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Overview

Uruguayan Chicken Brochette

Brochette de pollo; Chicken Skewers; Uruguayan Grilled Chicken Skewers

This Uruguayan chicken brochette recipe marinates chicken thigh in olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano, threads it onto skewers with red and green peppers and onion, and grills it over charcoal until charred at the edges and juicy inside. It is parrilla food at its simplest — fire, smoke and a spoonful of chimichurri. One serving is about 240 g. Photo note: the photo shows a grilled chicken skewer served with saffron rice, grilled tomato, onion and lemon as a visual equivalent for the Uruguayan brochette, which is served with peppers, onion and chimichurri.

The word brochette comes from the French broche, a skewer, and skewered meat reached the Río de la Plata with European immigrants in the 1800s. In Uruguay the skewer found its home on the parrilla, the charcoal grill that is the centre of Sunday family life. Chicken brochettes are the quick grill of the asado — thigh meat, peppers and onion, marinated in garlic and oregano, cooked over embers while the beef is still on the fire, and served with chimichurri, the raw herb sauce that goes with everything grilled in Uruguay.

Pairs well with: Chimichurri & a mixed green salad

Provenance

Uruguay flag Uruguay

Uruguayan Parrilla Heritage

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

59m

40m prep • 19m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

394 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 240 g

Technical Skill

Easy

Easy (Grill Skewers)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Hearty Midday Main

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

High Protein Occasions: Weekend barbecue, Sunday family asado, summer grilling, dinner with friends Cost: Medium — about $4–5 per serving at home
Tags: Chicken Savory Grilled
Charred chicken cubes on a skewer with saffron rice, grilled tomato, sliced onion and lemon

Uruguayan Parrilla Heritage

Photo: Benoît Prieur, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Medium — about $4–5 per serving at home (USD)

Chicken thigh marinated in garlic, oregano and lemon, grilled on skewers with peppers and onion, served with chimichurri.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 59m
P

Prep Stage: Marinated and Threaded

40 Mins • Marinating, Threading

Cut the 700 g chicken thighs into even cubes about 3 cm (1 1/4 in) across. Stir together the marinade — 30 ml olive oil, 30 ml lemon juice, the 12 g chopped garlic, 2 g dried oregano, 4 g sweet paprika, 4 g salt and 2 g black pepper — and toss the chicken in it until every cube is coated. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the fridge. While it marinates, cut the red and green peppers into 3 cm squares and the 200 g red onion into wedges. Then thread the skewers, alternating chicken, pepper and onion, leaving a little space between pieces so the heat reaches every side. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes first so they do not burn. Stir the quick chimichurri together: 20 g chopped parsley, 1 clove of the garlic set aside, 15 ml red wine vinegar and 30 ml olive oil with a pinch of salt.

Maestro Tip: Cut every piece the same size — a small cube next to a big one means one burns while the other is still raw inside.

  1. 1

    Marinate the chicken

    30 mins Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F), or fridge below 4°C (40°F)

    Cut the chicken thighs into even 3 cm cubes and toss them in the marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper until coated. Leave for 30 minutes — long enough for the lemon and garlic to season the meat, short enough that the acid does not start to toughen it. If you are marinating longer than 30 minutes, put the bowl in the fridge.

    Thirty minutes is the sweet spot; overnight in lemon juice makes the outside of the chicken chalky.

    Done when: Cubes evenly coated, fragrant with garlic and oregano.

  2. 2

    Thread the skewers

    10 mins No heat — room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)

    Thread the marinated chicken onto metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternating each cube with a square of red or green pepper and a wedge of onion. Push the pieces close together but leave a finger's width of space between them so the heat can reach every side. You should get 8 skewers with about 4 cubes of chicken on each.

    Metal skewers cook from the inside as well as the outside, so the chicken cooks a little faster — watch them closely.

    Done when: 8 skewers, pieces even and snug, peppers and onion between every cube.

  3. 3

    Grill over charcoal

    14 mins Hot grill, about 220°C (425°F); chicken centre to 74°C (165°F)

    Build a hot charcoal fire and let it burn down to glowing embers with no flames. Brush the grate with oil, lay the skewers across it, and grill for 12–14 minutes, turning every 3–4 minutes, until the chicken is deep golden with charred edges and the thickest cube reads 74°C (165°F) on a thermometer. The peppers should be softened with blackened spots and the onion wedges sweet and browned at the edges. Move the skewers to a cooler part of the grill if the fat flares.

    Do not press the chicken down — pressing squeezes the juices out onto the coals.

    Done when: Chicken golden and charred at the edges, 74°C (165°F) at the centre; peppers soft, onions sweet.

  4. 4

    Rest and serve with chimichurri

    5 mins Serve hot, above 60°C (140°F)

    Rest the skewers for 3–5 minutes on a warm plate so the juices settle back into the meat. Serve two skewers per person with the chimichurri spooned over the top or in a small bowl on the side, and lemon wedges if you like. Slide the chicken and vegetables off the skewers at the table, or eat them straight off the stick, parrilla style.

    Resting is not optional — cut into a skewer straight off the grill and the juices run out onto the plate.

    Done when: Skewers rested, chicken juicy, chimichurri bright green on top.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve the skewers hot off the grill with chimichurri spooned over — they are at their best in the first five minutes, while the edges are still crisp from the coals.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

394

kcal / serving

Protein

37g

Complete AA

Carbs

13g

Complex

Fats

22g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 240 g)
Energy394 kcal
Protein37 g
Carbohydrates13 g
Fat22 g
Fibre3.5 g
Sugar5.5 g
Sodium569 mg
Per 100g
Energy164 kcal
Protein15.2 g
Carbohydrates5.4 g
Fat9.2 g
Fibre1.5 g
Sugar2.3 g
Sodium237 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C (bell peppers, lemon), vitamin B6 and niacin (chicken), vitamin K (parsley), iron (chicken).

Very high in protein

One serving gives about 36 g of protein, which helps the meal feel satisfying and supports normal muscle maintenance.

Peppers and onion, grilled

The peppers and onion add fibre and vitamin C with almost no fat, and grilling keeps their flavour sweet and smoky without extra oil.

Lean, balanced plate

Chicken thigh with vegetables and a raw-herb sauce is a balanced plate: lean protein, vegetables and healthy fats, with no sugar added.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sauces

Chimichurri

Parsley, garlic, oil and vinegar cut through the smoky char of the grill — the acidity is the classic foil for parrilla chicken.

Vegetables

Mixed green salad

A crisp salad with a sharp vinaigrette refreshes the palate between smoky, charred bites and adds crunch to the plate.

Sides

White rice

Plain rice soaks up the chimichurri and the chicken juices, and turns two skewers into a full dinner.

Grilled bread

Bread toasted on the grill alongside the skewers is for wiping the plate — and for the cook, who always eats the first skewer standing up.

Drinks

Tannat red wine

Uruguay's Tannat has the tannin and dark fruit to stand up to charcoal-grilled chicken, and it is the traditional partner at the asado.

Full Menus

As part of the parrilla

Chicken brochettes with chimichurri, salad and bread, followed by grilled vacío and finished with polvito uruguayo — the skewers come off the grill while the beef is still cooking.

Complete menu

Start with chicken brochettes, chimichurri and salad, follow with grilled vacío and roast potatoes, and finish with polvito uruguayo and a glass of Tannat.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Undercooked chicken

Chicken must reach 74°C (165°F) at the centre of the thickest cube; undercooked chicken can carry harmful bacteria. Always check with a thermometer, especially on a grill where the outside browns fast. This is general information, not medical advice.

Marinating too long in lemon

Lemon juice is acid, and acid left on chicken for hours starts to cook the outside of the meat, leaving it chalky and dry on the grill. Thirty minutes is enough; four hours in the fridge is the limit. This is general information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA lean, satisfying dinner for most adults; two skewers with salad, rice and chimichurri make a complete plate.
  • ChildrenUsually a hit with children — chicken on a stick is fun to eat — but cut the cubes small, check the centre is fully cooked, and go easy on the chimichurri, which is sharp.
  • ElderlyA good choice in a normal portion — soft, juicy thigh meat is easy to eat, and the vegetables add fibre without heaviness.
  • Pregnant womenEat only freshly grilled and piping hot, with the chicken checked at 74°C (165°F) in the thickest cube; ask your clinician about grilled foods during pregnancy.
  • Breastfeeding womenFine as a regular food — lean protein with vegetables, and the chimichurri is raw herbs, garlic, oil and vinegar.
  • AthletesAbout 36 g of protein per serving makes it ideal after hard training, with vegetables and rice to refill energy.
  • Weight gainTwo skewers with rice and bread cover a large share of daily energy and protein needs in one plate.
  • Weight lossA strong choice — lean protein and vegetables are filling for the calories; keep the rice portion small and load up the salad.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesCarbohydrate is low at about 12 g per serving, mostly from the peppers and onion — ask your clinician about fitting the rice portion into your meal plan.
  • High blood pressureSodium is about 566 mg per serving, which is moderate — keep the added salt light and ask your clinician if you are on a sodium-restricted diet.
  • Kidney diseaseHigh in protein, so people on a kidney diet should keep portions small and ask their clinician before eating it.
  • GoutChicken is moderate in purines — a normal portion is usually fine, but people with gout should avoid very large portions and ask their clinician.
  • Stomach issuesGrilled chicken with vegetables is usually gentle, but the chimichurri is sharp and vinegary — try a small amount first, and ask your clinician if symptoms persist.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseA lean grilled chicken dish with vegetables fits well into a heart-friendly pattern; keep the salt light and ask your clinician about your overall diet.
  • Fatty liverLean grilled chicken with vegetables is a good choice for fatty liver — keep the oil modest and the rice portion small, and ask your clinician for guidance.
  • Food allergiesContains chicken. The chimichurri is free of the common allergens, but anyone avoiding chicken should not eat this dish.
  • Special therapeutic dietsThis is a lean, grilled, high-protein dish with vegetables; it suits most general healthy-eating patterns, but check the salt and the raw-garlic chimichurri against your own diet — ask your clinician or dietitian before including it.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool leftover chicken and vegetables quickly, slide them off the skewers, and store in a covered container in the fridge; keep the chimichurri separate.
In the fridge
2–3 days for cooked chicken off the skewer; the chimichurri keeps 5 days in a sealed jar.
In the freezer
Up to 2 months for the cooked chicken (off the skewer); the peppers and onion do not freeze well.
How to reheat
Reheat in a hot pan or a 200°C (400°F) oven for a few minutes until hot all the way through, to 74°C (165°F); the microwave dries the chicken out.
Freezing recommended
Yes — for the cooked chicken only, off the skewer.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour or off smell, slimy surface, grey or green discolouration — discard, do not taste to check.

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