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Balsamic Chicken Kebabs
with orzo arugula salad

Active: 35 min Total: 1 hr 5 min
You will want to lick your fingers after eating these chicken kebabs with tomatoes and red onions, glazed in a balsamic vinaigrette. Our veggie version is a Mediterranean entree salad that builds off of Monday's leftover orzo.
Smarts: Light lemon juice and olive oil are a great alternative to a heavier mayo-based pasta salad. Take it to your next summer potluck, and it'll be a hit!
Dependency
Proteins
Cuisines

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Balsamic Chicken Kebabs:
  • Chicken breasts - 1 lb
  • Skewers - 8 to 16
  • Red onion (small) - 1/2 , chopped
  • Cherry tomatoes - 1/2 pint
  • Oregano - 1/4 tsp
  • Dijon mustard - 2 tsp
  • Balsamic vinegar - 1 1/2 Tbsp
  • Cooking oil - 3 Tbsp
Orzo Salad:
  • Cherry tomatoes - 1/2 pint , halved
  • Leftover orzo - 2 cups
  • Lemon - 1/2 , juice of
  • Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
  • Arugula - 4 oz

Prep

  1. Chicken - Chop into 1” (2.5 cm) wide cubes. Season with salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork, like this. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
  2. Skewers - Soak in water for ~30 minutes.
  3. Red onion - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
  4. Prepare kebabs - If using flat skewers, thread skewers through chicken, red onions, and tomatoes. If using round skewers, use two skewers / kebab to prevent rolling when flipping kebabs. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
  5. Vinaigrette - Whisk together oregano, Dijon, balsamic vinegar, and oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and separate into two separate bowls (one will be used on raw chicken). (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)

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Make

  1. Brush both sides of kebabs with one bowl of the vinaigrette.
  2. If making kebabs on grill: Preheat grill to 500 degrees, keeping one part on higher heat and another part on lower heat. Clean grates and add kebabs to higher heat part. Sear on each side for 3 minutes (keeping cover closed). Move to lower heat and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through) with cover closed. If you still have more vinaigrette left in your first bowl, you can brush more on when moving the kebabs to lower heat.
  3. If making kebabs on stovetop: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add kebabs to hot grill pan and sear for 4 to 5 minutes on both sides. If you still have more vinaigrette left in your first bowl, you can brush more on during the cooking process. Remove from pan and cover with foil to continue cooking.
  4. While kebabs are cooling, halve tomatoes for your salad.
  5. Toss leftover pasta with lemon juice and olive oil. Mix in tomatoes and arugula. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy with freshly grilled kebabs! And feel free to drizzle the remaining bowl of your vinaigrette over everything.

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