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Grilled Chicken Skewers with Sour Cream Marinade

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The sour cream marinade doubles as a dipping sauce for these delicious Grilled Chicken Skewers! This easy grilling recipe is one the whole family will love!

Grilled Chicken Skewers. Marinated in a sour cream sauce with Mediterranean spices, they are so tender and delicious…definitely a crowd pleaser! Save a little of the sauce for dipping after…SO good! #chicken #grilling #easydinner #skewers #kebabs

 

This post is sponsored by Hood® Sour Cream. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the organizations and brands that make A Dish of Daily Life possible!

Don’t you just love grilling season?!

It’s so nice to not have to heat up the kitchen when the weather is hot and humid already…not to mention the ease of cleanup! You know I am all about easy when it comes to cooking. Needless to say, we grill as often as we can in the summer time!

My family is pretty adventurous when it comes to food for the most part, but I do occasionally get a groan from the kids when I try new things. Last weekend I tried a new recipe out on them, and I got this ho-hum response: “it’s okay, not my favorite….” I felt the same way, so you won’t be seeing that recipe.

These Grilled Chicken Skewers with Sour Cream Marinade are a different story though.

I knew I was going to get a good reaction to this recipe as soon as I tasted the sour cream marinade / dipping sauce for myself.

I was right. I got a thumbs up from everyone!

They liked the sauce so much, I made a second batch to use with grilled salmon this week! It came out great too…we have a winner!

WHY YOU SHOULD INCLUDE FULL FAT DAIRY IN YOUR DIET

Sour cream was the star of this Grilled Chicken Skewer recipe. Marinating with dairy really tenderizes the meat and adds a nice flavor. If you’ve never marinated chicken in sour cream before, it’s time to give it a try!

These grilled chicken skewers were inspired by our love for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors. My husband is half Lebanese and half Italian…both of his parents are first generation Americans. Typically Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines use yogurt in their dishes, and I do often cook with yogurt, but I ALWAYS have sour cream in the house. It’s a staple here. I love the taste and we cook with it often. Plus, I’m a firm believer in cooking with what I have in the house at any given time because my schedule doesn’t permit me to run out to the grocery store multiple times a week.

I always cook with the full fat version of sour cream. This is for a couple reasons. I never really believed the reports that low fat dairy was better for our health.

Now it turns out that studies are coming out swinging the other way…telling us that full fat dairy is actually good for us! While full fat dairy is high in saturated fat, saturated fat is not as bad for us as we’ve been led to believe. For hundreds of thousands of years, people have been eating saturated fat, without all the health problems that we have now.  When heart disease escalated in the U.S., researchers hypothesized that since saturated fat increases cholesterol levels and high cholesterol levels lead to an increased risk of heart disease, that saturated fat must be to blame. But this was based on assumption, rather than actual studies, and it ended up shaping our public policy. However, an interesting fact about saturated fat is that while it increases both HDL (“good” cholesterol) and LDL (“bad” cholesterol), there are actually different types of LDL, one that increases your risk of heart disease and another that will decrease it. Eating saturated fat actually changes the LDL particles which increase your risk of heart disease to the mostly benign ones, which helps decrease your risk.  This great article from Heathline explains it really well, but the bottom line is that saturated fat does not have the negative health risks that was once thought. Honestly, this article is well worth a read!

Another myth is that eating full fat dairy will make us fat. There is no denying that we have a growing obesity problem in our country. But studies are now coming out that show eating full fat dairy keeps us leaner. One reason is that full fat dairy fills us up quicker, which reduces our tendency to overeat. Another issue is that low fat products often contain unnecessary sugar and other additives…things we don’t need more of in our diets.

Between owning a gym and having a family of athletes, I’m always conscious of what I am putting on the table.  In addition to being a source of healthy fats, sour cream contains protein and other important nutrients. When you work out, you break down muscle fibers. Protein helps rebuild and repair your muscles. Additionally, sour cream is a good source of calcium and phosphorus, which promotes healthy bones. Full fat dairy has always, and will always, have a place in my kitchen.

I cook with Hood® Sour Cream, and have for as long as I’ve lived in New England. Hood is actually one of the largest branded dairy operators in the United States and the number one dairy brand in New England. I love that I am always getting a quality product that takes my recipes from simple to spectacular! That rich, creamy taste has been trusted for generations and one that you can count on every time!

GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH SOUR CREAM MARINADE

This is one of those super easy recipes that takes almost no time to put together. You do need to leave enough time to marinate the chicken. But the grilled chicken skewers recipe itself is fast and easy.

First combine the Hood Sour Cream, olive oil, tomato paste, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, and spices together and mix well.

Sour Cream Marinade ingredients

Sour Cream Marinade with Mediterranean spices

Thread your chunks of chicken and red onion, alternating, on skewers.

Place your skewers on foil lined baking sheets for easy clean up.

I used the same mixture as both marinade and dip. Using dairy in a marinade tenderizes the meat. It’s thick though, so I brushed it on the chicken and onion, then covered it with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the refrigerator for the next few hours (at least 2 hours and preferably 3 hours). Separate out some of the marinade to use as dipping sauce before you start brushing the sour cream marinade on to the chicken. You don’t want to use the mixture you brush on the raw chicken for dipping for health and safety reasons!

Chicken Skewers getting ready for the grill

Chicken Skewers brushed with sour cream marinade, ready for the grill

Now it’s grilling time! Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Make sure to turn during the cooking process, about 6-8 minutes a side. When your chicken is done, the internal temperature should be 165 degrees F and the juices should run clear rather than pink.

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Sour Cream Marinade

Here they are hot off the grill!

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Sour Cream Marinade...hot off the grill!

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Sour Cream Marinade and extra dipping sauce on the side! So delicious!

Mix some chopped cilantro into the dipping sauce, if you’d like, and spoon it over the top of the skewers or add to plates as desired. Sprinkle a little cilantro on top of the grilled chicken skewers.

We’re big cilantro fans here! But if you don’t like cilantro, you could try parsley.

Sour Cream Marinade / Dipping Sauce with Mediteranean spices

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Mediterranean spiced Sour Cream Dipping Sauce on the side

Visit HoodSourCream.com for more delicious recipes! And if you’re looking for other ways to cook with sour cream, consider trying my Smothered Cheesy Sour Cream Chicken and Feta Dill Dip as well!

Now for the Grilled Chicken Skewers with Sour Cream Marinade recipe!

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Sour Cream Marinade

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Sour Cream Marinade

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Tender and delicious Grilled Chicken Skewers marinated in a sour cream sauce with Mediterranean spices…definitely a crowd pleaser! Save a little of the sauce for dipping after…SO good!

Ingredients

Marinade and Dipping Sauce

  • 1 cup Hood Sour Cream
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 large cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt, freshly ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
  • 2-3 tablespoons of cilantro or parsley to add to dipping sauce and for garnish

Chicken Skewers

  • 3 lbs chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
  • 1 red onion, cut into chunks
  • 5-6 skewers (if bamboo, soaked in water)

Instructions

First combine the Hood Sour Cream, olive oil, tomato paste, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and salt and pepper together and mix well. Save the cilantro for the dipping sauce and garnish. 

Cut chicken and red onion into chunks. Thread skewers alternating chicken and red onion. 

Place the skewers on foil lined baking sheets for easy clean up.

Brush marinade on chicken and onion skewers, cover in plastic wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours and preferably 3 hours. Separate out some of the marinade to use as dipping sauce. You don't want to use the mixture you brush on the raw chicken for dipping! 

Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Make sure to turn during the cooking process, about 6-8 minutes a side. When your chicken is done, the internal temperature should be 165 degrees F and the juices should run clear rather than pink.

Mix some chopped cilantro into the dipping sauce, if you'd like, and spoon it over the top of the skewers or add to plates as desired. Sprinkle a little cilantro on top of the skewers.

Notes

You may have extra dipping sauce if you divide it up for marinade and dipping sauce. Save the rest to use on salmon or another fish for later in the week!

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 521Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 564mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 49g

Grilled Chicken Skewers. Marinated in a sour cream sauce with Mediterranean spices, they are so tender and delicious…definitely a crowd pleaser! Don’t forget to save a little of the sauce for dipping after…SO good! #chicken #grilling #easydinner #skewers #kebabs

 

Grilled Chicken Skewers. Marinated in a sour cream sauce with Mediterranean spices, they are so tender and delicious…definitely a crowd pleaser! Don’t forget to save a little of the sauce for dipping after…SO good! #chicken #grilling #easydinner #skewers #kebabs

 

 

 

 

 

The sour cream marinade doubles as a dipping sauce for these delicious Grilled Chicken Skewers! This easy grilling recipe is one the whole family will love!

Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert

Monday 23rd of July 2018

I need to try this immediately, it looks so good!

Krista

Sunday 22nd of July 2018

I need to grill this up asap! looks so good!

Anna

Sunday 22nd of July 2018

Just in time for our grilling party this weekend! Can't wait to try the marinade!

Jamielyn

Saturday 21st of July 2018

That marinade looks so delicious!

Sandra | A Dash of Sanity

Saturday 21st of July 2018

I would love to try this marinade! Looks really flavorful!

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