Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers with Arugula & Basil Salad
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!
Servings: 4
Calories: 435kcal
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
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
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
Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 881mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 3445IU | Vitamin C: 14.7mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 3.1mg