Grilled Pesto Chicken Kebabs

Grilled Pesto Chicken Kebabs are pesto marinated chunks of chicken skewered with vegetables and grilled to perfection.  It’s an easy summer meal!

I’m a pesto addict….how’s that for being straightforward?  Sure, I love tomato based sauces too, but when I’m in the mood for a fresh, bright pesto sauce, there’s absolutely no substitute.  And when I make a batch, it finds its way into so many things.  Like pasta (obviously!), flatbread, and even sandwiches.  I finally got around to using it as a marinade for these Grilled Lemon Pesto Chicken Kebabs, and let’s just say I wasn’t at all disappointed in the outcome.

Again, I state the obvious. 🙂

How easy is this meal?  Ridiculously easy!  Especially if you make a large batch of pesto sauce like I did and have it waiting in the wings for you. 

Pesto sauce always bails me out of a dinner rut, and this time was even more amazing because it was the marinade and the sauce.  

This chicken is double the pesto pleasure.

This meal will go really quickly if you’ve got your pesto sauce made in advance like I mentioned.  It also pays to make a double batch so you can freeze one for future pesto emergencies.  

I like to use my Spinach Walnut Pesto most of the time, and I substitute the spinach for fresh basil, arugula, or whatever types of greens that I’ve got on hand.  See my post on How to Make Pesto for more flavor variations. 

If you’re strapped for time, just use your favorite store bought variety.

I always add a bit of lemon juice to my pesto, and I decided that I should add even more to the pesto marinade to give it that 1-2 citrus punch that always livens things up.  It is summer, after all, so let’s get lively!

I cubed my chicken and marinated it in the pesto sauce for 2 hours and it was plenty flavorful.  If you have your ducks in a row and marinate it for longer — say 4 hours or even overnight — it’ll be even better.

I chose to skewer the chicken with some sweet cherry tomatoes and zucchini slices, but you can also use red onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, or any other type of veggies that grill up quickly.  There’s no need to go to the store…customize these skewers using whatever you’ve got!

I served these kebabs with orzo pasta and plenty more pesto sauce, and it was perfect.  These Grilled Lemon Pesto Chicken Kebabs were a meal my kids were happy about eating too.  Eating off of sticks is always more fun, isn’t it? 🙂

More grilled chicken recipes:

Beer can chicken by Food Network

Chicken souvlaki

Grilled BBQ chicken

Grilled chicken foil packets

Santa Fe chicken salad

Tequila lime chicken

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Yield: 6 large kebabs

Grilled Pesto Chicken Kebabs

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Grilled Pesto Chicken Kebabs are pesto marinated chunks of chicken skewered with vegetables and grilled to perfection.  It's an easy summer meal!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the pesto sauce:

• 4 cups baby spinach leaves*
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons toasted walnut pieces
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the kebabs:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 medium), cut into 1" cubes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup pesto sauce, plus more for serving
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2" thick rounds
• 18 cherry tomatoes

Instructions

Prepare the pesto:

1. Place the spinach, garlic, lemon juice, walnuts, and parmesan into the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse until roughly chopped. With the processor running, add the oil through the feed tube and process until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste, then and add salt and pepper, and process once more. Adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Prepare the kebabs:

1. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and place in a large zip top bag or bowl. Combine the pesto sauce with the lemon juice and pour over the chicken, tossing until evenly coated. Marinate a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the grill to medium high. Brush the grates with the canola oil.
3. Skewer the chicken, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes on large metal or wooden skewers (I used metal). Grill for 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Drizzle with extra pesto sauce, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

• *Spinach may be substituted with fresh basil, arugula, or your favorite combination of greens and herbs. You can also use your favorite store bought variety if you're strapped for time!
• I marinated the chicken for 2 hours and it was very flavorful, but the longer you marinate it, the better it will be.
• This meal is great served with orzo pasta!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 467Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 476mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 44g

Nutrition information is mean to be an estimate only. The numbers will vary based on the quantity consumed, brands used and substitutions that are made.

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