Name: Grilled Chicken Skewers with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Ingredients: 8 cloves roasted garlic; 1/4 cup white wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves; 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves; 1 tablespoon honey; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 3/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes; 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; Salt and pepper, to taste; Olive oil

What to expect

Timing is everything with this dish, because the key ingredient — roasted garlic — takes 45 minutes to prepare. I’d recommend prepping the garlic early so you’re not burning your fingers in the rush to get the garlic out of the skin. Here’s how I tackle this dish:

Several hours before serving: Roast the garlic.

One hour before serving: Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, mix up the vinaigrette. Also put your skewers in water and get your grill going if you’re cooking on charcoal.

30 minutes before serving: Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces. Season them with olive oil and salt and pepper. Thread them onto the skewers.

15 minutes before serving: Place the skewers on the grill. Turn them every few minutes.

5 minutes before serving: Let the chicken rest as you plate it with the vinaigrette.

Ingredients for roasted garlic vinaigrette. — This flavorful vinaigrette comes together with mostly pantry ingredients.

You don’t have to be perfectly uniform when cutting the chicken, but more evenly sized pieces means more even cooking.

Grilled vegetable skewers make for an easy side dish. I used cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and onion.

Turn your skewers every few minutes for an even char on all sides.

Here they are, plated with the vinaigrette.

Go ahead and pour the sauce over the cooked chicken. Of, if you’re serving guests, let them dip!

Side dish ideas for grilled chicken skewers

Try these ideas for side dishes:

Grilled vegetables are the simplest option. Cut them up, season them as you did the chicken, and grill them. Try cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and onions on skewers.

A garden salad also makes a cool, refreshing partner for the skewers.

Roasted baby potatoes are another easy choice. They’ll soak up any leftover vinaigrette, too.

Fluffy white rice pairs well with nearly anything, including these delicious chicken skewers.

Grilled chicken skewers recipe card

Instructions

Roast the garlic ahead of time. Heat your oven to 375°F or 191°c. Cut the top off a head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place the head on a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up the foil and roast the garlic in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove and open foil. The cloves should have darkened and have a soft texture. You’ll use 4 for this recipe — save the remainder to toss into soups, sauces, and dressing for extra flavor. Or make garlic bread!
Do the prep. If you are using skewers, soak them in water. Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Cut the chicken breast into 2-inch chunks.
Make the marinade. In a blender, combine garlic, vinegar, oregano, parsley, honey, and salt. Blend until smooth. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Stir in the red chili flakes.
Grill the skewers. Brush the chicken pieces with olive oil and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Thread them onto skewers, if using. Grill and cook, turning at least once until slightly charred and fully cooked. Verify the chicken’s internal temperature has reached 165°F or 74°C. This should take 15 minutes total for a whole breast and about 10 minutes for skewers.
Serve. Serve the chicken with the prepared dressing.