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Pinchos de Pollo

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Pinchos de Pollo are grilled chicken kebabs. They are a beloved staple of Puerto Rican street food, known for being marinated in a zesty blend of spices that’ll have you coming back for seconds (and thirds!).

Whether you’re looking to spice up your next barbecue or just craving a taste of Latin America, these tender, flavor-packed chicken skewers are sure to become your new go-to grilling recipe.

This recipe is from my friend Amanda Torres’ cookbook, Latin American Paleo Cooking! Amanda blogs at The Curious Coconut.

My review copy arrived literally an hour before I left for my flight to California. I flipped through it fast and then when I arrived in San Francisco I showed it to my friend Marilee, who I was staying with.

Isn’t the cover so beautiful? I love the unique theme of this cookbook and I know you will too!

We decided to make the Arañitas! Also known as “little spiders” found on page 79. It is green plantain that you shred and form into patties and then fry and eat as an appetizer or side dish. It’s such an easy recipe. We dipped them into guacamole and they were sooo good!

A lot of the recipes use plantain. Lucky for me I love this starch.

The recipes also come with an AIP suggestion. Amanda is well known for her AIP recipes and you’ll find plenty of AIP substitutions in this cookbook.

I decided to share this simple but delicious chicken recipe called, Pinchos de Pollo, from Latin American Paleo Cooking. I hope you enjoy it!

Pinchos de Pollo means marinated grilled chicken Kkebabs. It is a Puerto Rico dish.

Pinchos are traditional street food in Puerto Rico and can be made from pork or chicken that has been marinated in a tangy sauce and then grilled to perfection.

You can serve these as an appetizer or a light meal. Leftovers are great to put on top of a salad, too! This recipe tastes great served with simple sides like rice.

A white platter with two skewers of Pinchos de Pollo.

Pinchos de Pollo Ingredients:

  • minced garlic
  • Himalayan salt
  • ground black pepper
  • fresh oregano
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • freshly squeezed lime juice 
  • boneless, skinless chicken breast

How to Make Pinchos de Pollo

Have ready 7 to 9 skewers. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.

In a bowl, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, oil, and lime juice and stir to form a paste.

Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks and place them in a glass container with a lid.

Pour the marinade over the chicken and stir to combine. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, up to overnight.

Prepare a grill for direct cooking over medium heat (325 to 375F [170 to 190C]).

Depending on the type of grill this may take 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and thread it onto the skewers, spreading each piece as flat as possible and leaving a very small space between each piece.

Once the grill is hot, brush the cooking grates clean, if necessary (to prevent sticking).

Grill the kebabs over direct medium heat, keeping the lid closed as much as possible, until the chicken is firm to the touch and no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes total, turning once or twice during cooking. Take care not to overcook. 

Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

More Delicious Dinner Recipes

Make sure to check out my collection of dinner recipes. If you love desserts & snacks, here are more desserts and snacks!

If you loved this recipe, I would be really grateful if you can rate the recipe card and share any photos you took on Instagram using #ditchthewheat and tag me in your post or story.

Pinchos de Pollo Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Pinchos de Pollo

A white platter with two skewers of Pinchos de Pollo.

Pinchos de Pollo are grilled chicken kebabs. They are a beloved staple of Puerto Rican street food, known for being marinated in a zesty blend of spices that'll have you coming back for seconds (and thirds!).

Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp (10 g) minced garlic
  • ½ tsp fine Himalayan salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp (2 g) minced fresh oregano, or 1 tsp (2 g) dried
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast

Instructions

  1. Have ready 7 to 9 skewers. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
  2. In a bowl, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, oil, and lime juice and stir to form a paste.
  3. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks and place them in a glass container with a lid.
  4. Pour the marinade over the chicken and stir to combine. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, up to overnight.
  5. Prepare a grill for direct cooking over medium heat (325 to 375F [170 to 190C]).
  6. Depending on the type of grill this may take 15 to 20 minutes.
  7. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and thread it onto the skewers, spreading each piece as flat as possible and leaving a very small space between each piece.
  8. Once the grill is hot, brush the cooking grates clean, if necessary (to prevent sticking).
  9. Grill the kebabs over direct medium heat, keeping the lid closed as much as possible, until the chicken is firm to the touch and no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes total, turning once or twice during cooking. Take care not to overcook. 
  10. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 109Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 228mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 14g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Reprinted with permission from Latin American Paleo Cooking by Amanda Torres with Milagros Torres, Page Street Publishing Co. 2017. Photo credit: Toni Zernik.

DISCLOSURE: Not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations is at the choice and risk of the reader. Ditch the Wheat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. I only endorse products that I believe in.

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Carol Lovett is the founder of Ditch the Wheat and a Globe and Mail bestselling author of the cookbook, Ditch the Wheat. She has been eating gluten free since 2010. She loves all things food, natural living, and spiritual. She's also a reiki master and crystal healer.

Gluten Free Resources

Do you need help with gluten free meals?
I recommend this meal-planning app. It makes cooking gluten free dinners extremely easy and family-friendly.
What gluten free snacks can I eat?
Lots! I have a ton of practical gluten free snack recipes in my cookbook.
How can I eat dessert on a gluten free diet?
You can 100% eat dessert while eating gluten free. Try my dessert cookbook for easy gluten free dessert recipes.
How do I know what is gluten free and what isn’t?
I have a whole section is it gluten free?
How do I make substitutions?
If you need substitution advice I created a ton of resources here.

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