in a cold place.
Skewers in sour cream mustard sauce
Ingredients:
- chicken (950 g),
- Dijon mustard (two to three spoons),
- sour cream (230 g),
- two table. l honey
- garlic,
- salt,
- a mixture of peppers
- two bell peppers.
In a deep dish, mix all the products for the marinade. Add chopped garlic, sour cream, mustard and liquid honey. Cut the chicken into pieces, rinse it and transfer to the marinade. Mix the mass well with your hands so that all the pieces can be soaked in spices. We close the pan with a lid and put it in a cool place. Stringing meat on skewers, we alternate chicken with rings of sweet pepper.