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Juicy, tender grilled chicken, bursting with vibrant flavor. These Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers are a delicious fusion of South American and Asian cuisines!
Are you ready for an international culinary adventure? We're headed to Peru today, where the cuisine is an interesting fusion of Latin American, European and Asian - little bits and pieces of each, all thrown in a big pot and swirled around to produce some incredibly delicious eats. These Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers are the perfect example!
A delicious and unique combination of flavors!
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are marinated in (what might seem to be a crazy combination) herbs, spices and a few other wonderful ingredients: garlic, cumin, chili powder, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, fresh ginger and olive oil. Half of the mixture is used for the marinade and the other half as a basting sauce while the chicken is grilling.
I like to cut up the thighs and thread the meat on skewers, but if you're in a hurry, you could leave them whole and grill them without the skewers.
I usually serve these Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers with this Peruvian Green Sauce, although they're perfectly delicious 0n their own too!
Expect rave reviews!
The first time I served these Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers, our son, Nick made a comment that explains how delicious they are; he said, "Wow mom, this is one of the best things you've ever made!". But being a very considerate (smart and diplomatic too!) son, he added, "... and you make a lot of really good things!". I had to laugh - but also had to agree that these Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers are wonderful.
Want something special this weekend for dinner? Got friends coming for a picnic or party sometime soon? Tired of the same-old-same-old? Pick up some chicken thighs at the market next time you shop. Check the list of marinade and Peruvian Green Sauce (optional, buy SO good!) ingredients - you probably have most of them in the pantry or fridge, but jot down anything you're missing. You're in for a fabulous treat!
Someone might even say these Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers are, "The best thing you've ever made"!
Café Tips for making these Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers
- I really recommend using skinless, boneless chicken thighs for this recipe, as they don't dry out as easily as chicken breasts do. If however, you're a die-hard chicken breast lover, go ahead and use them for this recipe. Don't leave the breast skewers on the grill as long and get them nice and chilled before you start grilling in order to give the exterior a chance to brown a little before the inside gets done.
- This recipe calls for smoked paprika. Just like regular paprika, smoked paprika is made from pimiento peppers, but instead of just drying the peppers, they are also smoked over an oak fire before being ground into a fine powder. It's delicious and worth keeping in your spice cabinet. Smoked paprika can be found in the regular spice section of most larger groceries. I often pick it up at Trader Joe's. It can also be purchased online and be at your front door in two days.
- Smoked Paprika comes in two varieties, sweet and hot. If it's not labeled, it's usually the sweet variety. I prefer sweet paprika as the hot variety doesn't work in all recipes. You can always add a little heat with cayenne, chili powder or crushed red pepper.
- I love metal skewers vs. wood or bamboo skewers. It seems no matter how long you soak the wood/bamboo ones, they always tend to burn on the grill, especially if you're going for a nice char on the meat. These metal skewers are some of my favorites. They're not too long and have a nice flat surface, making it easy to thread the meat and turn the skewers. They're also the perfect size for serving a dinner plate.
P.S. Craving these flavor but don't have a grill? No worries! We also have a fabulous Peruvian Chicken recipe that can be made right on the stovetop!
Thought for the day:
May the God of HOPE
fill you with all joy and peace
as you trust in Him,
so that you may be filled with HOPE
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
What we're listening to for inspiration:
- 3 medium cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
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Trim chicken of excess fat and cut into approximately 1-inch wide pieces. Set aside.
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Combine all marinade ingredients in a medium-size bowl and stir to mix. Add chicken to a large zip lock bag along with half of the marinade/sauce. Reserve the remaining marinade and set it aside.
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Massage the bag with the chicken to evenly coat the chicken with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
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Heat a gas grill to medium-high or start a medium-hot charcoal grill. Thread chicken onto skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes, so they don't catch on fire.)
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Clean grill surface and oil with spray or brush with a tongs and an oil-dipped paper towel. Place skewers on grill and cook, turning one-quarter turn every 3-4 minutes until golden, about 10-12 minutes. Brush with the remaining sauce, turning frequently until chicken is charred in spots. The exact timing will vary, depending on the temperature of your grill. Remove the chicken skewers from the grill, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips
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Kristen says
These were outstanding. The flavors were incredible. I did double the CRP flakes to heat it up and I did marinate over night but thru came out perfect. Will definitely make again and can't wait to check out more recipes by you.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Kristen!
Connie says
Can I marinade the chicken overnight? Not sure why you said marinate chicken (only) up to 4 hours? Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Connie, good question! Sometimes when you use a marinade with fresh lime juice, it can macerate the meat if it's in the marinade for too long.
Tom Alert says
This is an absolutely amazing recipe. I keep the recipe saved on my phone. I have been on Keto, so this is rotated into my weekly meals. I make a huge batch, so I can snack on chicken thighs. I have removed the brown sugar, and substituted spenda brown sugar, for fewer carbs. Still amazing. Haven’t made the green sauce, but it definitely sounds amazing
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your review, Tom!
Jennifer S. says
This recipe was delish!! I omitted the brown sugar because my husband can't have it, but left everything else the same. The fam loved it and I have some picky eaters. I also made the green sauce to go with it and wanted to drink it, it was so good! Thank you!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for the review, Jennifer!
lowandslow says
I have a Peruvian friend who use`s Aji Amarillo Paste (Dona Isabela brand is best) as well as some Asian brown bean in his marinade,a truly authentic ingredient.It can be found at most Mexican grocery,be careful this stuff packs the heat! Try some it`s great.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Lowandslow!
Mimi says
I'm SO looking forward to trying this..it sounds amazing! Have you ever tried this w/boneless chix breasts/tenderloins? Just not a fan of thighs.
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mimi, I know what you mean about thighs. I avoided them for years but you might want to just give them a try in this recipe. With thighs, you don't have to worry about how long they're on the grill and you can achieve a beautiful char which is part of the deliciousness of this recipe. If you use chicken breasts (which I'm a huge fan of in so many recipes) you can't leave them on the grill long enough to get that nice char.
Rebecca says
Soooo delicious! Everyone loved it.. And the Peruvian green sauce is so good! I made this with cilantro lime rice , and we all put the sauce on everything. Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Rebecca!
marg says
This was absolutely delicious !! The Peruvian green sauce just added that extra touch!! A total keeper!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Marg!
Cameron says
What's the side dish that it's served with in the picture? Looks amazing!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Cameron, that's a black bean and bell pepper recipe that I include with these Peruvian Rice Bowls - https://thecafesucrefarine.com/peruvian-chicken-rice-bowls/
Caron Johnaon says
Very nice. I will definitely make these again. Love the green sauce. I put this recipe together very quickly and it came out great. A new flavor profile for us.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Caron!
Christopher says
Wow these are good. Made street tacos with them using small flour tortillas. These are a definite do over. Thanks !
Chris Scheuer says
Tacos sound delicious! Thanks for sharing your results, Christopher!
Glenn says
I’ve been looking for a good chicken skewer recipe and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. The flavors were excellent and the meat was so tender!! Being recently retired I have taken on cooking as an extended hobby and I look forward to making more of your recipes!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you for letting us know, Gleen! So glad you enjoyed this 🙂
Jennifer says
These were AMAZING! The green sauce is the icing on the cake and makes enough to have left overs. It will not go to waste.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your results, Jennifer!
R norton says
Probably a good recipe but tooooooo many ads to go through
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. The ads are the way we are able to offer well-tested, delicious recipes to our readers for free. If you make the chicken skewers (you're right, they're SO good!), please come back and leave a star rating.
Susie says
Amazing!!!! The chicken is so flavorful. Folowed the diretions and ingredients as listed. Be sure to serve it with the Peruvian Green Sauce. I used the sauce the next day as a dressing over a green salad with the leftover chicken. Everyone commented about the flavors and I've shared the recipes several times. Better than restaurant quality! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing your results, Susie!
Alice says
This was so good, I’ve never left a comment for any recipe before. But, this chicken recipe was great! I had to say something.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad, Alice! Thanks so much for letting us know!
Kathryn says
Made this last night as written except I had chicken drumsticks defrosted. It was fabulous! My husband was not excited for chicken, but changed his mind with first bite. So nice to find a new recipe to throw in our dinner rotation! Thank you!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Kathryn!
marie says
Hi,
Is it possible to make this ahead and freeze in marinade for later cooking? thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marie, I haven’t tried that. I would have to do further testing to say for sure.
Brenda K Sheets says
Chris,
This recipe is a taste buds delight! Thank you so much.
Brenda
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Brenda!
Liz says
I made these skewers again tonight. I’m not great with the BBQ and it’s too cold here anyway but they turn out great under the broiler too! The green sauce is amazing. Served it with Peruvian green rice and a salad of corn, black beans, tomato, red onion and avocado with chopped cilantro, olive oil, lime juice and Maldon salt. Had some very happy diners.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your results, Liz!
Bronwyn says
My husband and I do this marinade at least once a week - we absolutely love it! We don’t have a barbeque so we do it in the oven and sometimes without the skewers if we’re a bit lazy 😊 we also chop up peppers, onions and courgettes and lay them out under the chicken so the marinade drips onto the veggies - so delicious 😋 and we obviously use the marinade at every chance we get when invited to a barbeque 😍
Chris Scheuer says
I love that! Thanks, Bronwyn!
Grace says
Absolutely amazing! I made this with maduros and a chocolate mousse for a fancy dinner night for my family. The chicken was TO DIE FOR! Thank you for this lovely recipe! 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks so much, Grace!
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad! Thanks for letting us know, Mickey.
Mickey says
We were looking for something spicy and delicious but healthier than chicken wings for Super Bowl Sunday.
These Peruvian chicken skewers and Peruvian green sauce delivered the flavor bomb we were hoping for! This is an absolutely delicious meal and I love the previous commentor's addition of onion. We will try that next time - and it will be soon! Thanks for these recipes.
Kevin says
The best “small pieces of chicken grilled on a skewer recipe” i’ve found.
And i’ve found a lot.
Can’t wait for bbq season.
Love them.
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
I love that! Thanks, Kevin!
Ruchi says
These were unbelievably delicious!! Hubby couldn’t stop raving about them and has requested me to make bigger portion for him soon-ish 😉
I made the marinade as-is for 1 lb chicken thighs and alternated with onion pieces. Broiled at high for 10 minutes, while rotating skewer every 2-3 minutes. Served with naan bread and coleslaw.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, for sharing your results, Ruchi! So happy you enjoyed them!
Sylvia says
This was insanely delicious! Cooked the thighs whole and made the green sauce as directed. I wouldn’t change a thing!