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Quick and Easy Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers.  Served over a delicate salad of arugula and basil, this skewer and salad combo is perfect for weeknight dinners and summer entertaining!

Easy Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers with Arugula and Basil SaladCubes of chicken with slivers of garlic and basil marinating in a zip-closure bag

Well hey there, friends!

I’m baaaaaaack!

I’m a year older (yes, I had a birthday) and I have a new address (we moved!), but I. Am. BACK!

…Cue some AC/DC Back in Black .  Except I’m not wearing any black right now.  Hello summer.  It’s entirely too dang hot for black articles of clothing.

Anyways, did you miss me?!

I definitely missed you!

While I’ve been gone I certainly hope you’ve been enjoying your summer!

I feel like we have SO much to catch up on, but my little blog leave of absence was a far cry from a relaxing sabbatical.  And I’m suuuuuper exhausted.

So, we are going to keep things short and sweet today…

But don’t worry, I’ll fill you in on all the deets of what’s going on over here at the SuBourbon Country Cottage 2.0 soon!

Until then, let’s FEAST!

Overhead, up close shot of a Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewer on a bed of Arugula and Basil Salad A hand grabbing a chicken skewer from a tray of Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers on a bed of Arugula and Basil Salad

Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers

… with Arugula & Basil Salad

AKA Fancy Pants Skewers with Salad

Juicy, succulent cubes of chicken flavored with tart lemon, sweet honey, aromatic basil and smoky char from the grill.  Served atop a bed of peppery arugula scattered with pungent shallots, salty grated pecorino cheese, crunchy pine nuts and herbaceous fresh basil.

These skewers are SO much more than just meat on a stick.  The mix of the honey-lemon chicken with the fresh greens is a delicious, delicate dance of light summer flavors. It is HEAVENLY, friends.

PLUS, these skewers only require 20 minutes, or less, of hands on time!  (<– Read: SUPER quick and easy!)

Basically, THIS is how you should summer.

Overhead shot of a tray of Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers on a bed of Arugula and Basil Salad; with a neutral linen, a bowl of pine nuts and lemon halves framing the photo Overhead up-close shot of four overlapping Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers on a bed of Arugula and Basil Salad, with a bowl of lemon yogurt dip in the right corner

Recipe Notes:

  1. You can use either chicken breasts or chicken thighs for these skewers, just make sure you are using boneless, skinless chicken.  Be sure to cut the chicken into cubes roughly 1 – 1 ½’’ in size.  Chicken cut too small in size is prone to overcooking and drying out.
  2. When you marinate the chicken, make sure you marinate it for at least 30 minutes, but since there is lemon juice in the marinade, do NOT marinate for longer than 4 or 5 hours.  (The lemon juice will “cook” the meat, so if you marinate it too long the chicken will end up dry and mushy in texture)
  3. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure you soak the skewers for at least 30 minutes in water to prevent them from burning on the grill!
  4. I am a big fan of dipping sauces so I served my skewers with a simple Greek yogurt dip.  I mixed Greek yogurt with honey, Dijon, lemon juice, salt and pepper – all to taste.

Overhead shot of a tray of Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers on a bed of Arugula and Basil Salad with a neutral linen, pink water glasses, grilled lemon halves and a bowl of pine nuts framing the photo Overhead of a tray of Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers on a bed of Arugula and Basil Salad with a bowl of lemon yogurt dip and lemon wedges

Quick, easy and delightfully delicious, these Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers NEED to be a part of your summer line up!

Until Thursday, friends, cheers – to gussied up meat on a stick.

-XOXO-

Cheyanne

5 from 8 votes
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Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers with Arugula & Basil Salad
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Quick and Easy Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers. Served over a delicate salad of arugula and basil, this skewer and salad combo is perfect for weeknight dinners and summer entertaining!

Course: Entertaining, entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 435 kcal
Author: Cheyanne Bany
Ingredients
Chicken:
  • 1 ½ pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs – cut into 1 – 1 ½’’ cubes
  • 1 large Lemon – Juice and Zest (approximately 1/4 cup juice and a scant TBS zest)
  • 4 TBS Honey
  • 3 TBS Olive Oil
  • 2 cloves Garlic – peeled and thickly sliced
  • 1 Cup + 2 TBS Fresh Basil divided (1 cup leaves and 2 TBS chiffonade)
Salad:
  • 2 Cups Arugula packed
  • 1 large Shallot – thinly sliced
  • 1/3 Cup Pecorino Cheese – freshly grated or more to taste
  • 2 TBS Pine Nuts
Optional Garnishes: Micro Greens, Grilled Lemon Wedges, Cherry Tomatoes
    Instructions
    1. For the marinade: In a small non-reactive bowl whisk together the lemon juice, zest, honey, garlic and 2 tablespoons of basil. Place the cubed chicken into a large zip-closure bag and pour all but 2 tablespoons of the honey-lemon mixture over the chicken. Seal the bag and toss to coat. Transfer the bag to the refrigerator and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes. Set the remaining honey-lemon mixture aside (you will use this to brush on the chicken as it is grilling).
    2. Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from the bag and discard marinade. Thread the chicken onto skewers* and season generously with salt and pepper.
    3. Grill the skewers for 4-5 minutes on each side for a total of 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through, brushing occasionally with the reserved honey-lemon mixture.
    4. To Serve: In a large bowl toss together the arugula, remaining 1 cup of basil, shallot and cheese. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with pine nuts. Top the salad with the skewers and serve with optional garnishes. Enjoy!
    Recipe Notes

    1.       You can use either chicken breasts or chicken thighs for these skewers, just make sure you are using boneless, skinless chicken.  Be sure to cut the chicken into cubes roughly 1 – 1 ½’’ in size.  Chicken cut too small in size is prone to overcooking and drying out.

    2.       When you marinate the chicken, make sure you marinate it for at least 30 minutes, but since there is lemon juice in the marinade, do NOT marinate for longer than 4 or 5 hours.  (The lemon juice will “cook” the meat, so if you marinate it too long the chicken will end up dry and mushy in texture)

    3.       If you are using wooden skewers, make sure you soak the skewers for at least 30 minutes in water to prevent them from burning on the grill!

    4.       I am a big fan of dipping sauces so I served my skewers with a simple Greek yogurt dip.  I mixed Greek yogurt with honey, Dijon, lemon juice, salt and pepper – all to taste. 

    5.       Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the juices run clear.

    Nutrition Facts
    Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers with Arugula & Basil Salad
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 435 Calories from Fat 189
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 21g 32%
    Saturated Fat 4g 20%
    Cholesterol 117mg 39%
    Sodium 303mg 13%
    Potassium 881mg 25%
    Total Carbohydrates 20g 7%
    Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
    Sugars 17g
    Protein 41g 82%
    Vitamin A 68.9%
    Vitamin C 17.8%
    Calcium 22.1%
    Iron 17.4%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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