Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 24, 2009
Time
30 minutes
Yield
Serves 10 to 12 (Makes 30 skewers)
Ingredients
Chicken
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large), trimmed¼ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves 2 teaspoons chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced2 teaspoons adobo sauce 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed though a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)1 ½ teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon chili powder ¼ teaspoon ground black pepperDipping Sauce
¾ cup sour cream ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup juice from 2 to 3 limes, plus more as needed2 scallions, minced2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves 1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about ½ teaspoon)½ teaspoon table salt ⅛ teaspoon black pepperBefore You Begin
Thirty 6-inch-long bamboo skewers are required for this recipe. Do not let the chicken marinate for longer than 24 hours or its texture will turn mushy.
Instructions
- Freeze the chicken for 30 minutes. Slice the chicken diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick strips. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Add the marinade to a large zipper-lock bag along with the chicken. Seal shut, toss to coat, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours (see note).
- Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, scallions, cilantro, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl. Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.)
- Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Line a broiler pan bottom with foil and cover with the broiler pan top; coat the broiler pan top with nonstick cooking spray. Following the illustrations below, weave each piece of chicken onto an individual skewer, lay the skewers on the broiler pan top, and cover the skewer ends with foil, making sure not to cover the chicken. Broil until the meat is lightly browned and fully cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with the dipping sauce.
for the chicken
for the dipping sauce
Time
30 minutesYield
Serves 10 to 12 (Makes 30 skewers)Ingredients
Chicken
Dipping Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken
Dipping Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken
Dipping Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
While developing our chipotle chicken skewers recipe, we froze boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 30 minutes to make them easier to slice evenly and thinly. After a number of tests we learned that a very concentrated marinade, without much oil, worked best to maximize the flavor of the mild white meat in our chipotle chicken skewers recipe. Looking for attractive, deep browning, we turned toward marinades with a high sugar content. The sugar promotes browning, which gives the meat an attractive lacquered look in a brief amount of time under the broiler.
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