Grilled Chicken Skewers With Deconstructed Pesto
- Total Time
- About 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 entree servings
- 3pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼cup plus ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
- 1cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- ⅓cup toasted pine nuts
- 4teaspoons minced garlic
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
553 calories; 38 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 49 grams protein; 631 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Build a fire in your grill; when the flames have died down, all the coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill for about 5 seconds), you’re ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn all burners to high, lower cover and heat for 15 minutes, then turn burners to medium.)
- Step 2
Combine the chicken, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss well to coat, then thread the chicken chunks onto the skewers so they press up against one another but aren’t jammed together.
- Step 3
Put the skewers on the grill directly over the coals and cook, rolling the skewers around every 3 to 4 minutes to ensure all the sides are more or less evenly exposed to the heat, until lightly seared, about 12 to 14 minutes. To check for doneness, make a small cut and peek inside a couple of the chunks to be sure they are opaque all the way through with no pink.
- Step 4
Slide the chicken chunks off the skewers into a large bowl, add all the other ingredients one after the other, toss well to coat evenly, season to taste if needed and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
frances hammond
I have made this several times. I use Chicken breasts, because we prefer them. The cooking time is less and perhaps my chunks are 1 1/2 inches. This very good. i often add a squeeze of lemon at the end.
Alexa H
Perhaps the point is the grilling and the deconstructed pesto, but after making and eating it (and it was delicious) my husband said, "Why couldn't we just saute the chicken and then put on regular pesto sauce?" At that point, we realized it would make a great topping for pasta.
Jan Maugans
This is delicious, and easy to make. I did not use skewers, and simply cooked the chicken on the grill...so fewer steps and easy too. Prepping ingredients ahead of time makes this dish really fast. I wouldn’t change anything. I’ve made it several times to great reviews!
Jan Maugans
I put the juice of a lemon in a plastic bag and put the chicken chunks in it for about an hour. Then added the olive oil and Salt & Pepper and squished it around until coated and left it for about 15 minutes before grilling. Everything else was by the book. I really loved it! And it is so easy!
Nordy
I really like this dish. I normally add some grape tomatoes.
Deb in KY
Outstanding! I make pesto chicken all the time and did not think this would make so much difference. It was very flavorful! I gently sautéed 1/2 the garlic and added the rest raw. We will make this again and again....
Deb Reese
Excellent, and so easy! We will be making this frequently in the summer when we have an overabundance of basil in the garden.
jolee
This is absolutely one of my favorites. Tonight I’ll try over rice
Steve
This is simple and superb. Got rave reviews at our house. Made as written with one change: Instead of coating the chicken in olive oil I covered it with mayo, per J. Kenzi Lopez-Alt. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020543-mayo-marinated-chicken-with-chimichurri Fantastic and so succulent. Next time, I'll simplify things further by skipping the skewers and just putting the thighs directly on the grill. Goes great with grilled cherry tomatoes and wild rice.
dar-ling
EVOO and sauté garlic before adding. Added fresh blanched green beans an a dozen cherry tomatoes halved to make a complete meal.
Jennifer
I'd say 4.5 - but it is very easy and very good. I marinated the thighs in lemon juice and olive oil, with some salt and pepper. I also grilled three shallots and a red pepper to add to the mix. I did not bother with skewers, just grilled the thighs as is and then cut them in half. Since I made this as a dinner for two, I did 1/3 the recipe and reduced the garlic a bit because it seemed like a lot to add it uncooked at the end. Served with a simple salad and it is a great summer meal.
T. Dobbs
Delicious! Can’t wait to make it again.
Sara
4th of July, ‘22. Delicious! Moved to lower rack to be sure bottom crust was fully cooked. Browned on middle shelf under broiler to get better color on top crust. Liked nutmeg flavor with peaches.
Kathie W
I made for a crowd. Very easy and delicious. I did follow the suggestion to use lemon juice as well. The deconstruction enabled me to leave pine nuts on the side for those with food allergies.
Hillary B.
Tasty and light. Next time I’ll cook the minced garlic with the chicken.
Kathleen
Thunderstorms were in the forecast, so I skipped the outdoor grill and sautéed the chicken stovetop in a bit of olive oil with the minced garlic, then tossed that in with the cheese, basil, toasted pine nuts. Easy peasy option.
Jan Maugans
This is delicious, and easy to make. I did not use skewers, and simply cooked the chicken on the grill...so fewer steps and easy too. Prepping ingredients ahead of time makes this dish really fast. I wouldn’t change anything. I’ve made it several times to great reviews!
Eamon Parker
Great recipe, smart name
Del. Slo Cookr
I made this per the recipe, and served it over orzo along with the involtini from Nigella Lawson's recipe. Went well together and was very filling. I only used 2 pounds of chicken, and for four people there was plenty left over (the nutritional info says 4 servings from 3 lbs @800+ calories each!). Will definitely be making this again.
Betsy Hood
Very good. Easy and satisfying.
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