Chicken Anticuchos – Street Food At Its Best

A fiery affair with meat kebabs (called anticuchos) has been going on since the time of the Spanish Colony in the streets of Lima. The most famous of them, anticuchos de corazón, (believe it or not, made from cows hearts), are revered all over Peru. However, beef, chicken, veggies, seafood, lamb… they can all be found. To my daughter´s dismay (she is a passionate vegetarian), I have always loved chicken liver anticuchos, with aji mirasol(dried yellow chili pepper) sauce. Spicy and delicious, this love struck me by surprise when I first moved to Peru over 30 years ago, but went ignored for a long time,  because for many years I was a vegetarian myself. In my mind, however, I always dreamed of eating those tiny chicken liver morsels of delight.

Today I’m sharing with you the recipe for chicken anticuchos, which I first published a few weeks ago in Sassy Mama in LAa lifestyle blog for moms on the go, that I love. They are incredibly tasty, with the biting kick of the chili pepper and the aroma of the garlic and spices blended together. Make them as hot or mild as you want, or even leave the chili out of the equation if blander food goes better with you. And make sure to cook them with a light

lifestyle blog for moms on the go, that I love. They are incredibly tasty, with the biting kick of the chili pepper and the aroma of the garlic and spices blended together. Make them as hot or mild as you want, or even leave the chili out of the equation if blander food goes better with you. And make sure to cook them with a light hand, so they don´t overcook, which would make them stringy and inedible. Also, don´t forget to soak the bamboo skewers in cold water for an hour in advance, to keep the wood from burning while you cook the chicken. If you are tough, serve hot sauce on the side. And the most important part… have fun with it, and enjoy!

Chicken anticuchos (kebabs)
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetiser, Hors d'oeuvres
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 6 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 – 4 tablespoons aji mirasol paste, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Dash of cumin
  • 6 potatoes, boiled and peeled
Instructions
  1. *Cut the chicken breasts in 2-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper; add garlic, aji mirasol paste, vegetable oil, oregano, and cumin. Cover and marinade in the fridge for two hours.
  2. *Thread the chicken pieces onto bamboo skewers, and cook in a hot sauté pan or on the grill, turning after 4 – 5 minutes or when golden. Do not overcook the chicken.
  3. *Meanwhile, cut the potatoes in thick slices and cook in a pan with a little oil, on medium heat, until golden.
  4. *To serve: put two skewers in every plate, with golden potatoes on the side. A green salad or salsa criolla will be a great addition to this chicken dish
Notes
TIP: If you don´t find ají mirasol, you can substitute with chile pasilla. Cut 12 chiles in half, lengthwise, and take out seeds and ribs. Soak them in hot water for about an hour. Peel them and process in the blender with a little water and oil.

Comments

  1. It’s always fun coming to your blog and seeing food I have never heard of before. Looks like a very simple but truly delicious meal! Makes me miss summer and BBQ’s!

  2. I adore meat kabobs and have no problem having them in NYC or Ecuador, as long as they smell and taste delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!

  3. In NYC, we get some much kabobs! I love them and even buy them from carts. Would love to make these when I have a dinner party. Hopefully sooner than later!

  4. You kill me with this delicious looking Peruvian food. I love kebabs of all kinds. Fun and yum 🙂

  5. I love Anticuchos!! Thank you for sharing this great recipe!!

  6. I´m making this for lunch! Looks great!

  7. Looks absolutely amazing, and I bet it tastes a lot better than what you might buy on the streets! 😉

  8. These look so delicious. It is 11 pm and my mouth is watering! Thanks for making me hungry right before bed 🙂

  9. I love street food! Not sure I’ve ever heard of cow heart at a street stand though. ;0 I’m willing to try anything so I’m sure it’s good.

  10. M,m,m! Sounds good. A definite try for this summer.

  11. Do I have to choose what I love more: your recipes or your prose? Hope not. Oh yes, and visually lush pictures. BTW: appreciate having a different chicken recipe in my kitchen to spice things up!

  12. In Puerto Rico, we call these pinchos. My husband fell in love with the street vendors selling pinchos of all kind when he made his 1st visit to Puerto Rico 3 years ago. Love this!

  13. Made this dish yesterday, since my hubby as well as my daughter are loving chicken 🙂 They finished it completely together! I love your recipes. I am vegetarian so i only cook it for my family and there was not a single recipe of your page they didnt like 🙂 thank you so much!

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