Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Asian Marinade

Marinades really are the workhorses of my kitchen. Give me a good marinade and even the most basic chicken dinner suddenly feels exciting again. They’re easy, dependable, and somehow always make it seem like you put in more effort than you actually did. My favorite kind of recipe.

This recipe has been sitting in my “make this someday” pile for years. It’s popped up on my meal plan more than once, but for whatever reason I always skipped over it at the last minute. This week I finally committed to making it, and now I’m wondering why I waited so long.

The thing that caught my attention from the beginning was the curry powder in the marinade. Curry usually shows up in sauces, soups, or dry rubs, but not very often in marinades. I used a basic yellow curry powder, and the second the chicken hit the grill the aroma was incredible. That warm, savory curry smell drifting up to my nostrils instantly made me excited for dinner.

The rest of the marinade had all the classic Asian-inspired flavors I love — simple, familiar, and packed with flavor. But the curry gave it something a little unexpected that made it stand out from the usual grilled chicken routine.

This one was definitely a winner. I made extra chicken specifically for lunches the next day, and I was very thankful I did. Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that quietly sit in your files for years just waiting for the right moment.

I marinaded the chicken for the standard 2 hours and I served it along side this delicious cucumber salad.

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Asian Marinade

Recipe from Kalynskitchen.com

Serves 4

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (see notes)
• 1/8 c peanut oil  
• 1/8 c olive oil  
• 1/4 c soy sauce 
• 1 T Asian sesame oil
• 1 T garlic puree
• 2 tsp ginger puree
• 3 T fresh lime juice (see notes)
• 1 tsp Madras Curry Powder or any curry powder you like will work
• salt, pepper to taste

Mix together the peanut oil (or more olive oil), olive oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic puree, ginger puree, fresh lime juice, and curry powder to make the marinade.

Trim chicken, removing all visible fat and tendons.

Cut chicken breasts into 4 or 5 crosswise strips. (For thighs, cut into two pieces each.)

Arrange chicken in single layer in Ziploc bag, pour marinade over and marinate at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. If you’re going to be home, turn it a few times, but it’s not essential.

To cook, drain chicken in a colander in the sink and let it come to room temperature while you preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium high.

Spray the grill with non-stick spray or brush with oil before you heat. (You can also brush a little oil directly on the kabobs after you’ve assembled them.)

Thread chicken on to skewers, folding each piece over so it won’t spin around on the skewer. I like blade shaped skewers (affiliate link) or double skewers (affiliate link) to prevent the meat from spinning.

Put chicken on grill and cook about 8 minutes, rotating a partial turn a few times for maximum grill marks.

Then turn chicken over and cook about 5 minutes more, or until chicken feels firm but not hard to the touch.

For best results, use an instant-read meat thermometer (affiliate link) and take the chicken off when it reaches 165F/75C. (See more about safe temperatures for food.)

Serve hot.

Leftover grilled chicken would be great on a salad like this one.