Brochetas de Pollo

5 from 1 vote

These Brochetas de Pollo (Chicken Skewers) are seasoned in a garlic, oregano blend and then topped with a delicious tangy guava barbecue sauce (or barbecue sauce of choice). Juicy, tender, and loaded with vibrant flavors! Ready in 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Barbecue, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings:

Calories: 801kcal

Author: Catherine Arena

Equipment

wooden or metal skewers
cast iron grill skillet or large skillet
gas or charcoal grill optional

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless chicken thighs rinsed
1 green bell pepper rinsed and cut into squares
1 red bell pepper rinsed and cut into squares
1-2 yellow squash rinsed and sliced
1 onion peeled and quartered
5 teaspoon garlic puree
½ teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
guava barbecue sauce or barbecue sauce of your preference
2 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil
lime wedges for serving optional

Instructions

Stovetop

Rinse chicken thighs under cool water. Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board. Using your fingers, lift and pry the skin off.
Using a knife, angle your knife towards the bone and slice down on both sides of the bone. This will allow the bone to be exposed. Cut meat on both ends where the chicken is still attached to the bone.
Cut the chicken into 1 ½ inch chunks.
Using a fork, mix the garlic puree and oregano in a small bowl. Using your hands or a spoon, integrate the marinade well into the chicken.
Thread the chicken and vegetables onto wooden or metal skewers. Sprinkle the skewers with salt and pepper to taste on both sides.
Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a cast iron skillet or regular skillet. Swirl the oil around the pan and heat over medium high heat. Add a few skewers at a time to the skillet to cook.
Cook for 5 minutes and then flip them over. Lower heat to medium. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Using a brush, glaze the chicken skewers with the guava barbecue sauce and flip them again. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Glaze the other side, flip and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. The skewers are done. Add more oil to the pan and cook the remaining skewers.

Optional

When serving, sprinkle fresh lime juice on top of the skewers as well as some additional barbecue sauce on the side.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

Skewers

Use wooden or metal skewers to thread chicken and vegetables. If you do not have either, just lay the chicken chunks and veggies right onto the skillet to cook.

Cooking Skewers

Although I made these skewers on the stovetop using my cast iron grill skillet, you can also cook these on a gas or charcoal grill. Especially perfect for entertaining.

Chicken Thighs

If you cannot find boneless, skinless chicken thighs, buy bone-in thighs and simply debone them yourself. It's easy and quick to do.

Chicken Thighs vs Chicken Breasts

I recommend using boneless chicken thighs as they stay juicy and tender throughout the cooking process. However, feel free to use chicken breast if you prefer. Just don't let them cook too long or the breast chunks will become dry.

Marinating Chicken

Although it is not necessary to marinate the chicken, marinating for a few hours or overnight, does infuse lots of delicious garlic and oregano flavor.

Barbecue Sauce

The guava barbecue sauce is amazing in this recipe but feel free to use whatever other barbecue sauce you prefer or have available. For example, honey, hickory smoke and mesquite are all great choices for this recipe.

Nutrition