I need some SUNSHINE! If it’s not going to appear up there in the sky (I know we’ve all been patiently waiting, but so far, August has been a downright tease), then I’m just going to bring it right down here and onto my plate.
These kebabs are sweet, fresh and succulent with a light chilli kick that is finished off perfectly with a sticky, pomegranate molasses infused glaze. They are super quick and easy to prep and make in advance if you’re feeding a crowd, and my kids LOVE them too, so they’re also a great addition to a family BBQ feast.
If you don’t have a BBQ, you can make them in a hot griddle pan – just make sure the griddle is greased with a little oil and is hot before you pop the skewers in there so that they don’t stick to the pan.
Makes 6 large kebabs
Ingredients:
For the Kebabs
1kg chicken thigh fillets, skinless, boneless and cut into 3-4cm pieces
250g fresh mango, roughly chopped
3 tbsp honey
25g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 tsp coriander seeds
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 ¼ tsp smoked paprika
½ fresh red chilli, deseeded
Zest of 1 lime
1 tsp sea salt flakes
½ tsp coarse black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lime
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
For the Salad
250g fresh mango, peeled and chopped into 1cm pieces
1 large avocado, peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces
1 small baby cucumber, chopped into 1 cm pieces
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and chopped into 1 cm pieces
25g fresh coriander, finely chopped
½ fresh red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 ½ limes
To serve
Chilli Flakes
Fresh lime wedges
Method:
To make the kebabs, place the chicken thigh fillet pieces in a large dish and leave to one side.
Pop the chopped mango, 2 tbsp of the honey, the fresh coriander and the coriander seeds, the garlic, smoked paprika, red chilli, lime zest, the sea salt and the black pepper into a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken and pour the rest into a small saucepan. Stir the marinade thoroughly into the chicken, cover the dish with clingfilm and pop it in the fridge for 2 hours.
Add the juice of ½ a lime, the pomegranate molasses and the remaining tbsp of honey to the marinade in the saucepan and pop it on the hob on a medium heat. Let it come up to a simmer and then turn the heat down and stir for 3-4 minutes until the marinade thickens a little and changes colour. Take it off the heat and cover until you are ready to use it as a BBQ glaze for the chicken kebabs.
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for half an hour before you thread the chicken onto them (to prevent them from burning on the BBQ).
Meanwhile prepare the salad – place all of the salad ingredients into a bowl but don’t stir the salad until you are just about to serve the kebabs. Keep the salad bowl covered and in the fridge.
After the chicken has been marinading for a couple of hours, take the dish out of the fridge and bring the chicken up to room temp for half an hour while you get your coals lit. Make sure the grills on the BBQ are also hot before you start cooking the chicken otherwise the kebabs will stick to the grills.
Pop the chicken onto the skewers and cook them evenly over medium-hot coals for 10-15 minutes, turning halfway through, or as regularly as you need to. After 10-15 minutes, brush the chicken with the glaze and keep glazing and cooking the kebabs for another 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through but still succulent. Sprinkle the kebabs with chilli flakes and squeeze over fresh lime juice. Stir the salad and serve it with the kebabs.
