This recipe is probably one of the most delicious recipes I’ve made in a really long time and I absolutely positively have to share it with you. As you guys know I’ve definitely been on a marinade kick lately and I really wanted to make another marinade that housed a mexican flavor. Anyone who knows me knows that I love love love Mexican food and it’s probably one of my favorite things to cook. It definitely allows a lot of creativity which is something that I definitely appreciate.
Making this dish and the marinade was really exciting I decided to use ranch dressing as the base of my recipe. Developing this recipe was pretty easy; I made sure to use all of the flavors that I myself truly enjoy when I think of Mexican food. One of the biggest flavors that stuck out to me was obviously CILANTRO my sisters and I like to call it a “burst of flavor”.
Along with the flavor of ranch and cilantro I wanted to add another element of creaminess, so I decided to add A little bit of mayo to the marinade. In the past I’ve cooked my chicken with mayonnaise and I can testify that it definitely brings a lot of juiciness and tenderness to the chicken during the cooking process. I highly recommend marinating your chicken overnight but if you are prepping and cooking for the same day a minimum of four hours should be just fine.
During the summer months I love to fire up the grill. I wanted to make something that would be tasty, easy, and great for entertaining. I also thought the kebob would be a great way to demonstrate how quickly you can throw together a summer meal for friends and family.
I purchased the ready-made vegetable kebobs which definitely shaved some time off the prepping process.
I made sure to grab my limes, cilantro, and garlic and spices for my marinade.
After letting the chicken marinate overnight I threw my meat and veggie kabobs on the grill. I let the chicken kabobs sear on the hot side of the grill for about 5 minutes on each side before moving them to the warm side of the grill to finish cooking. As you can see I was able to get some great grill marks on the chicken.
After searing the chicken I decided to add the vegetables to the hot side of the grill. I basted the veggies with olive oil, lime juice, and cilantro to compliment the flavors in the chicken. I think the vegetables definitely complete the meal; you could also serve a side of rice with the kebobs if you would like to add a filling side dish.
I grilled the meat for about 30-35 minutes until the inside of the chicken was no longer pink. The vegetables were pretty easy to cook I turned and basted them every 10 minutes until they were somewhat aldente; I like a little bite in my veggies. Once everything was done I pulled the kebobs off the grill and plated them on a platter. I added a sprinkle of roughly chopped cilantro for extra flavor. My family couldnt wait to dig in to these babies and trust me the wait was well worth it. Everyone loved them so much that I will be making this recipe again soon.
Notes
***I suggest putting some of the marinade to the side for serving/dipping purposes before adding the raw chicken***
Ingredients
- Marinade
- 1 Garlic clove
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 cup Cilantro
- 1/2 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1 cup Kraft Ranch Dressing
- Juice of one lime
- 1/2 tsp Lime zest
- 1 tbsp Kraft mayo
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Thin lime slices for garnish
- Kabobs
- 2-3 lbs Chicken breast
- 1 package Marketside Ready-made Vegetable Kabobs
- 12 skewers (I used wood)
- Vegetable Marinade (Basting)
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1/2 cup Cilantro
- 1/4 tsp lime juice
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender add olive oil, Kraft Ranch Dressing, Kraft Mayonnaise, lime juice, lime zest, onion powder, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cilantro into a food processor and blend until completely combined.
- Wash and dry chicken breast; cut breast into cubes/chunks. Add chicken and marinade to a bowl and mix well. cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight bag and place chicken in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours and up to overnight.
- Remove chicken from marinade and begin adding chicken cubes to 2 skewers; make sure to shake off any access marinade.
- Fire up the grill and add chicken to hot side of the grill over coals. Sear both sides for about 5 minutes before moving skewers to opposite side of the grill. Add Vegetable kabobs to the hot side of the grill and baste every 5-10 minutes while rotating kabobs.
- Cook chicken kebobs until no longer pink in the center.
- Cook vegetable kebobs until they are cooked to your liking.
- Plate and Enjoy!
What’s your favorite food to grill? Let me know in the comments below! Also tag me on social media by using #margaritasontherocks if you decide to try this recipe!
