Pinchos de pollo, or chicken skewers, are delicious little snacks that are seriously easy to make in minutes.
Traditionally served in the Basque region and similar to tapas, these skewered morsels include chicken breast, chorizo sausage and halloumi cheese.
Enjoy these all year round for casual dining, barbecues, lunches or just a snack with drinks!
Bon appétit!
Pinchos or pintxos have their origin in the Basque region of Spain. Typically they are served in bars as little snacks consisting of a piece of bread with a topping secured by a tooth pick.
They can also be skewers of meat, known as pinchos morunos, which are also really popular in Puerto Rico. I love the idea of little snacks like this so I've put together my own version, which includes halloumi cheese.
Halloumi cheese is so versatile as it doesn't melt and holds its shape really well when grilling or frying and gets a lovely crunchy crust. These chicken, sausage and halloumi skewers have a great mix of textures too.
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🥘 Ingredients
- Chicken breast - boneless and skinless breasts are easy to prepare and cook quite quickly. For best value I tend to buy bags of frozen chicken breasts of different sizes, which are perfect for pasta, curry and stir fry dishes when the chicken is cut up.
- Halloumi cheese - most supermarkets now sell this with the cheese packaged in a brine solution. It does have a long refrigerator life of a year, so I always keep a few packets.
- Chorizo sausage - fresh version, which is also known as the soft cooking variety.
- Rosemary - freshly chopped to flavour the marinade.
- Olive oil - just standard olive oil is perfect.
- Pepper - freshly ground black pepper for seasoning. Both the chorizo and halloumi are quite salty by themselves.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍽 EQUIPMENT
- 6 small metal or wooden skewers
🔪 Instructions
Start by preparing the main ingredients.
Cut each sausage into 3 or 2cm pieces and each chicken breast into 6.
Next, cut the halloumi into 3 slices along the length and then cut each slice into 6.
There should be 12 pieces of sausage, 12 of chicken and 18 halloumi.
💭 TOP TIP
- Drain the liquid from the halloumi and let it rest on kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. This helps to get a crisp outside when cooking.
Thread the pieces onto 6 skewers, starting 2 lots of halloumi, chicken and sausage, then finishing with halloumi.
💭 TOP TIP
- If you soak the wooden skewers in hot water for 5 minutes before using them, they are less likely to burn on the barbecue or grill.
Pull the rosemary leaves from the stems and chop.
Mix the olive oil, rosemary and pepper together and coat the chicken and halloumi skewers with a pastry brush before cooking.
⏲️ Cooking time
Cook under a medium grill for about 10 minutes , turning regularly until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese has a crispy crust.
🥗 Enjoy with
- Drinks - If you are having friends round these pinchos de pollo make a great change from crisps and nuts.
- Barbecues - Serve these at your next barbecue or grilling session. Their small size makes them great for kids or serving alongside other main dishes such as venison burgers.
- Brunches - Perfect for a brunch get together with Eggs baked in Potatoes and slices of warm Quiche Lorraine.
SUBSTITUTIONS
- Chicken breast - use chunks of boneless and skinless chicken thighs if you prefer, but it will need a few minutes longer. Turkey breast can also be used.
- Chorizo - try kielbasa or Wiejska Polish sausage instead.
📖 VARIATIONS
- Spicy - add a teaspoon of chilli pepper flakes, chilli powder or smoked paprika to the marinade before cooking.
- Child friendly - use a plain sausage instead
STORAGE
Make the pinchos de pollo in advance and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking.
Cool any leftovers and store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Great for a quick salad!
FAQs
Tapas are small dishes that are often eaten with a knife and fork and can form part of a meal, whereas pinchos tend to be a snack served on a stick, that can be eaten with your fingers.
Halloumi cheese is great sliced a griddled in a pan with a little oil and served on burgers or as part of a salad or side dish. Baked Halloumi Fries in panko breadcrumbs are also great as a starter or side dish.
Generally, Spanish chorizo is a cured sausage and Mexican is a fresh sausage that needs to be cooked. However, for this recipe I have used fresh Chorizo sausage.
More snacks to try
📋 Recipe
Pinchos de Pollo
Equipment
- 6 small metal or wooden skewers
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts medium, skinless and boneless
- 225 g halloumi 1 pack
- 200 g fresh chorizo sausage 4 sausages
For the marinade
- 2 tablespoon rosemary fresh
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cut each sausage into 3 or 2cm pieces and each chicken breast into 6.
- Next, cut the halloumi into 3 slices along the length and then cut each slice into 6.
- Thread the pieces onto 6 skewers, starting with 2 lots of halloumi, chicken and sausage, then finishing with halloumi.
- Mix the olive oil, rosemary and pepper together and coat the chicken and halloumi skewers with a pastry brush before cooking.
- Cook under a medium grill for about 10 minutes, turning regularly until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese has a crispy crust.
Notes
- Drain the liquid from the halloumi and let it rest on kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. This helps to get a crisp outside when cooking.
- If you soak the wooden skewers in hot water for 5 minutes before using them they are less likely to burn on the barbecue or grill.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
FOOD SAFETY
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended'
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Gina
The salty halloumi in the middle is the best part!
Jen
I love the idea of using halloumi on skewers! This looks like an easy dinner that my family will love.
Annissa
This recipe sounds absolutely delicious! The combination of the meat, cheese and herbs is just overflowing with mouthwatering flavors. Thanks for sharing!
Nathan
Something about serving food on skewers somehow makes it taste better, doesn't it? Absolutely love halloumi, especially paired with chicken and chorizo. Can't wait to make these!
Sara Welch
Enjoyed these for dinner last night and they did not disappoint! So hearty and flavorful; the halloumi was the perfect touch!