Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers. These juicy skewers are loaded with Hasselback potatoes stacked with seasoned ground chicken that’s grilled until charred and tender. I brush them with garlic Parmesan butter in the last minutes on the grill and again right before serving.
Stacked together they eat like a meal on a stick! So all you need is your favorite side dish.
See how it’s done
Author’s Notes
It Just Makes It Shine
Parboiling the potatoes makes a huge difference and they will be fully cooked.I see way too many people complain about not cooked potatoes. Thats the key to it.
You want to get these nice and charred up. That’s a lot of extra flavor. You don’t wanna burn them though, just enough to char, and with the garlic Parmesan butter it just makes it shine. It’s just so good. You will enjoy it.
Another key tip that I have is put them in the freezer at least 30 minutes to tighten up everything before you go ahead and cook them on the grill.
Miguel
What Goes Into Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Ground chicken | The foundation of this skewer. Chicken has a softer texture than beef so take care when threading and turning. |
| Russet potatoes | Medium size is perfect. I slice mine Hasselback style so the slices stay attached at the bottom. |
| Parmesan cheese | Freshly grated Parmesan goes into the chicken mixture and into the butter at the end. |
| Garlic | Fresh minced garlic goes into both the chicken and butter. |
| Italian seasoning | Flavors the chicken and butter. |
| Garlic powder and onion powder | Additional flavor in the chicken. |
| Smoked paprika | Helps with color and adds just a hint of smoke flavor. |
| Kosher salt and black pepper | Straight seasoning for the chicken. |
| Olive oil | Helps prevent the chicken from drying out on the grill. |
| Egg | Helps bind everything together. More important than you would think with ground chicken. |
| Panko breadcrumbs | Completes the binder. |
| Fresh parsley | Finely chopped and mixed into the chicken. And then more on top at the end. |
| Red pepper flakes | OPTIONAL. For heat. |
| Cajun seasoning | I use Cajun seasoning on mine but you can use any poultry seasoning you prefer. |
| Butter | Starts the garlic Parmesan butter. |
| Lemon juice | Brightens up the garlic Parmesan butter at the end. |
| Salt for boiling | Always season the water you boil potatoes in. |
EXACT measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Why You Should Partially Cook the Potatoes First
Raw potato and raw ground chicken cook at vastly different rates. If you thread them onto skewers right out of the package you’ll have dried out chicken by the time the potatoes start to soften. So by boiling the potatoes for just a few minutes you instantly bring them up to speed. You want them to be pliable but not cooked through.
The potatoes should bend on the skewer but not fall apart.
Hasselback cut potatoes helps with this as well. All those little slices open up as they hit the grill and allow the heat to penetrate faster. They also catch all the butter we brush on them at the end. I choose to keep mine connected at the bottom because I think it looks better. Especially for the video.
How I Made These Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
You already know I washed and cut the potatoes Hasselback style. I put a couple of chopsticks on either side while cutting to ensure my knife would stop before it hit the chopstick.
I parboiled them in salted water until they were pliable but not cooked through. Then I drained them and allowed them to cool just until I could handle them.
Grabbed a large bowl and mixed together the chicken ingredients. Only mix until it’s combined.
Skewered on the potatoes then chicken and repeated till I reached the top.
Seasoned the outsides with Cajun seasoning.
Place assembled skewers in the freezer for about 30 minutes before grilling. This tightens everything up and ensures your chicken wont fall apart on the grill.
While the chicken chilled, I went ahead and made the garlic Parmesan butter. The full ingredient list and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Then I grilled them, turning often for an even cook, until the chicken reached temp and the potatoes were charred. I brushed on the garlic Parmesan butter in the last minutes before pulling them off.
Removed from the grill and brushed on additional garlic Parmesan butter and grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
TIMES and TEMPERATURES are all in the printable recipe card below.
Make It in the Oven
Grill temp is the same temp you bake them at. Grill or bake until chicken reaches proper temperature. Start brushing them with garlic Parmesan butter toward the end of cooking. Let them bake a few minutes longer to get color on the potatoes.
You’ll never get that same chargrilled texture you get from cooking over flame, but it will work if you’re stuck baking them.
Make-Ahead and Storage
As mentioned earlier you can prep the skewers and leave them in the freezer until you’re ready to grill. The butter can be made ahead as well. It will harden in the fridge. Simply reheat when ready.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Gently reheat leftovers. Chicken dries out super fast when you nuke them.
Miguel’s Notes for Grilled Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
- Freeze before grilling. Will help the chicken hold together on the grill.
- Use a spatula, then tongs. If your chicken begins to stick to the grill don’t force it with the tongs. Use a spatula to gently loosen the skewer from the grill then flip with your tongs. That way you won’t lose chicken through the grates.
- Let the potatoes char. Those grill marks you see on good grilled potatoes are exactly what you want on these. Same goes for the chicken. Don’t burn them but allow them to char up before removing from the grill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ground turkey instead of chicken?
You sure can. Ground turkey behaves similarly to ground chicken on a skewer, so don’t skip the egg and panko. And don’t forget to let them tighten up in the freezer.
Do I have to cut potatoes Hasselback?
No you do not. Slice them into full rounds if you prefer. Just remember to parboil them first.
Why is my chicken falling off the skewer?
If your ground chicken slides right off before grilling, it usually comes down to two things. One, you skipped the freezer step. Ground chicken that hits the grill soft will fall apart. The second reason is you flipped them too early and didn’t let a crust form. Let the crust set, and use a spatula to loosen the skewer before you turn it.
Related Recipes
- Glazed Honey Jalapeno Orange Chicken Skewers
- Parmesan Garlic Grilled Chicken Wings
- Garlic and Soy Marinated Beef Kabobs
- Grilled Butterflied Half Chickens and Air Fried Potato Wedges
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers with Hasselback Potatoes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash the Russet potatoes and cut them Hasselback style, making slices about 1/4 inch apart and cutting almost all the way through without cutting completely through the potato. A couple of chopsticks placed alongside the potato make a great guide and help keep you from cutting all the way through.
- You can also cut the potatoes completely into 1/4 inch slices if you prefer. Keeping them together looks better on the skewer.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and parboil the potatoes for about 4 minutes, just until they are pliable but not fully cooked. Drain and let them cool enough to handle.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, Parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, olive oil, egg, panko breadcrumbs, parsley and red pepper flakes. Mix everything together until just combined.
- Using wooden or metal skewers, thread on a potato followed by a portion of the ground chicken. Continue alternating potato and chicken all the way up the skewer.
- Once assembled, season the outside generously with Cajun seasoning or your favorite poultry seasoning.
- Place the assembled skewers in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before grilling. This helps firm everything up and allows the chicken to hold together much better on the skewers.
- While the skewers are chilling, melt the butter over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Stir in the Parmesan, olive oil, parsley, Italian seasoning, black pepper, red pepper flakes and lemon juice.
- Preheat your grill to around 300 to 350°F. Place the chilled skewers on the grill and cook, turning them regularly so they cook evenly.
- If the chicken starts sticking to the grates, do not force the skewer loose with your tongs. Use a spatula to gently release it from the grill first. Once it is unstuck, use your tongs to turn the skewer.
- Continue cooking until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the potatoes are tender with a nice char around the edges. Let them get some color without burning.
- Brush the skewers generously with the garlic Parmesan butter and let them cook another minute or two. Pull them off the grill and brush on another layer of garlic Parmesan butter. Finish with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!My Gear
Everything I cook with lives here: linktr.ee/cooking_with_fire___
