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This Fourth of July weekend, you can bet on the fact that grills will be sparking up from sea to shining sea. At least twice you’ll look down the street and ask, “is that a fire?” only to realize it’s just your industrious neighbor’s offset smoker. (Again.) You might even see me out there this weekend, setting up a chimney at one of the charcoal grills at the public park, gearing up to cook my favorite grill food: skewers.
Lately I’ve been experimenting with ingredient combinations from the classic to the adventurous (and a few not worth repeating). Here are my top three favorites so far. And electric grill users, you’re included too: Electric grills are a huge boon for apartment dwellers (like me), and even folks who grill outdoors but prefer less smoke and a cleaner taste. All of these skewers work wonderfully on an indoor grill too. (Read here for electric grill options if you’ve been looking.)
How to experiment with skewer flavor combinations
I’ve noticed some patterns in my skewer research. The best ones balance savory, sweet, and herbal or earthy elements. That’s all you really need for success. So if you have a main protein, like marinated chicken or tofu, you’ve already nailed the savory element. Think of adding a sliced peach or fig section for some sweetness. For an earthy element—an ingredient that borders on bitter but not overwhelmingly so—you can add a halved shallot or a hunk of jalepeño. For extra pizzazz, you can always drizzle on vinaigrettes after grilling, sprinkle on seasonings, or add crumbled cheeses.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
When grilling over charcoal or gas, always practice good grilling technique and safety. Don’t skewer your hands—skewer your food, and oil the food, not the grill grate. I use a non-aerosol spritz bottle of cooking oil to get an even coating on skewers.
If you’re using an electric grill, like I did today, you have the added benefit of being able to oil the grill plates if you’d like. All of these skewers were grilled for three to four minutes in a ChefMan Panini Press Grill, an appliance I’ve grown rather fond of. The hinged upper plate is key for evenly pressing taller items.
Without further ado, here are three excellent skewers that I keep coming back to.
Pesto chicken and ravioli skewer
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Clearly I have not grilled enough ravioli in my life, and I’m guessing you haven’t either. You’ll want to buy the “fresh” style pasta that you can find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. The pasta won’t be dry, but soft and pliable, so all you have to do is unpack and skewer it. Personally, I went on a Trader Joe’s bender and picked up some cacio e pepe ravioli. No regrets.
You can also purchase chicken breasts and cuts of meat that are packaged in a marinade to make your life easier. The chicken I used was slathered in a pesto sauce marinade. Rather than cube the meat, I prefer to slice it thinly and skewer it in a rippling ribbon. Among the chicken and ravioli, I nestled a thick wedge of portobello mushroom. You might say, “Allie, there is no sweet element here.” You’re correct. In this case, I made an executive decision to leave savory, herbal, and earthy alone.
This skewer smells particularly incredible while grilling. After enjoying the portobello perfume, I love the way the charred ravioli comes out. The pasta’s exterior is tender with delicate crispy sections, and the filling is warm, but you’” be in no danger of burning the roof of your mouth.
Al pastor-inspired skewer
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
One of my favorite tacos is the al pastor. It’s filled with marinated, spit-roasted pork and paired with a slice of pineapple. The pork is deeply flavorful, with irresistible crispy edges, and the warm, sweet pineapple compliments the savory element while also providing a burst of acidity to brighten things up. A skewer with these components is like getting straight to the heart of the al pastor.
To make these al pastor skewers, I thinly sliced some garlic and herb marinated pork loin and ribboned it onto the skewer. (This is how my family makes grilled satay, so I prefer the meat sliced versus cubing it. But cube if you must.) Add the pork, a hunk of pineapple, and a wedge of shallot. Repeat until you’re out of room on your skewers.
The pork almost plays second fiddle to the sweetness of the fruit and the caramelized shallot. (You could swap out the pork for some firm marinated tofu and the results would be delightful.) This one is a definitely crowd favorite.
Sweet chicken and shishito skewer
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
I grabbed a pre-marinated Pollo Asado Autentico packet from Trader Joe’s for this one, and I have no regrets. The flavors include paprika, garlic, cayenne pepper, dehydrated onion, and lime juice powder, but you can whip up your own spicy chicken marinade instead if you like. I skewered thin slices of the chicken with slices of a slightly unripe nectarine. (I find nectarines don’t turn to mush as quickly on the grill.) A couple shishito peppers were the perfect earthy partner for this skewer.
After grilling, the nectarine becomes honey-sweet, balancing the spices from the chicken and the potentially spicy pepper. (If you can’t find shishito peppers, try slices of poblano or jalapeño before you reach for the green bell pepper.)
Beyond these three skewers, I encourage you to try other combinations as you grill this summer. There’s something inexplicably fun about eating grilled morsels off of a stick, and they’re always popular with family and friends.
