Why It Works
- A flavor-packed marinade made with curry and coconut milk not only adds flavor but also improves browning.
- Salt in the marinade seasons the chicken and helps it retain juices as it cooks.
- Using a two-level fire allows you to control how quickly the chicken cooks.
If kebabs were the cast of a high school coming-of-age movie, beef would be that kid who has the looksandthe substance to back them up, pork would be the goofy-yet-lovable fat kid, and vegetables might be the nerd with the heart of gold. So where does that leave chicken breast? Chicken is the showboat. The one that puffs itself up andlooksgreat to begin with, but doesn't seem to have much to offer once you get past the facade.
Similarly, a pile of grilled chicken skewers, cross-hatched with grill marks, shows the promise of tender meat and smoke from the grill, but more often than not breaks that promise with dry, cottony meat and no flavor to speak of. But we said this is a coming-of-age movie, right? Even the showboat gets a chance at redemption in this story. All it takes is a quick injection of flavor and a little bit of good technique.
The first step is the easiest: Forget about chicken breast. Sure, it looks thick and meaty, but it's also relatively bland and prone to drying out, particularly when cut into small pieces, as in a kebab. Chicken thigh remains tender and moist even when diced and cooked on a grill.
Next step? A big injection of flavor. I don't make curries at home often, but I always make sure to have a decent curry powder around the kitchen. I love using it insingapore noodles, but it's also great with vegetable fried rice or even roasted potatoes. On its own, curry powder lacks freshness, so I also add plenty of minced garlic and shallots, along with some chile flakes. (I like my curry extra spicy.)
A can of coconut milk not only rounds out the flavors, but also provides a good medium for the fat-soluble flavors of the curry paste to distribute themselves easily over the chicken. Plus, coconut milk improves the chicken's browning qualities, ensuring that it gets some nice crusty browned flavors from the grill.
To up the meatiness of the chicken, I add a big splash of fish sauce, which gives the chicken that umami boost it needs to really compete with other grilled meats. Finally, a fair amount of salt in the marinade both seasons the chicken and helps the marinade act as a brine, breaking down the chicken's muscle structure just enough to help it retain moisture.
After that, the rest is a cakewalk. I let the chicken marinate for at least half an hour (overnight is even better), thread it onto skewers, then grill it. With a meat like chicken, I find that moderate heat is best, so I set up my grill with a two-level fire—all the coals banked up under one side of the grill—then place the chicken skewers in the center. That way, if I notice that they're cooking a little too slowly and threatening to come up to temperature before any browning occurs, I can shift them over to the hot side to get some extra color. Conversely, if they're browning too fast and still raw in the center, some time on the cooler side will help them finish cooking more gently. In either case, the lid helps the chicken to cook more evenly.
That chicken goes from raw to cooked in just about 10 minutes total. With prep time and marinating, the whole transformation takes under a couple of hours to complete. That means that if this really were a feature film, we'dstillhave about half an hour left for this newly emerged chicken to find a date to the prom.
Oh, look! The nerdy vegetables took off their glasses to reveal that they were movie-starlet gorgeous the whole time. How convenient!
August 2015
Recipe Details
Grilled Curry Chicken Kebabs
Prep30 mins
Cook50 mins
Active30 mins
Marinating Time30 mins
Total110 mins
Serves4to 6 servings
Ingredients
3 tablespoons coconut milk
6 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes
1 tablespoon minced shallot (about 1 shallot)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine coconut milk, minced garlic, curry powder, fish sauce, chile flakes, minced shallot, and kosher salt. Stir until everything is combined and add chicken. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
When you’re ready to cook, thread chicken onto bamboo skewers.
Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange coals on one side of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
Place skewers on middle of grill (between hot and cool sections), cover, and cook until skewers are well browned on first side, about 5 minutes. If skewers are browning too fast, shift them to the cooler side; if not browning fast enough, move them closer to the hotter side. Flip skewers and cook until second side is browned and the thickest piece of chicken registers 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a serving platter, let rest for 2 minutes, and serve.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2015__08__09102015-grilled-curry-chicken-kebabs-shaozhizhong-1-4-collage-a4751c0b629942729b93a02a4be0753f.jpg "Grilled Curry Chicken Kebabs Recipe (1)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2015__08__09102015-grilled-curry-chicken-kebabs-shaozhizhong-5-d2b1b1128d37409e9fa67fea5b0c484b.jpg "Grilled Curry Chicken Kebabs Recipe (2)")
Special equipment
bamboo skewers (soaked overnight or at least 3 hours), grill, instant-read thermometer
This Recipe Appears In
- Coconut Milk and Curry Make for Juicy, Flavor-Packed Chicken Kebabs
