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Seared Chicken Skewers with Rosemary recipe.
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Seared Chicken Skewers with Rosemary
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Marinating time
3 hrs
Total Time
50 mins
 
Chicken skewers are marinated in a fresh herb and garlic marinade then threaded on woody rosemary stems. If you cannot get long and sturdy rosemary stems, use bamboo skewers instead. The two-part cooking process of first searing the chicken, then roasting the skewers in the oven produces tender chicken skewers with great fresh herb flavor. 

You can get long and woody rosemary sprigs at farmers markets, restaurant supply stores, or wholesale stores. 

Seared Chicken Skewers with rosemary is an easy family meal or great for entertaining. 

Depending on how big each chicken breast is, there is enough chicken for 4 people with hearty appetites or 6 to 8 people served with two other side dishes. 

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: chicken, chicken skewers
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Ginger
Ingredients
  • 2-3 lb. (1 k -1.5 k) boneless skinless chicken breast -4 breasts
  • 1 tsp (3 g) Kosher salt
Herb marinade
  • 3 - 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 heaping TB (10 g) heaping Tablespoons minced rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon (1 g) thyme lemon thyme if you can get it
  • 1 TB (1.5 g) minced parsley
  • Zest of one lemon
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) 70 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for searing the chicken
Final touches
  • 8 - 10 bamboo skewers or long woody rosemary stems
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) dry white wine or dry vermouth Like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
Instructions

  1. Press on the chicken breast so they have an even thickness. You do not have to pound them out, just even them out a little. Slice each breast lengthwise into  ¼ inch (.5 cm) slices. Add the chicken ribbons to a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken without crowding them and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Using clean hands, mix the chicken with the salt until it is evenly incorporated. Thoroughly wash your hands and the bowl of chicken aside.  

Prepare the herb marinade

  1. In a small bowl add the minced garlic, minced rosemary, thyme, minced parsley, lemon zest, and olive oil. Stir to combine. Remember to wash your hands after you mix the chicken before you touch anything else. 

  2. Add the herb marinade to the chicken and toss with your hands until the chicken strips are evenly covered in the herb marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hrs.
Cook the Chicken
  1. If you are using rosemary stems, cut the end to make a pointed tip for easy threading. Soak the bamboo skewers or woody rosemary stems in water for 30 minutes. Bring the chicken out of the refrigerator to rest on the counter and come up to room temperature.

  2. Preheat the oven to 450°F / 230°C / Gas Mark 8. Slide the oven rack in the middle position. 

  3. Thread each skewer with the chicken slices. You can roll up each slice and spear it on the skewers, or weave each slice of chicken, over and under the skewer creating a ribbon of chicken. Squish the threaded chicken to make room for another slice. Depending on the length of each skewer, you can fit 3 to 4 slices of chicken on each skewer. Be careful not to pack the chicken in too tightly. 

  4. Heat a grill pan or a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the grill pan is good and hot, add the chicken skewers to the pan. Only add enough skewers to not crowd the pan, about 3-4 skewers. Sear the chicken until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and sear the other side, about 2 minutes more. 

  5. Place the seared chicken skewers in a baking dish large enough to hold all the chicken in a single layer without overcrowding, but small enough so the liquid won’t dry out when cooked. See Note. 

  6. Continue to sear the remaining skewers in batches until all the chicken is seared. 

  7. Add the white wine or dry vermouth to the baking dish holding the chicken skewers. Add more if the wine does not cover the bottom of the pan.

  8. Place the chicken in the oven and roast until done, about 10 minutes. Start checking the chicken at around 8 minutes. A good instant read thermometer is your best tool here for determining if the chicken is done. Aim for an internal temperature of 165°F / 74° C. Once done, take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.

  9. Serve hot with pan juices with grilled asparagus or zucchini. 

Recipe Notes

The original recipe calls for a 9" x 13" (23 x 33 cm)  baking dish. That is a little too small to fit 8 skewers without overlapping. Often, I needed to nestle each skewer around the dish with some laying vertical and others horizontal at the top and bottom of the dish. Trim each skewer to help them fit easily in the pan. Other times I used a larger baking dish 15" x 10.5" (38 x 27 cm) which is a tad too big. When I use a bigger baking dish I add more wine to make sure the liquid covers the bottom of the pan, so it does not dry out in the oven.