Bringing you all some summery vibes with these Basil and Garlic Grilled Chicken and veggie skewers garlicky whipped ricotta dip! This quick marinated grilled chicken takes chicken from boring and flavorless to exciting and delicious. Served with warmed pita and the most delicious creamy whipped ricotta dip. Simple, healthy-ish, super flavorful with lots of colors, and so delicious—A great switch-up from the usual chicken dinner. This is what summer is all about!
On top of that, all you need is about 30 minutes and the only heat you’re using is from your grill!
The Ingredients and Idea:
Summer is the season of simple, fresh and the less heat the better (unless it’s on a grill) so I wanted to make something simple yet delicious and honestly that’s hard to do sometimes but I think I nailed it with this one. No, no… I know I nailed it with this one!
Grilled Chicken, summer veggies, and whipped ricotta dip? This chicken is addicting and fun to eat too because everything on a stick is just that much more fun to eat.
To start off, the skewers are made using boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast, you can definitely use chicken breast but thighs hold more flavor and they’re way more forgiving than breast so in case you kind of forget to turn the skewers on the grill, there's less of a chance that you overcooked them.
I made the mistake of purchasing bone in chicken thighs so I had to do the extra work to remove the bone and the skin so avoid that if you can to cut down on time. After slicing the thighs to my preferred size, I cleaned them with apple cider vinegar and water all you need it about 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar and enough water to submerge the chicken in. All it needs is about 5 minutes which is how much time you’ll need for the marinade.
The marinade for this chicken is EASY. You need Basil, Garlic, Olive oil, lemon and Olive oil. That’s it. I use this marinade for a lot of different things— I use it as a dip for my steaks, marinade for seafood (especially shrimp) when I use it for veggies, I like to heat it up in a pan then toss the veggies in, as a sandwich spread, for pasta sauces, as a pizza base, etc. So If you make more than what you need for this recipe, that’s ok, keep it frozen or in the fridge and you can use it in multiple ways. The taste is similar to pesto, but does not contain parmesan cheese or pine nuts. It tastes very fresh, basilesque, garlicky and has a nice tang to it.
Now, the MVP of this recipe is for sure this whipped ricotta dip. Light and airy, whipped ricotta dip is so easy to make in just 5 minutes with a few ingredients including, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and a touch of honey. I used the dip for the chicken and the pita. But trust me you’ll be using it for more!
Step by Step Details:
First thing, Try to find bamboo skewers, they don’t burn as easily as wood skewers and they won’t break as easily if you add too many pieces of meat and veggies. Also, about an hour before you start prepping step, soak the skewers in water for about 30 minutes. It’s another way to prevent the skewers from burning.
Once you’ve sliced your chicken, and it’s soaking, make the basil marinade. As I mentioned, you’ll need basil, olive oil, garlic and lemon. Remove the chicken from the apple cider vinegar solution then marinate it for about 15 minutes while you make the dip and slice your veggies (If using)
In a food processor, add whole Milk Ricotta, olive oil, honey, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy, about a minute. Give it a taste and add extra olive oil, honey, or salt and pepper, if needed.
Take the skewers and add the chicken pieces, if you’re using veggies like peppers, zucchini and onions, in between every chicken, you can add a slice of veggie. As you can see, I start and end with a veggie piece.
Once you got the skewers ready, it’s time to grill them up and serve them with the dip and some pita bread if you don’t mind the extra carbs!
And that’s it!
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment! I love to hear from you guys and of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram
Add all of the marinade ingredients (basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and zest) to a small blender and blend until combined.
Season your chicken with salt and pepper. Add some of the marinade to the chicken and mix it altogether making sure all of the chicken pieces are coated. Place the rest of the marinade in the fridge for later use.
While the chicken marinates, slice the veggies if using and make the whipped ricotta (recipe below).
Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Take skewers and thread the chicken and veggies pieces on. Grill the skewers until lightly charred and cooked through, turning them occasionally throughout cooking, about 15-18 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer to make sure they're cooked through. Alternatively, you can roast the chicken at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes in the oven if you prefer.
Serve the skewers with the whipped ricotta, pita bread and your favorite salad. Top with fresh herbs and you're done!
Add the ingredients to a food processor.
Turn the food processor on high for about 30 seconds, scrape down the sides and pulse for 30 more seconds.
Once everything is smooth, add it to your serving bowl and drizzle olive oil plus sprinkle more red pepper flakes before serving!
Enjoy!
Nutrition
Amount per serving · Serves 6–8
Calories
547
Fat
31g
Sat. Fat
10g
Carbs
12g
Fiber
2g
Sugar
6g
Protein
56g
Sodium
597mg
Cholesterol
260mg
Written by Chef Ana Pozo — take it as inspiration, and make it your own.
