Chicken Tender Skewers with Spiced Curry Rub
on Jan 24, 2018, Updated Aug 13, 2023
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Pantry-Easy. Fun. Delicious.
Turning a package of chicken tenders into a meal isn’t always as easy as it seems. If I coat them with flour or some bread-crumb-ey mixture and pan fry to bake them, then they become great chicken fingers or tenders or whatever you want to call them, and that’s a fine solution. There’s a recipe for just that in The Mom 100 – three versions, don’tcha know!).
But if I just stir them in a pan with sauce or seasonings, sometimes they just sort of …I don’t know, lay there. Not quite small enough to sauté in a stir fry or add to a soup. Not quite big enough to treat as individual “pieces” or chicken.
But that’s where the skewer comes into play. Tenders seems ready-made for skewers, if you start by sticking the skewer in the top of one end, then threading it several times through the tender, until the chicken is firmly in place.
But you’ll probably want to season it first. Unless there is some sort of dipping sauce, then you can probably get away with a brushing of olive oil and some salt and pepper.
These chicken skewers have a nicely intense (not too intense) Indian-inspired spice rub coating, and would be lovely served with rice, or less conventionally, mashed potatoes.
Don’t forget to soak the skewers first, which prevents them from burning. Since the cooking time is so short even 20 minutes helps keep the wood from crisping up, but 30 – 40 minutes is optimal.
Another reason I love things on sticks is because you can usually broil or grill them with very similar results. An all-year-round kebab.
These Chicken Tender Skewers with Spiced Curry Rub have a nicely intense Indian-inspired spice rub coating. Serve with rice.
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Multiply this recipe as desired. They make excellent appetizers as well. If you wanted to stir up some sour cream and plain Greek yogurt with the juice and zest of a lime or lemon and some salt and pepper you would have a good dip to serve with.
Other Kebabs and Skewer Recipes:
- Lamb Satay
- Chicken Yakitori
- Teriyaki Chicken and Beef Skewers
- Mustard and Maple Pork Kebabs
- Moroccan Inspired Lamb Kebabs
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Chicken Tender Skewers with Spiced Curry Rub
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 pound boneless chicken tenders
Instructions
- Soak 10 or so 8-inch wooden skewers in water to cover for at least 30 minutes (one skewer for each tender).
- In a large bowl or container, mix together the curry powder, chili powder, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, and salt and pepper until well blended. Add the chicken tenders and toss in the mixture to coat.
- Preheat the broiler or grill. Thread one chicken tender onto each skewer. Broil or grill for about 3 minutes on each side, until they are just cooked throughout.
