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This post is from the archives and I’m republishing it today with some updated links and a recipe card. Ejoy!
I’ve told you quite a few times that the orange ATK cookbook (now discontinued, but you can usually find used copies on Amazon) has become one of my favorites in the last year or so. It’s full of recipes that aren’t super-duper involved or time-consuming, and that’s a godsend for me on busy days.
But unlike some quick recipes, most of these don’t call for overly processed ingredients, and they also taste delicious.
So, pretty much a win-win-win.
These chipotle chicken kabobs are simple but tasty, and they don’t have to sit in the marinade, which means you totally do not have to think ahead to make ’em.
Also, if you have any leftover, they make a darn delicious salad for lunch the next day.
They obviously don’t make a meal in and of themselves, but you can always skewer some veggies to go alongside on the grill. Or I sometimes add a salad and sweet or regular potatoes as sides.
Chicken breasts are a bit on the expensive side, but I think these could successfully be made with boneless skinless chicken thighs too. Let us know if you try it!
To make these, first mix the marinade ingredients together.
Chipotle Chilies In Adobo Sauce Aside:
The marinade includes chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, and though these come in a small can, there’s almost no way you could use them up at one time.
(They’re pretty darn hot so a little goes a long way. In fact, I halve the amount called for in this recipe because everyone except Joshua and me can’t handle the full amount. Joshua is my spicy food partner. ;))
So I process my chilies in the food processor and store them in a glass jar in the fridge, where they keep pretty much forever.
/End of Chipotle Chilies In Adobo Sauce Aside
Cut your chicken breasts into 1 1/2 inch pieces and add them to the marinade, mixing well so that all the pieces are nicely coated.
Then thread the chicken onto your skewers.
By the way, I got my skewers on clearance at the grocery store, and what I like about them is their super sharp ends, which make threading things a dream.
I have a more blunt set too, and I really prefer these sharp ones.
Cook’s Illustrated recommends these Norpro skewers, which aced every task they tried ’em on.
Where were we?
(Me and these asides!!)
Oh, right. ATK recommends broiling these skewers, but I prefer the grill over the broiler.
Unless it’s, like, 13° and windy outside in January.*
But right now it’s July!
So grilling is happening.
*Actually, this is not true. I pretty much always grill instead of broil, even in winter.
I let my gas grill heat up on high for about 15 minutes, oil the grill grates, and then throw the kabobs on.
The amount of time it takes to grill your kabobs will depend a lot on your grill and on the size of your chicken chunks, but it should be less than 5 minutes for each side.
So, grill them for 5 minutes on a side, flip them, and they should be done a few minutes later.
The sauce! I’m gonna tell you about it now, but it’s smart to make this while your grill heats up. Then you can eat as soon as your kabobs are done.
The kabobs can totally stand on their own, but if you’d like a little something to cool them down a bit or you’re like me and creamy sauces blow your hair back…well then, you should make the sauce.
Which is just sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Also, scallions, but I have never so far had any when making this sauce, so I’m not a reliable source if you’re wondering how important they are.
Chipotle Chicken Kabobs with Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce
These kebabs get a super fast marinade which makes them a quick dinner option.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
- 2 tablespoons minced chipotle chili in adobo sauce (I halve this.)
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 scallions, minced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cilantro, chipotle, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt. Add chicken and stir well.
- Thread chicken onto skewers.
- Heat grill, oil grates, and grill skewers for about 5 minutes on each side. Let rest for five minutes, then serve with the sauce.
To make the sauce: Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, scallions, remaining 2 tablespoons minced cilantro, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
Stephanie Sumrall Smith says
I used Pork Tenderloin cubes instead of chicken and it was excellent! I went ahead and used the full amount of Chilies in the marinade since the pork does not seem to absorb the heat as much as chicken would. I also added lime to the marinade as well as the dipping sauce. Thank you – we have a new family favorite.
Lisa says
I am so glad I tried this recipe for the marinade a few years ago! I end up adding a little bit of lime juice so I can mix it more easily.
It’s also very yummy on shrimp.
Amanda R says
Hey Kristen! Is there any oil in this marinade? It looks like it in the picture but I don’t see any in the recipe. Thanks!
Kristen says
Oddly, there is none. It always feels strange to me! But somehow, these cook up fine on the grill with no oil in the marinade.
Amanda R says
Ok thanks! I made this for company and it was big hit. My husband especially loved the sauce. I always struggle with cooking chicken in new and tasty ways, so this was a win. Thanks!
Jen L. says
I made this for the first time tonight. My husband and son loved it! Delicious!
Suzan says
How I wish chipotle chillies were available in my neck of the woods. I think I would like this.
Alexandra says
I wanted to drop you a note to tell you that I read your blog every day, and we tried this for supper last night. It was amazing. You turned us on to ATK–I bought The Science of Good Cooking because of you! Oh, and I brined the chicken breasts first. They were very tender. Oh my gosh this recipe was so tasty, especially with the creamy sauce.
Kristen says
I’m so glad! Isn’t ATK wonderful?
Jenni@DitchingOurDebt says
Oh my goodness, another ATK junkie, and one who likes cream sauces like me :). I have the original Family Cookbook, but when I clicked through to see which one this was, I had to order it – even in February 2016, it’s still on clearance for $10! Looking forward to trying this recipe and the enchiladas you posted.
Kristen says
Oh, nice! So glad it’s still available for a great price.
Always lovely to meet another member of Team Cream Sauce.
priskill says
Thank you for addressing the adobo chile prep/storage/use question –I I have been foolishly avoiding them for no good reason. Now I feel there is hope! Love these posts — the pix DO entice!
Barb @ 1SentenceDiary says
I’m always looking for new chicken recipes that don’t taste just like all the chicken recipes, but I’m not much for skewers — to me, they are a lot of work to threat and kind of a pain on the grill (the chicken always twirls around so the heavier spot is down). But it just sounded soooo good, I had to try.
I used chicken tenders (had purchased them on sale earlier in the week) instead of the skewers, and they were delicious! Thanks for a new chicken recipe.
Kristen says
I’m so glad you liked them!
Have you tried skewers that aren’t smooth? Mine are sort of a twisted metal, which really really helps to cut down on the twirling problem.
Also, a reader commented (on instagram, I think?) that she just uses this recipe with whole chicken breasts to make it easier. So, if you hate doing kabobs, that’s always an option.
CharlesEi says
This cilantro lime dip is kind of a big deal for me. If you know me really well, you know cilantro isn t on my list of favorites.
Kristina @ AllMomDoes says
These look so delicious and I’m cooking them right now! Your pics are ALWAYS so enticing. Just a quick note – the ingredient list says “garlic powder” but the first half of the instructions say to add “garlic salt” to the marinade. Assuming powder is correct since there’s already salt in the dish but just wanted to let you know!
Faith says
Thank you so much for posting about the sale. I bought a copy and I am looking forward to trying out many of the recipes!! And as soon as I get more gas for my grill, I am making this!
Also, I second whomever mentioned just leaving chipotle peppers in the frig. They keep for months. It must be the vinegar or whatever is in adobe sauce.
Kristen says
Hi! I made these today and they were delicious!! I could not find the chilis in adobo sauce so instead i used about 3-4 tbls of chipolte salsa and they were oh so yummy!! Will definitley make them again. Thank you!
Kristen says
They are a little hard to find sometimes…look in the ethnic foods aisle and they should be in a small metal can. They really are delicious and add a smokey flavor to whatever you’re making.
Kristie says
I just ordered a copy. Thanks for all you do. You really inspire me!
Barbara Ferguson says
So glad you mentioned the book was on sale. Just ordered 3 copies, Christmas is right around the corner!:-) Glad you mentioned cookbooks, you seriously need to buy the Pressure Cooker Perfection cookbook they sell. Then buy the pressure cooker they recommend. I just used it again 2 nights ago making ziti with Italian sausage–usual fry time for sausage, peppers & onion, then jarred sauce (hint from one of your previous posts to have on hand, this time a creamy vodka sauce from Sam’s), plus uncooked ziti and water. Up to pressure and cooked 5 min. Some cooking after release of pressure (3-5 min.) and dinner on the table. Probably under 1/2 hour. Talk about a quick meal… And you can get the cooker from Bed Bath & Beyond online, with a coupon, and free shipping over $75 (?). I LOVE my pressure cooker!!! And BB&Y coupons. (I know space is an issue for you, but you can use the pan as a regular pan without cooking at pressure and it holds a lot. I like to cook in bulk and freeze for busy days.
Sara says
Thanks for posting this. I am a huge ATK fan and have been wanting this but was waiting for a sale…
Lizzie says
My tip for chipotles in adobo is to blend up the whole tin upon opening, and then put it in a jar in the fridge. It keeps forever!
Neo says
I keep in the refrigerator, in glass jars, the peppers with olive oil.
And the enriched olive oil still yields on other recipes.
Try to test the same with the bell pepper.
Hannah @ eat, drink and save money says
I love simple sauces like this. I can’t wait to try it out!
Clare says
Too bad you don’t get a commission! I truly *never* buy cookbooks-I always figure I can find the recipe online. But the rave reviews you give this one, coupled with the recipes you posted made me break my rule. I’m excited to get it! Thanks for your thorough recommendations.:)
Kristen says
And $10 is a VERY small risk. That’s, like, two Starbucks.
I hope you love it!
Rachel says
I just ordered it too, for all the same reasons! Super duper excited!
WilliamB says
I second the recommendation for this cookbook, especially the part about not using a lot of processed junk in the name of speed. But if you don’t want to risk $10, perhaps your library has a copy, so you can try it before buying it.
I still can’t figure out why ATK stopped publishing this one.
Theresa says
We’ve done this recipe several times and the chicken is delicious. My cheat is to just use whole boneless chicken pieces and yes, the chicken thighs are as delicious as the chicken breasts. With the mammoth appetites in around my table, chopping chicken into pieces takes way too long. In fact, I rarely kabob any piece of meat but love to marinate it for maximum flavor and enjoyment.
P.S. – Grill in winter? You have company!
Kristen says
It DOES take a long time for the grill to heat up in the dead of winter, though. =P