Chicken Skewers with Mojo Picon Sauce

The hero of this dish is the amazing Mojo Picon Sauce, a spicy Red Pepper-based sauce hailing from Spain. It pairs perfectly with all kinds of protein and is a wonderfully flavored Sauce. In this recipe we are serving up delightful Chicken Skewers with Mojo Picon Sauce. The Chicken is simply prepared and grilled until slightly charred and then served with a generous smothering of the wonderful Mojo Picon Sauce. This dish makes for the perfect appetizer and is a classic Tapas-style dish you would expect to find in Spain

Start this dish by preparing the amazing Mojo Picon Sauce

Like a lot of dishes, I find that preparing the Sauce in advance is the best approach. The Mojo Picon Sauce can be prepared and then warmed over the stovetop while the Chicken cooks. You can even make it in advance and refrigerate it until you’re ready to enjoy. It will easily survive a few days in the refrigerator

To make this wonderful sauce you’ll need a handful of everyday ingredients. The hero of the dish is Red Bell Pepper, which is roasted, peeled and deseeded before being added to the blender. Yes, this is a similar sauce to Romesco, but the biggest difference is Bread is used instead of Almonds

This Sauce is vibrant and delicious, complimenting the Chicken perfectly

Speaking of Bread, you’ll need some nice crusty bread for the Sauce. Sourdough is a great option, but many other types will work. Hey, even good old White Bread is going to do the trick. Just ensure it’s not fresh, as we want that lovely crusty texture to help give the Sauce it’s body

The spice in the sauce is introduced with Cayenne Peppers

For our Spicy Mojo Picon Sauce we use Cayenne Peppers in Oil. This wonderful ingredient has an amazing flavor and packs in some heat and tastes so good in this Sauce. You can use other spicy Red Peppers if you like or completely omit it if you don’t want any heat. I highly recommend trying to find some Cayenne Peppers in Oil or try Calabrian Chilis for a similar flavor profile

The remaining ingredients needed are Garlic Cloves, Cumin Powder, Smoked Paprika, Red Wine Vinegar, Salt, and Olive Oil. All everyday ingredients you can get your hands on at the local grocery store

Making the Sauce

To prepare the Sauce for our Chicken Skewers with Mojo Picon Sauce you will first need to roast the Red Bell Peppers until they are charred and blackened. Give them a generous coating of Olive Oil and Salt before going into the Oven at 400F for about 30 – 35 minutes

Once charred they’ll be so beautifully sweet and flavorsome, but also very hot! Remove them from the oven and let them cool before peeling away the flesh, core, and seeds, retaining that wonderful flesh

The next step is also the final step! Simply place the Red Pepper flesh into the blender along with the remaining ingredients and blitz, slowly pouring in the Olive Oil until a smooth and luscious Sauce is the result

Like all sauce making I recommend tasting it at this point and if needed, adjust for seasoning. It’ll likely be pretty spicy so you’re looking for overall flavor and balance, adding any additional Salt or Red Wine Vinegar if needed. The Sauce can be served at room temperature or warmed by slowly heating it in a saucepan over the stovetop

Preparing the Chicken Skewers

With the sauce done it’s time to move onto the Skewers. The good news is the skewers for our Chicken Skewers with Mojo Picon Sauce are the easiest part of the dish. No fancy preparation required at all, simply cut up some Chicken and place them onto some bamboo skewers

It’s highly recommended that you use Chicken Thighs for this dish. In fact, Chicken Thighs for most Chicken dishes are what we’d recommend. They are packed full of flavor and don’t tend to overcook like Chicken Breasts, which means you can get a wonderful char on these Skewers which will only add more delicious flavor to the dish

Leave a little bit of room on each side of the Skewers to allow them to be moved around when cooking without the Chicken falling off. Season them simply with some Salt and Pepper and they are ready for cooking!

Grill the Chicken Skewers until charred

If you have the means I highly recommend grilling the Chicken over fire on a grill / outdoor BBQ. There’s simply no better flavor you can get out of Chicken than when they’re cooked over fire. That smoky, charred flavor will be amazing, and only serve to compliment the deliciously spicy Sauce

Rest assured you can also simply cook the Chicken in a frying pan on the stovetop. Just crank your heat to high and turn them every couple of minutes until charred. I like to use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of the Chicken. Once the internal temperature reaches 160F they are ready to serve

You can set the Chicken aside for a few minutes to let them rest, allowing the juices in the Chicken to redistribute before placing them onto a serving plate. Finish the dish by spooning over a generous portion of that wonderful Mojo Picon Sauce and they are ready to enjoy

Chicken Skewers with Mojo Picon Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

Mojo Picon Sauce

• 2 Red Bell Peppers
• 5 Garlic Cloves, peeled
• 1 slice of Crusty Bread
• 2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Cumin Powder
• 2 tsp. Cayanne Peppers in Oil
• 1 ½ tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Salt
• ½ cup of Olive Oil
  
  

Chicken Skewers

• 1 ½ lbs. Chicken Thighs
• 1 tbsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
• Bamboo Skewers
• 1 tbsp. Vegetable / Canola Oil
  
  

Equipment needed: Blender

Instructions

1. Place the Red Bell Peppers on a large sheet pan lined with foil and drizzle over about 1 tbsp. of Olive Oil and 1 tsp. of Salt. Roast in the oven at 400F for 30 – 35 minutes until the skin has blackened and charred
2. Remove Peppers from the oven and wait until cool, then peel and discard the skin, core, and seeds
3. Place the flesh of the Bell Peppers in a blender along with all the remaining Sauce ingredients other than the Olive Oil. Place blender on low and slowly pour in the Oil
4. Increase speed to medium and blitz until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary, then pour the Sauce into a bowl and set aside
5. Cut the Chicken into about 6 pieces per Thigh then place the pieces onto the skewers. Pack them tight, but allow ample room at each end for turning, and to avoid the Chicken falling off
6. Season your outdoor grill (preferable) with neutral oil over a medium high heat then place the Chicken on top. Turn every 1 ½ minutes or so until slightly charred and completely cooked through (internal temperature of 160F). You can also cook the Chicken in a frying pan over the stovetop
7. Set Chicken aside to rest for a few minutes before placing onto serving plates. Add a generous spoonful of the Mojo Picon Sauce (either heated in a saucepan or at room temperature) over the Chicken. Place remaining Sauce in a separate bowl and serve
   
   

Recipe Notes

• For the optimal char on the Chicken, we recommend using an open flame on an outdoor grill, however using a frying pan over a high heat inside will also work
• You can substitute the Cayenne Pepper for any other spicy Red Chili you prefer
• The Sauce can be prepared in advance and refrigerated (sealed) for up to 2 days prior to use
  
  

These amazing Chicken Skewers with Mojo Picon Sauce are a great way to enjoy some authentic Spanish Tapas-style cuisine. The spicy Mojo Picon Sauce is simply amazing, and pairs perfectly with the charred Chicken

If you like this recipe then we highly recommend you check out these other tasty dishes of ours:

• Corn Cachapas with Cheese
• Roast Pumpkin Pancakes
• Santa Fe Shrimp Ceviche
• Crispy Halloumi Fries
  
  

Happy Cooking!