Grill Season Upgrade: Caesar-Marinated Chicken Kabobs With Grilled Romaine

As the weather heats up, it’s time to transition your kitchen routine outdoors and fire up the grill. If you are looking for a fresh, healthy recipe to kick off the summer season, these Caesar-marinated chicken kabobs with zucchini and grilled romaine are the perfect addition to your weekly lineup. This dish offers a brilliant twist on the classic Caesar salad, trading a heavy, store-bought dressing for a lighter, high-protein marinade made with non-fat Greek yogurt, fresh lemon juice, garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano.

By threading the savory, marinated chicken onto skewers alongside crisp zucchini, you get a beautiful blend of textures that caramelizes perfectly over medium-high heat. Serving it over lightly charred, grilled romaine heads adds a smoky depth of flavor that elevates this simple weeknight dinner into an impressive, low-carb backyard feast.

Ingredients

• 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, minced or grated
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 5 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed for the romaine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 long wooden or metal skewers
• 1 zucchini
• 1 large or 2 small heads romaine
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Cooking spray

Directions

To make the Caesar marinade:

• Add the anchovies, garlic and pepper to a large bowl and use a fork to mash into a paste.
• Add the cheese, lemon juice, yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, mustard and pepper and stir to combine.
• Reserve half for serving.
• Add the diced chicken to the bowl with the remaining dressing and stir to coat.
• Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.

For the kabobs:

• If using wooden skewers on an outdoor grill, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes.
• Trim the ends from the zucchini, halve it lengthwise and cut it into semicircles between 1/2- and 1-inch thick.
• Separately, cut the romaine in half (if using small heads) or quarters (if using a large head), leaving the root ends intact.
• Lightly spray or coat the cut sides with oil.
• Thread the chicken onto doubled skewers, alternating every few pieces with a slice of zucchini, for a total of 4 kabobs. Place the kabobs on a large plate or baking sheet and, when they’re assembled, season lightly with salt.
• Preheat the grill with medium-high heat and oil the grates. Grill the kabobs for 6 to 8 minutes total, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and well browned.
• When the chicken is done, grill the romaine flat side down until it’s lightly charred in places but still bright green and crisp, about 30 seconds per side.
• Serve the romaine alongside the kabobs and drizzle the remaining marinade over both.

This recipe was originally published on Skinnytaste.