Mediterranean Chicken Skewers

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Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Looking for an easy weeknight dinner? My mediterranean chicken skewers are the answer. This is a great recipe to make in the summer on your outdoor grill, or you can add a little summer to your winter by cooking them inside on a grill pan. I love to pair these mediterranean chicken skewers with brown rice and my vegan chickpea salad for a light and refreshing dinner. Make extra and you can use the leftovers for salads and sandwiches! 

All About Mediteranean Chicken Skewers

From start to finish, my mediterranean chicken skewers only take 30 minutes! To make this delish dinner, first create your mise en place; zest and juice the lemon, measure out the spices, mince the garlic, and cube the chicken breast. Then, place the lemon zest, lemon juice, the spices, garlic and olive oil in a zip top bag with the chicken and marinate for 15 minutes. From there, thread the chicken cubes onto the skewers alternating chicken and grape tomato (see Pro Tip 2). Heat a grill pan or the grill to medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Place the mediterranean chicken skewers on the grill and cook, turning every minute until cooked through (~10 minutes). The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 ℉ for 15 seconds.

Pro Tip: 

  1. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water in a baking dish for 30 minutes to prevent them from catching on fire on an outdoor grill.
  2. Take freedom with this recipe and add any veggies you like to the skewers. I also like to add poblano peppers, bell peppers, red onion, zucchini, eggplant, the sky’s the limit! 

Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Chicken Skewers

These mediterranean chicken skewers are packed with nutrients. For a 3 ounce serving of chicken, there are 19 grams of protein and 102 calories. I love to use chicken, as it is a lean meat and takes on the flavor of whatever spices you’re working with. In addition, chicken also has vitamin b6, niacin, selenium, and phosphorus. Together these nutrients work in aiding muscle, blood pressure, bone, heart health as well as nutrient metabolism. 

Tomatoes also offer health benefits. One small tomato, or about a handful of grape tomatoes, are a good source of fiber, as well as vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K, and folate. Tomatoes are also full of phytochemicals like lycopene. These nutrients assist in blood, skin, muscle and cell health!

The Mediterranean Diet Basics

We see the mediterranean diet all over the news, but it’s not always explained. Just keep the following in mind. The mediterranean diet iconsists of lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fish and olive oil, with poultry and dairy eaten occasionally. Processed foods, red meat and sugary foods are eaten rarely/in moderation. 

For more information on the mediterranean diet and RD approved recipes, check out my cookbook – The Mediterranean DASH Diet Cookbook: Lower Your Blood Pressure and Improve Your Health. You can purchase it here

Similar Pages

For more recipes like these mediterranean chicken skewers, check out my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, my Crispy Mediterranean Chicken Thighs, and my Chicken Burger with Vegetables!

Resources

Bjarnadottir, A. (2019, March 25). Tomatoes 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits. Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/tomatoes

Frey, M. (2019, October 14). How Many Calories Are Really in Chicken Breast? Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://www.verywellfit.com/how-many-calories-in-chicken-breast-3495665

Gunnars, K. (2018, July 24). Mediterranean Diet 101: A Meal Plan and Beginner’s Guide. Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan#foods-to-avoid

Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin B6. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/

Petre, A. (2018, October 3). Lycopene: Health Benefits and Top Food Sources. Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lycopene

chicken skewers

Chicken Skewers

4.67 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Keyword: grilling, poultry, skewer
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Ingredients

  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes

Instructions

  • In a bowl, mix zest, juice, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil. Add chicken and mix well, marinate for 15 minutes.
  • Thread chicken and tomatoes onto 4 skewers.
  • Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Grill skewers, turning every minute, until cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.

Video

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