Lemon-y garlic chicken skewers with basil chimichurri

Plus, more recipes for your Memorial Day weekend

Today is the last day of school for my older kids— they’re officially second and fourth-graders now and I’m left wondering how they’re breezing through their elementary years so quickly! With school out for the summer and Memorial Day weekend right around the corner, summer is officially here. I am so ready for pool days and sleeping in, homemade popsicles, watermelon slushees and all the delicious summer grilling.

I made these lemon-y, garlicky chicken skewers this week and they were a hit at home. But they wouldn’t have received nearly a fraction of the fanfare if it wasn’t for the fresh basil chimichurri on the side. It makes the perfect herb-y topping for grilled chicken and roasted veggies and— as I make the case below— basically anything off the grill.

A chimichurri I can’t get enough of

My basil was getting out of control so I plucked about half of the leaves from it to create a basil chimichurri with a slightly different flavor profile, sort of like a lighter, fresher pesto (but I actually like this more than traditional pesto which can sometimes seem heavy with all the nuts and cheese).

There are just a couple of differences between this and traditional chimichurri. Swap out half of the parsley for basil, replace the red vinegar for balsamic, and that’s about it. You’re left with a subtly sweet, fresh, slightly minty and lemony-flavored chimichurri that is sure to sway even the staunchest chimichurri critic.

It’s incredible as a topping for these marinated chicken skewers and vegetables, and leftovers are as versatile as they are delicious. We enjoyed it as a dip with low-carb crackers, but you can top eggs, sandwiches, wraps, and other proteins like shrimp or chicken or beef. You can use it as a salad dressing, a power bowl sauce, etc. etc. etc.

Did I mention it takes just a few minutes to prepare? You can essentially have it ready in however many minutes it takes to finely chop a few herbs. (Let me emphasize chop here, since you really should finely chop them. A food processor or blender can create a bitter chimichurri.)

The recipe: grilled chicken skewers with basil chimichurri

Here’s the recipe, friends! I say it’s a good one for Memorial Day but I plan to be eating this, and variations of skewers on the grill, all summer long. 😉

Tip: read through to the recipe notes- that’s where I’m sharing a really simple, homemade BBQ rub that is sugar-free, keto and low carb. I make it ahead of time and store it in my pantry for an easy seasoning with so many uses! You’ll need about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the seasoning for the chicken marinade but feel free to use your own favorite blend or swap it out for 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and a 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika. 😊

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients for skewers

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

• 2 small lemons, juiced

• 4 large garlic cloves, minced

• 1-1/2 tablespoons BBQ seasoning (find my sugar-free blend in the recipe notes)

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-1/2 to 2-inch cubes (as best as you can)

• 1 bell pepper (red orange or yellow), cut into 1-inch squares

• 1 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick pieces

• 10-15 large cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 large white onion, cut into 1-inch squares

Ingredients for basil chimichurri

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large handful basil, finely chopped

• 1 large handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

• 1-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Prep the marinade for the chicken: add 2 tablespoons olive oil (save the 1 tbsp for later), lemon juice, garlic, and BBQ seasoning to a large bowl. Whisk well, then add in the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. While the chicken marinates, make sure to soak your skewers in water if you’re using bamboo skewers. This prevents the skewers from burning on the grill. I also use this time to cut the vegetables and make the chimichurri.

3. Cut the veggies and toss them into a separate mixing bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season them with a good amount of salt and pepper.

4. To prepare the chimichurri, add the olive oil, basil, parsley, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic to a small mixing bowl. Gently mix with a spoon, then taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Set aside (or refrigerate) while you prep the skewers.

5. Preheat your grill to 400°F.

6. Stack the marinated chicken pieces onto a metal or bamboo skewer; do the same with the seasoned vegetable pieces. You can make separate chicken skewers and vegetable skewers or combine them, alternating the veggie and chicken pieces on each skewer (if you do combine them, just make sure the veggies aren’t cut too small or they may cook too quickly).

7. Place the skewers onto the preheated grill and cook for 5-7 minutes, turn, then cook another 5-7 minutes. Turn the skewers again and cook an additional 5 minutes or until the chicken is done and registers 165°F with a meat thermometer.

8. Remove from the grill and serve with a generous amount of chimichurri drizzled on top and sides of choice (pictured with garlic-butter cauliflower rice).

Notes

• I like a BBQ seasoning for this and I create my own blend with this recipe (adapted from Hey Grill Hey). In a small dish, combine and mix:

  • 1/4 cup Golden monkfruit sweetener with allulose (or use a monkfruit-erythritol blend or your own favorite brown sweetener substitute)

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 2 teaspoons fine sea salt/table salt)

  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)

• Store the basil chimichurri for up to three days in the refrigerator. Store any vegetable/chicken skewer leftovers separately in the fridge for up to four days.

• You can use chicken breasts for this recipe but I think thighs end up being more flavorful and tender when grilled.

• Feel free to omit any vegetables or swap in a few of your own favorites. Yellow squash, red onion, mushrooms, or eggplant would all work well.

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For your Memorial Day weekend

Here are a few other summer recipes for Memorial Day!

• Keto Cornbread Muffins (NEW on the blog today)

• Tangy Citrus Slaw

• Traeger Smoked Asparagus

• Pickle de Gallo

• Burger Bowls with Mushrooms and Truffle Sauce

• Sugar-free Limeade

• Keto Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake Bars with Berry Sauce

• Keto Strawberry Shortcake

Pickle de gallo and keto cornbread muffins (jalapeño cheddar variation)

We don’t have any big Memorial Day weekend plans but I am looking forward to some down time. I will most likely spend it sitting poolside with the baby (perhaps even a napping baby and a good book, if I’m lucky).

I hope you have a great weekend filled with lots of sun and fun and good food!

Abby