Charcoal Chicken Shop Chicken Skewers
Recipe video above. This is my copycat of those tasty Chicken Skewers sold at charcoal chicken shops all across Australia. They're so heavily flavoured they are practically crusted with seasoning, in the best possible way! Great on the BBQ (also, you can cook them all in one go), but honestly just as good on the stove.You can cook them straight away though if you’ve got the time, an overnight marinade will take the flavour to another level.PS See Note 1 if you think this looks good but you're feeling too lazy to skewer. :)
Servings: 10 - 12 skewers
Calories: 118cal
Equipment
- 12 x 20cm/8" bamboo skewers , soaked in water for 30 minutes if grilling (or metal skewers)
Ingredients
- 800g / 1.6 lb boneless chicken thighs , cut into large 2.5cm / 1" squares, I cut each thigh into ~6 to 8 pieces. (Note 1)
- 3 - 4 tbsp olive oil , for cooking
Chicken marinade:
- 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves finely grated using microplane)
- 1 tbsp onion powder (or more garlic powder)
- 1 tbsp paprika , regular/sweet (not spicy), smoked great too
- 1 tsp mustard power (sub 1 tsp dijon or yellow mustard, not spicy)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (or thyme)
- 1/2 tsp curry powder *secret ingredient* (regular grocery stores ones, I use Clives)
- 1 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, +50% for flakes)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice or white wine/red wine vinegar, or similar
For serving - options
- Sauce options - Lemon Yoghurt Sauce, Hummus, Tzatziki, Avocado Sauce, Sriracha (for chilli)
- Flatbreads - pita / Lebanese breads or a simple homemade no-yeast flatbread
- Seasoned rice - Mejadra (Lebanese lentil rice pilaf), Garlic Butter Rice, Hot Buttered Corn Rice or Chicken Seasoned Rice (homemade version of boxed flavoured rice)
- Shredded lettuce, tomato slices (2 - 3 whole), finely sliced red onion or a Greek Salad
Instructions
ABBREVIATED
- Mix marinade, marinate chicken 12 - 24 hrs (if you can), skewer, cook 3 minutes on each side on medium high.
FULL RECIPE
- Marinade - Mix the Marinade ingredients in a bowl, it should be like a paste. Add chicken pieces and toss well to coat every piece well.
- Marinate for 12 to 24 hours (even 3 hours helps) though they are still tasty cooked straight away!
- Skewer - Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers. I usually do 10 to 12, with 3 to 4 pieces on each. (You could also skewer then leave skewered for marinating time, do it whichever way suits!)
- Stove cook - Heat a large non stick pan on medium high with enough oil to lightly coat the base. Cook the skewers in batches for 3 minutes on each side, controlling the heat as needed so the spices don't burn. Transfer onto a plate, loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe black bits out of the pan using a paper towel, add more oil and continue cooking.
- BBQ option - Brush the grills or flat plate lightly with oil. Heat on medium (or medium high, if your BBQ is not that strong). Cook skewers for 3 - 4 minutes on each side, adjusting the heat as needed so the spices don't burn.
- Serve the skewers with flatbreads or pita pockets, shredded lettuce, tomato and onion slices with sauce of choice (see ingredients section for options). Or make plates with a side of seasoned rice (see options above), a fresh Greek Salad and sauce of choice.
Notes
Tablespoon size - I use 15 ml tablespoons, which is the standard pretty much worldwide. But in Australia, some brands still make 20 ml ones - a historical quirk that never got standardised. If yours are 20 ml, use about 3/4 tablespoon where 1 tablespoon is called for, or measure 3 teaspoons (5 ml each).
(Note: I only raised this in recipes where it matters. Usually it doesn't. :) )
1. Chicken - I use boneless chicken thighs because they’re juicier than breast. If using breast, marinate for at least 12 hours to help keep the lean meat nice and juicy. Faster skewering - Just cut each thigh fillet in half lengthways to make two long strips, and skewer that in one piece (after marinating). Feeling too lazy to skewer? I hear you! Skewering bite size pieces does have maximum flavour-to-surface area but you can totally make this with whole chicken thigh fillets instead, no skewering involved. Use 1kg / 2 lb, add an extra 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the marinade to loosen it a bit, and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side. The spice mixture will go further as there is less surface area. Leftovers - cooked skewers will keep for 3 - 4 days in the fridge. Make ahead - Toss chicken in marinade, thread onto skewers, freeze straight away. Then let it thaw overnight in the fridge - the chicken will marinate as it's thawing. Nutrition per skewer (12 skewers), assuming 3 tablespoons of oil is consumed, excludes sauces and sides.
1. Chicken - I use boneless chicken thighs because they’re juicier than breast. If using breast, marinate for at least 12 hours to help keep the lean meat nice and juicy. Faster skewering - Just cut each thigh fillet in half lengthways to make two long strips, and skewer that in one piece (after marinating). Feeling too lazy to skewer? I hear you! Skewering bite size pieces does have maximum flavour-to-surface area but you can totally make this with whole chicken thigh fillets instead, no skewering involved. Use 1kg / 2 lb, add an extra 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the marinade to loosen it a bit, and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side. The spice mixture will go further as there is less surface area. Leftovers - cooked skewers will keep for 3 - 4 days in the fridge. Make ahead - Toss chicken in marinade, thread onto skewers, freeze straight away. Then let it thaw overnight in the fridge - the chicken will marinate as it's thawing. Nutrition per skewer (12 skewers), assuming 3 tablespoons of oil is consumed, excludes sauces and sides.
Nutrition
Calories: 118cal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 307IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg