Rainbow Chicken Skewers with Spicy Pesto Sauce ~ my easy chicken skewers are a quick and healthy 30 minute meal, and you can make them on the grill or in the oven ~ so enjoy them all year long.
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Rainbow Chicken Skewers are one of my favorite 30 minute meals because they’re so versatile ~ you can throw them over quick cooking couscous, or go low carb on a bed of leafy greens. We had ours with mini potatoes and corn on the cob that I roasted right along with them. And I don’t know about you, but I’ll take any excuse I can get to use those gorgeous colorful peppers in the produce section.
Grocery list:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 each red, green, yellow, and orange bell pepper
- 1 red onion
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 lemon
Pantry staples:
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- garlic
You can assemble these rainbow chicken skewers ahead of time and grill them in minutes right before dinner. I cut the chicken breasts in 1 inch chunks, and cut the peppers and onions to match. That means everything will cook quickly and evenly. Thread the skewers, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until needed.
Food Stylist’s TIP: to get beautiful (and flavorful!) char marks on your skewers without a charcoal grill, place the baking sheet and skewers as close as possible to the flame during the last few minutes of broiling. I place a muffin tin on the rack and then put the pan with the skewers on top of that to get right up next to the flame for a brief time. Use caution and don’t wander away!
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Rainbow Chicken Skewers with Spicy Pesto Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1/2 red onion
spicy pesto sauce
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, about 2 packed cups
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, more to taste, remove seeds for less heat.
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the chicken, peppers, and onion into similar 1 inch pieces. Thread them on skewers, alternating the chicken chunks with the peppers and onions in any pattern you like.
- Make the pesto sauce by putting the garlic, basil, jalapeno, and lemon juice in a small food processor and processing until minced. Add enough olive oil to make a loose sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep refrigerated until needed.
- Put the chicken skewers on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Set the pan on the highest rack level and broil on high for about 10 minutes. Turn the skewers over. Put a muffin tin on the oven rack, and then put the baking sheet back in so that the skewers are very close to the flame. Watch carefully and let them cook until they are nicely charred. Make sure the chicken is done to 165F.
- Serve the skewers with the sauce on the side.
Notes:
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Another way to get the flavor of charring without a grill is to use a kitchen torch. They aren’t as scary as they seem, and they come in handy for créme brûlée, too!
- Check out my other easy SKEWER RECIPES~ for instance, if you like fish, try my RAINBOW SALMON SKEWERS, and beef lovers will want to check out my STEAK FAJITA SKEWERS. And don’t worry, I haven’t left vegetarians out ~ I’ve even got a recipe for TOFU SKEWERS!
Thanks for pinning these Rainbow Chicken Skewers!
Oh my goodness, Sue, these skewers are seriously SO pretty!!!! This gives a whole new meaning to the saying ‘taste the rainbow’! I looove that you added spice to the pesto! YES! I could eat this every night for dinner and not get bored! Pinning to try! Cheers!
The colors here look great! I love kabobs in grilling season, and adding pesto here sounds wonderful!
I’ve taken to using pesto all summer long on things like roasted veggies and potatoes, too. It’s such a vibrant sauce I never want to be without it.
These chicken skewers look so incredibly good. Love the colors and I’m betting the flavors are simply divine! I’ll be trying this soon!
Thanks Elaine ~ the flavor is fabulous with the sweetness of the onions and peppers, and the chicken stays nice and tender ~ hope you enjoy it 🙂
This recipe is perfect for summer and I am in love with the colors. This looks delicious and beautiful and bonus points for this recipe being healthy! Thank you for sharing!
What a beautiful kabob. I will have to serve this up for one of our pool parties this summer.
Perfect for a pool party ~ wish I could join you!
These look fabulous!! Love all the colours; it’s hard not to smile looking at it 🙂 Love the addition of pesto – such a lovely way to add more flavour. Pinning and making this upcoming grilling season!
I love that, Dawn, I’ve had that same ‘smile’ response sometimes when I come across a great recipe ~ I’m thrilled that these make you happy!
So beautiful and no doubt absolutely delicious! I’m so looking forward to grilling season 🙂
So very pretty Sue and I love your tips for indoor grilling!
Thanks Chris, I’ve gotten pretty good at indoor grilling since I haven’t had an actual outdoor grill for a few years now…
I LOVE these colorful skewers! What a beautiful dinner with so much flavor. I also love the effortless part – great for entertaining or an easy weeknight meal. Sharing!
Colourful food always makes me happy! These chicken skewers look so fresh and delicious with pesto sauce, Sue.
Me too Angie ~ hooray for bell peppers!