Cast iron-grilled chicken with a sweet and spicy sauce made from reducing cola is a nod to the classic Southern snack pairing of peanuts and cola.
Spicy Cola Chicken Skewers
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
- 6 thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets
- 12 to 16 wooden skewers
- 1 (12-ounce) can cola (not diet)
- ¾ cup cane syrup
- 2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh chives
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Garnish: chopped roasted peanuts, minced fresh chives
Instructions
- Place chicken breast cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound each piece to ¼-inch thickness. Cut lengthwise into 1½-inchthick strips. Thread chicken strips onto skewers, and place in a shallow dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together cola, cane syrup, peanuts, chives, paprika, red pepper, and cinnamon; pour mixture onto chicken. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Let chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain chicken, reserving marinade.
- In a medium saucepan, bring reserved marinade to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until reduced, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; keep warm.
- Heat a cast-iron grill pan over high heat, and spray with nonflammable cooking spray. Cook chicken skewers until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken registers 165°, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Brush chicken with warm cola sauce before serving. Garnish with peanuts and chives, if desired.