Garlic Pesto Grilled Chicken Skewers
This Pesto Chicken Skewers recipe is one of our favourite quick and easy recipes for the campfire. Marinate in the AM for an easy supper!
Servings: 2 Servings - I usually double the recipe.
Calories: 463kcal
Equipment
- Skewers Bamboo or metal
Ingredients
Garlic Pesto Marinade:
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Pesto
- 2 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Dried Basil
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Chicken and Vegetable Skewers:
- 8 oz Whole Crimini Mushrooms
- 2 Small Zucchini
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Grilling Spray
Instructions
Garlic Pesto Marinade:
- Measure the pesto marinade ingredients into a small bowl or measuring glass, whisk to combine.
- Taste, season with salt and pepper if desired, and set aside.
Marinated Kebabs:
- Wash and trim the mushrooms, place in a large Ziplock baggie.
- Wash the zucchinis, cut into ¾" thick slices, and add to the bag of mushrooms. Set aside.
- Trim chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes or long strips. Place in a second Ziplock baggie - I’ll usually use medium one, unless I’m making a double batch.
- Pour about ⅔ of the marinade into the baggie of vegetables, and the rest into the baggie of chicken. Push most of the air out of each bag, seal.
- Gently shake the veggie bag to coat everything in the marinade, and gently massage the chicken bag to coat the chicken pieces.
- Chill both baggies for at least 2 hours, but no more than 12.
Assembly:
- Get a medium fire going. You can cook your pesto skewers on a camp stove, over hot coals, or even over the open flame of a fire pit.
- Thread the veggies onto skewers - mixed together, or separately - and thread the chicken onto separate skewers. Spray everything - including the grill grate - with nonstick cooking spray.
- Arrange the skewers in a single layer, leaving some room between each skewer. Depending on the size of your grill, you may need to work in batches.
- If your grill is big enough to cook everything at once, start grilling the chicken skewers to give them a bit of a head start. After a few minutes, add the vegetable skewers to the grill top.
- If, like us, your grill is too small for everything... I’ll usually do the veggies first, get them almost finished, then swap them out for the chicken. Once the chicken is done, you can re-warm the veggies for a minute or two.
- Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F when an instant read thermometer is inserted, and the vegetables are as done as you like. We like the mushrooms soft, and the zucchini a bit charred - your mileage may vary.
- Remove pesto chicken skewers from heat. Serve hot, with a side salad or rice, if desired.
Notes
Once cooled to almost room temperature, leftover skewers can be transferred to an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Gently reheat before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 1614mg | Potassium: 1562mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1070IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 4mg
