Chicken Skewers (Pinchos de Pollo) are chunks of marinated meat (usually pork or chicken) that are threaded through bamboo skewers and then charcoal grilled. Once the chicken is cooked, it is lightly brushed with barbecue sauce. We love the barbecue sauce to have a sweet taste. Therefore, you can purchase barbecue sauce already prepared with brown sugar or use regular barbecue sauce to blend with some honey.
The garlic-buttery bread slices are placed on the grill during the last 5 minutes of grilling the chicken. The Chicken Skewers (Pinchos de Pollo) are then served with a piece of warm bread placed on the top end of the skewer. Pinchos are also known as street foods because they are mainly sold by vendors at roadside food stands or kiosks.
Food History!
Pincho is believed to have originated in the Northern part of Spain. They are considered snack foods that are mainly served at bars or taverns. Meat, cheese, seafood or eggs are placed on a small piece of bread and pierced with a toothpick to secure the food items.
Preparing the Marinade for the Chicken Skewers!
In a bowl, add 1½ tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 seasoning envelopes with coriander and annatto (to add flavor and color to the meat), 2 teaspoons of adobo without salt, 1 teaspoon of lite salt, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (or if you prefer, 1 tablespoon of vinegar) and 2 tablespoons of sofrito made with culantro (recao) and ajies dulces. You can increase or decrease the quantity for each ingredient, according to your taste.
Click on the links for Sofrito and Special Blend of Seasonings. The adobo without salt can be purchased online.
Stir well and set aside.
Cutting the Chicken Thighs!
This is 3.5 pounds of skinless and boneless chicken thighs that have been rinsed. You can also trim the excess fat if necessary.
Cut each chicken thigh into chunks, approximately 1½ to 2 inches. One thigh should yield at least 4 to 5 pieces.
NOTE: You can use chicken breast if you prefer. However, chicken thighs tend to be juicier due to their higher fat content.
Marinating the Chunks of Chicken (Chicken Skewers)!
Pour the marinade on top of the chicken.
Make sure to completely coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight. Cover bowl with lid.
Soaking the Bamboo Skewers and Preparing the Barbecue Sauce!
Soak at least 15 bamboo skewers in water for at least 1 to 2 hours. This soaking process will prevent the wood sticks from burning when grilling.
We love our barbecue sauce to have a sweet taste. Add 1 cup of the regular barbecue sauce into a small bowl.
Add at least ¼ cup of honey for a touch of sweetness.
Stir until well blended and also set aside.
NOTE: You can purchase barbecue sauce already prepared with brown sugar or use regular barbecue sauce to blend with some honey.
Threading the Chicken onto the Skewer!
Take one piece of chicken and thread onto the skewer, leaving approximately 3 inches from the bottom. This bottom section will serve as a handle for rotating and for picking up the skewer.
As you thread the subsequent pieces of chicken, make sure it just touches each other. Don’t cram the chicken pieces together because you want them to cook evenly. Each skewer should have at least 3 to 4 chicken pieces.
NOTE: The top section of skewer is to place a slice of bread once the meat is thoroughly cooked.
We have a total of 13 Chicken Skewers (Pinchos de Pollo). They are ready to grill.
NOTE: This recipe yields 12 to 15 Chicken Skewers.
Seasoning the Bread Slices for the Chicken Skewers!
Cut loaf of bread into 1 inch to 1½ thick slices – one for each skewer. Spread margarine made with extra virgin olive oil or butter on both sides of the bread slices.
NOTE: You can use Pan de Agua, Pan Sobao, or French Baquette.
Sprinkle garlic powder on both sides. Place on baking pan and set aside.
Grilling the Chicken Skewers (Pinchos de Pollo)!
Preheat gas grill to 375°F. Spray some oil on the entire grill grate to prevent the chicken from sticking. Place several chicken skewers on top of grill grate next to each other. Close lid and grill for 15 minutes. For this cooking video, I also decided to grill the chicken skewers in two batches.
NOTE: You can use a charcoal grill or gas grill.
After grilling for 15 minutes, turn them over to the other side, using tongs. Cover lid and grill for another 15 minutes.
Once the chicken is thoroughly cooked on both sides, brush them lightly with barbecue sauce on one side.
NOTE: I would recommend to check for doneness with a digital meat thermometer. If it registers 165°F, the chicken is cooked.
Turn them over and brush the other side with the barbecue sauce.
At this point, place the slices of bread on top of warming rack. Close lid and grill the chicken for 2 minutes on both sides.
NOTE: Make sure to flip both the bread slices and chicken skewers after 2 minutes of grilling.
The Chicken Skewers (Pinchos de Pollo) have been grilling for 2 minutes on both sides. They are ready. Remove the bread slices and chicken skewers from grill.
The Chicken Skewers (Pinchos de Pollo) are traditionally served with a piece of bread placed at the top end of the skewer. Invite your friends over for some cocktails like mojitos and enjoy the juicy chunks of chicken with lots of flavor due to the sofrito and seasonings. The barbecue sauce provides a sweet and tart taste.
Click on the button below to watch my YouTube Video on How to Prepare Chicken Skewers (Pinchos de Pollo)!
Recipe and Nutritional Facts!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. Please refer to our Nutritional Facts Disclaimer for more information.
Print
Chicken Skewers (Pinchos de Pollo)
- Prep Time: 45 Minutes
- Cook Time: 35 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
Description
Pinchos are chunks of marinated meat (usually pork or chicken) that are threaded through bamboo skewers and then charcoal grilled. Once the chicken is cooked, it is lightly brushed with barbecue sauce. They are then served with a piece of bread placed on the top end of the skewer. Pinchos are known as street foods because they are mainly sold by vendors at roadside food stands or kiosks.
Ingredients
- 3.5 pounds Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½ to 2-inch chunks
- 1 Bread loaf (Pan de Agua, Pan Sobao or French Baquette), cut into 1 inch to 1½ inch thick slices
- Margarine (or butter) and garlic powder to spread and season bread slices
- 1 cup of regular barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup of honey
- 15 bamboo skewers
Marinade:
- 1½ tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 seasoning envelopes with coriander and annatto
- 2 teaspoons of adobo without salt
- 1 teaspoon of lite salt
- 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (or 1 tablespoon of vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons of sofrito made with culantro (recao) and ajies dulces
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the marinade.
- Coat the chunks of chicken with marinade. Cover bowl with lid and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.
- Soak 15 bamboo skewers in water for at least 1 to 2 hours. This will prevent them from burning when grilling.
- In a bowl, add the barbecue sauce and honey. Stir until well blended.
- Thread 3 to 4 chicken pieces onto a skewer, leaving 3 inches from the bottom of skewer. The chicken pieces should only touch each other. Do not cram them together in order to cook evenly. Each skewer should have at least 3 to 4 chunks of chicken.
- Preheat gas grill to 375°F. Spray grill with olive oil to prevent chicken from sticking.
- Place all the chicken skewers on grill or grill them in 2 batches. Cover lid and cook them for 15 minutes.
- Turn them over and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Check for doneness with digital meat thermometer. If it registers 165°F, the chicken is cooked.
- Spread and season bread slices with margarine and garlic powder on both sides. Place on warming rack of grill.
- Brush lightly the chicken skewers with the barbecue sauce on both sides. Grill each side for 2 minutes along with the bread slices.
- Remove from grill the chicken skewers and bread slices.
- Served with a piece of bread placed at the top end of the skewer.
Notes
You can instead purchase Barbecue sauce with Brown Sugar if you are not interested in blending the barbecue sauce with honey.
The nutritional value does not include the slice of bread.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Keywords: Pinchos, Pinchos de Pollo, Chicken Skewers, Chicken Kebabs