Orange Cilantro Grilled Chicken Skewers

We love the flavor of grilled food. When we moved to Haiti, we missed our decade old baby Weber grill so much that we ended up bringing it with us to Haiti -- impressively packed by Paul's Dad in his suitcase. We debated admitting this embarrassing dependence, recognizing the ridiculousness of bringing our grill to Haiti. But wow, do we love to grill. Local oranges and herbs make a lovely punchy green marinade for these Orange Cilantro Grilled Chicken Skewers. A light zesty marinade to add to your summer repertoire. Check out more of our grilling recipes here.

Yield: Serves 6-8 as a main

Ingredients:

   Orange Cilantro Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (approximately 1 lime)
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 whole jalapeno

   Skewers:

• 2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into even sized cubes
• vegetables, cut into even sized pieces that are the same size as your chicken (red onion, bell pepper, summer squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes)
• wooden or metal skewers

Steps:

1. Place all the marinade ingredients in a blender (lime, garlic, oil, orange juice, cilantro, parsley, salt and jalapeno). Puree until a smooth texture.
2. Marinate the chicken piece in a large zip-top bag or wide baking dish for 30 minutes  (up to 2 hours) with 3/4 of the marinade. Reserve the remainder of the marinade to serve with the chicken after it is grilled.
3. Thread the skewers with the chicken pieces, interspersing with vegetables. (do not pack the chicken and vegetables too tightly on the skewers or they will cook unevenly).
4. Grill the chicken for 10 minutes, 5 minutes on each side, or until the meat is cooked all the way through.