Mexican Barbecue Chicken Skewers

Mexican Barbecue - tender chicken skewers marinated with a delicious Mexican blend of spices for the perfect barbecue meal.

Mexican Chicken Skewers

Barbecue food doesn't need to be unhealthy and it doesn't need to be the usual burger and sausages, there are so many possibilities for food you can cook on your grill. We had some lovely weather here over the weekend, so I decided to do a Mexican inspired Barbecue.

A simple seasoning blend to marinate some pieces of chicken thighs along with vegetables like mixed bell peppers and onion and these are cooked perfectly on the grill or barbecue

Mexican Chicken Marinade

The marinade is for these skewers is so easy and uses ingredients most of us have on hand. It will also work well for shrimp, pork or beef.

For the seasoning I use:

• fresh garlic, minced (but you can swap for garlic powder)
• Jalapeño pepper, seeds removed (this is to add a little bit of heat, so if you don't have any on hand a Mexican Chili powder or cayenne will work too.
• tomato paste
• cumin
• oregano
• Paprika (the sweet variaty, not smoked)
• handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) - omit if you don't like or use a different herb like parsley)
• juice of half a lime
• salt and black pepper

Can I use Chicken Breast for Skewers?

I use thighs as I prefer the flavour for recipes like this and they really do stay lovely and tender and absorb all those flavours.

But if you prefer to use chicken breast you can definitely make the swap, just remember that chicken breast is much quicker to cook.

Vegetables for Barbecue Skewers

I added red, yellow and green peppers as well as white onion to these Chicken Skewers so that we have a nice portion of vegetables along with the protein.

Some other good choices for vegetables to add to these are:

• Courgette (zucchini) slices
• Red Onion
• Small slices of corn on the cob
• Mushrooms

Soaking Wooden Skewers

If you are using wooden skewers I recommend soaking these in warm water for at least 30 minutes, this will ensure they don't burn or turn black on the barbecue.

However if you are have metal skewers then these are great option also and are generally easy to clean, meaning they can be reused. Either are fine for this recipe.

Can these Chicken Skewers be cooked in the oven?

If you want to try this recipe but do not have access to a barbecue, these skewers can easily be cooked in the oven.

Don't forget to soak the wooden skewers if you are using those and bake at 220c, fan 200 or 425f for about 25-30 minutes.

You can also do these on a grill pan on the stove top, just ensure you keep rotating to ensure even cooking (approx 7 minutes each side)

Sides for Mexican Barbecue

Wondering what else to serve alongside the Chicken Skewers?

First if you like beef, you could also make some of these Mexican Burgers which are amazing and perfect for grilling.

Then I also make up this Mexican Chopped Salad and this delicious Mexican Rice

Another great rice side is this Lime Cilantro Rice or if you prefer potatoes or sweet potato there are these:

• Crushed Roast Potatoes
• Sweet Potato

or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes and can search by ingredients, course, diet and more.

All with estimated calories and Slimming Eats and Weight Watcher Smart Points values.

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