Pinchos De Pollo
Pinchos de Pollo
Pinchos de pollo (chicken), are a savory and delicious treat you can snag pretty much anywhere in Puerto Rico. They are traditionally served with a toasted piece of bread at the end and some onion or bell peppers in between each slice of meat. Pinchos are a tasty on the go treat.
What are Pinchos?
Pinchos de Pollo (chicken kabobs) are one the most delicious Puerto Rican street foods! They are usually made with either chicken or pork and then topped with a smoky barbecue sauce. My favorite place to snag these is in Piñones, Puerto Rico, where they are cooking them over a charcoal grill with the beach just a few yards away. Beautiful scenery with delicious food can’t be beat!
How do you make Pinchos de Pollo?
Pinchos de pollo (chicken skewers) are traditionally made with chicken thighs. Chicken breast can be used too, but you have to be careful not to overcook them because they dry out easily. The chicken is marinated overnight in a garlic mojo marinade before skewering them onto bamboo skewers and grilling over an open-flame charcoal grill.
Pincho de Pollo Recipe Tips
Cooking the pinchos de pollo, over an open flame with charcoal is best. If you can find lump charcoal, even better, but charcoal briquettes will work well too. Only have a gas grill? Don’t worry, that will still work for this recipe!
Furthermore, if you have the time, marinating the chicken overnight or even for a few hours will really help with the end product of a delicious, savory pincho de pollo. If planning isn’t your thing, just get them marinated and let them sit for as long as you can 😉.
click here for my puerto rican pincho de carne recipe (pork SKEWERS)
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
- Wooden or metal skewers (wooden is preferred)
- Pilon or mortar and pestle to make the marinade
- Charcoal – lump charcoal or briquettes
- Grill – gas or charcoal
Pinchos de Pollo
Ingredients for Pinchos de Pollo
- 2 pounds of chicken thighs
- 1 tsp Loisa Organic Adobo Powder
- 1 tsp Loisa Organic Sazon Powder
- 1/8 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup of Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory Barbecue Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 1/4 tsp of Kosher salt
- 8-10 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 loaf of baguette or French bread, sliced
- 1/2 an onion
Directions to make Pinchos de Pollo – Como Hacer Pinchos
- Start with soaking your wooden skewers in a bath of water while you are prepping the meat and marinade. If you are marinating overnight, then soak the skewers for at least 30 minutes prior to them going on the grill to avoid burning.
- Take your pilon and add 1 tsp of salt and the black peppercorns. Smash this until it is coarsely ground. Then add in your 1 Tbsp of olive oil and 5 garlic cloves. Smash until it begins look like a paste. Add the rest of the olive oil and garlic and smash that. Once finished, it should look like the picture below.
- Rinse the chicken the chicken thighs with water and then slice into 2 inch pieces. Add the chicken to a bowl then add 2 Tbsp of distilled white vinegar.
- Top the chicken thighs with your garlic mojo mixture
- Marinate the chicken overnight in the refrigerator or for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- Mix 1 tsp Loisa Organic Adobo Powder, 1 tsp Loisa Organic Sazon Powder, 1/8 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp kosher salt in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the meat and mix well.
- Get your wooden skewers and begin skewering the meat – the ends of each piece should be barely touching. If you try to compress them too tightly to each other, the ends will not char properly.
- Leave a 1 inch space at the tip to add toasted bread after the meat is cooked
- Once the skewers are prepped, begin lighting the charcoal and preparing the grill to cook.
- Use ½ an onion to clean the grill – then apply your pinchos de pollo on direct heat so they can get a nice char on them for 10-15 minutes. Turning them every few minutes to evenly distribute the char.
- Then, move the pinchos into indirect heat. Now brush them with your preferred barbecue sauce. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.
- Remove the pinchos and set aside to cool.
- Finally, lightly toast your 1 inch slices of bread and top each pincho with one.
- Serve and Enjoy!
2 comments
Comments are closed.