Dill Pickle Chicken Skewers with Creamy Dill Ranch
By Liam Carter
Prep
40 min
Cook
12 min
Total
52 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
This dill pickle chicken kebab recipe is convenient for meal planning. You can marinate the chicken ahead of time and make ranch with fresh dill on the side to offer to diners. Dill pickle juice provides tangy flavor to the chicken, and cooking in an air fryer gives it crispy edges and ranch on the side for dipping.
I use boneless, skin-covered chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces. Chicken thighs of all sizes take the same amount of time to cook. I prefer chicken thighs with skin for this recipe. Chicken thigh pieces are my preferred cut of chicken for this recipe. I often pickle chicken thigh pieces before cooking. After pickling, I pat the chicken dry to avoid steaming, which can cause pale spots on the chicken.
Thread the chicken, leaving room between pieces, and place skewers in one layer in the basket. You may have to cook chicken in separate batches if your basket is small. Overlapping skewers will keep chicken from browning. Placing skewers in one layer will help chicken skin brown.
I eat them on a white ceramic plate with dill sprigs for lunch and as an appetizer and with black beans and rice in a one-pot meal for dinner. Cool ranch dressing is best served as a topping right before eating.
What makes this special
- Chicken can be easily sliced and used on skewers. It is a suitable food for bringing to work over several days.
- Marinate the cube pieces ahead of time. Use skewers to cook the pieces as a hot lunch or appetizer.
- Remove uncooked marinated chicken from the freezer and thaw it overnight to grill on skewers.
- Unused skewers can be reheated using an air fryer. Browning on the skewers will not make the food become tough.
- Make ranch dressing to serve with the dish. Ranch dressed chicken stays well coated and thick.
- A batch contains party mix items, including jalapeño coleslaw and bacon cheeseburger bites.
Ingredients
- •1 ½ lb boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- •1 cup pickle brine (from a jar of dill pickles)
- •2 tbsp avocado oil
- •1 tsp garlic powder
- •1 tsp cracked black pepper (divided)
- •½ cup thick buttermilk ranch dressing
- •2 tsp dried dill flakes
- •¼ cup fresh dill sprigs (for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Cut the chicken thighs into uniform 1-inch cubes.
- 2
Place the chicken in a large glass bowl or resealable plastic bag, cover with the pickle brine, and refrigerate for 30-120 minutes.
- 3
Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
- 4
Pat the chicken cubes dry with paper towels.
- 5
Thread 4-5 chicken cubes onto each skewer, leaving a small space between the pieces.
- 6
Brush the skewers with avocado oil, then season with the garlic powder and half of the cracked black pepper.
- 7
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
- 8
Arrange the skewers in a single layer without overlapping and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning them halfway through.
- 9
Check that the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C), then remove the skewers and rest them for 2-3 minutes.
- 10
Whisk the ranch dressing with the dried dill flakes and remaining cracked black pepper, then chill for 10 minutes.
- 11
Drizzle the dill ranch over the skewers and garnish with fresh dill sprigs.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
345
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