Jerked Chicken Kabobs

The grill is going to be my best friend this summer. Grilling is a great way to prepare meals with less fat but more flavor. It keeps the mess -- and heat -- out of the kitchen. Plus, if we grill, then dh does the actual cooking!

This Jerked Chicken Kabob recipe from the Food Network's Guy Fieri was a great was to kick off the grilling season. At about 3:00 in the afternoon, I got the wild idea to invite someone over for dinner. I had no idea what to fix and actually, had no food in the house and had to make a grocery store run before dinner at 6:00. A quick search of the Food Network site turned up this recipe and it turned out to be as delicious as it sounds. A bit too spicy for the younger kid's but newly-adult ds and his girlfriend really enjoyed it. (Is my baby really 18 already?) I'd expected that it might be a little zippy so I made a few plain kabobs for the kids as well. A great recipe to make in advance; simply make up the marinade in a large zipper bag, throw in some chunks of chicken breast and throw into the fridge until you are ready to grill. As the grill is heating, thread chicken chunks onto skewers. Easy and festive!


Jerked Chicken Kabobs
Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon cinnamon stick
1 red onion, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh thyme sprigs
1 lime, juiced
3 garlic cloves
1 Scotch bonnet pepper
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
Salt and pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Mango Salsa, recipe follows
In a food processor, combine all ingredients except chicken; puree until smooth. Add all but 1/4 cup of the mixture in a 1 gallon plastic sealable bag. Add the chicken to the bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Heat grill to medium-high. Skewer chicken pieces and grill on 1 side for about 5 minutes. Flip and grill the other side until cooked through and grill marks appear.

Top with the Mango Salsa and serve with 1/4 cup reserved (unused) marinade as a dipping sauce.

Mango Salsa:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 mango, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
2 green onions, diced

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, lime juice, hot sauce, and ginger. Mix thoroughly and add the remaining ingredients. Toss and refrigerate for 1 hour.