Chicken Pinchos Morunos

Pinchos morunos are the Spanish street food that stopped me in my tracks in Seville. I found them at a hole in the wall bar with a grandmother in the kitchen, a plancha going at full heat, and the smell of cumin, smoked paprika, and charred chicken filling the entire street. I stood there eating three rounds before I even thought about sitting down.

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Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Pinchos

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Resting Time: 30

Total Time: 55

Servings:

Calories: 317kcal

Author: Lola Jay

Equipment

6 Stainless Steel Skewers

Ingredients

3.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs extra fat removed and cut into 1.5 inch cubes
4 scallions white parts only, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ tablespoon dried oregano
1.5 tablespoon pimenton de la Vera or smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1.5 tablespoon kosher salt or 1.5 teaspoon regular table salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon sherry vinegar optional but recommended
¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
5 garlic cloves grated or crushed
A few grinds of black pepper

Finishing Garlic Oil

¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For serving:

Lebanese Rice or Fattoush Salad in a Pita Bowl

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the marinade

In a food processor, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, sherry vinegar if using, grated garlic, cumin, coriander, dried oregano, smoked paprika, turmeric, allspice, kosher salt, black pepper, scallion whites, and cilantro. The marinade should smell deeply fragrant and spiced. Taste it. It should be well seasoned and bold enough to stand up to three pounds of chicken.
4 scallions, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tbsp dried oregano, 1.5 tbsp pimenton de la Vera or smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground turmeric, ¼ tsp ground allspice, 1.5 tbsp kosher salt, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, 5 garlic cloves, A few grinds of black pepper, ¼ cup fresh cilantro

Marinate the chicken

Cut the chicken thighs into roughly 1.5-inch cubes, as evenly as possible, so they all cook at the same time. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss until every piece is evenly and generously coated. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Do not marinate longer than 4 hours as the lemon juice and vinegar may start to break down the texture of the meat.
3.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

Skewer

Remove the chicken from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking so it comes slightly toward room temperature. Remove each piece from the marinade letting any excess drip off. Thread onto 6 inch skewers, packing the pieces close together but not so tight that they cannot cook through.

Cook

Heat a plancha or heavy grill pan over very high heat until smoking. A drop of water should evaporate immediately on contact. This high heat is essential for the char that makes pinchos morunos taste the way they should. Oil the surface with some olive oil.
Lay the skewers on the hot surface without crowding. Cook for 5-6 minutes without moving them until a deep char develops on the bottom. Flip and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until charred on the other side and the internal temperature of the thickest piece reaches 170F. If the skewers are browning too fast before they are cooked through, reduce the heat slightly and give them another minute or two.

Finishing Oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds and top skewers with oil
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, ½ tsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Serve

Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Pinchos morunos are best eaten hot straight off the plancha while the crust is still crispy. Serve over my Lebanese Rice or alongside my Fattoush Salad in a Pita Bowl for a full Mediterranean spread.

Video

Notes

Nutrition facts are only estimates.

Storage

Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet for 2 to 3 minutes until warmed through and the exterior crisps back up slightly. Avoid the microwave as it makes the chicken tough and removes all the char. The uncooked marinated chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking. Not recommended for freezing once cooked as the texture of the chicken suffers once thawed.

Nutrition

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