Photo of Chipotle chicken skewers by WW

Chipotle chicken skewers

1
Points® value
Total Time
2 hr 40 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
8
Difficulty
Easy
Coated in a smoky-sweet marinade, these chicken skewers have just the right level of heat that won’t be too overwhelming for palettes that prefer dishes on the milder side. For the best flavor, we recommend marinating the chicken for at least 2 hours and to baste the chicken occasionally while broiling. For an easy side dish, serve with sautéed corn and peppers or steamed broccoli. You can use either metal or wooden skewers for this recipe. But, if you use the wooden variety, soak them in water for 30 minutes before threading the chicken to prevent them from burning while cooking.

Ingredients

Orange juice

8 fl oz

Red chili sauce

½ cup(s)

Fresh lime juice

½ cup(s), about 6 limes

Garlic

2 clove(s)

Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 item(s), or more to taste

Ground cumin

1 tsp

Kosher salt

1 tsp, plus extra for seasoning chicken (optional)

Black pepper

½ tsp, plus extra for seasoning chicken (optional)

Chili powder

½ tsp

Uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast

3 pound(s), cut into 1-inch pieces

Red onion

3 medium, cut through the root into sixths (you'll have two extra pieces onion to use elsewhere or add extra to two skewers)

Sesame seeds

1 tsp, toasted

Cilantro

1 Tbsp, fresh, chopped

Basil

1 Tbsp, fresh, chopped

Instructions

  1. To make the marinade, combine the orange juice, chii sauce, lime juice, garlic, chipotle chiles, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if you need to.
  2. To make the chicken, put the chicken into a 1-gallon zip-top bag, add ½ cup of the marinade, and massage to coat all the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Reserve the rest of the marinade.
  3. Preheat the broiler; if using a gas grill, preheat to medium.
  4. While the grill or broiler is heating up, slide 1 piece of onion onto each of 16 long skewers, followed by a few pieces of chicken. Continue until you’ve filled all the skewers. Arrange the skewers in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Season lightly with salt and pepper and brush with ¼ cup of the reserved marinade.
  5. Broil the chicken skewers, without turning them, until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. If grilling, they will take 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and garnish with the sesame seeds, cilantro, and basil.
  6. Bring the remaining marinade to a boil in a small saucepan and serve with the skewers.
  7. Serving size: 2 skewers

Notes

CHIPOTLE CHICKEN SKEWERS is excerpted from MARCUS OFF DUTY © 2014 by Marcus Samuelsson. Reproduced by permission of Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Edited by Weight Watchers. All rights reserved.