There’s a unique emotion that’s captured when chargrilling meat. The smell of the smoke, the crackle of the embers, the hunger waiting to be satiated. At Hunter & Barrel, it’s a feeling we aim to encapsulate and share with our guests.
Through the primal art of skewering and charcoal grilling, we hope to instil a special experience at our restaurants, and that starts with a great chicken skewer. It needs more care than red meat. Without the proper attention, it dries out quickly, and the flavour falls flat. With the right marinade, however, it stays juicy, takes on flavour, and is infused with a smokiness only achievable with charcoal.
This blog aims to share with you the principles of a great chicken skewer marinade, from the chemistry that tenderises and flavours the chicken, to the cooking process that achieves that juicy inside and ridiculously good crispy edges.
The Trinity of a Great Chicken Skewer Marinade
A great chicken skewer marinade is built on the basis of three elements. Leave one out, and the balance falls apart.
Fat is the foundation of any chicken marinade. Coating the chicken in olive oil, neutral oil, or even animal fat will help protect the delicate meat against the aggressive heat of charcoal or cast iron.
Acid is what tenderises the chicken. It could be lemon juice, vinegar, or even yoghurt. Acid gently loses the fibrous matrix of chicken, allowing flavour to penetrate deeper into the meat while simultaneously softening the texture. It leans into our ethos at Hunter & Barrel: familiar ingredients with a hint of wilderness. Sharp, surprising, and unbelievably delicious.
Flavour is where creativity takes over. This is the time to make the dish yours. Fresh herbs, whole and ground spices, funky ingredients. The goal is to incorporate notes of each element into the chicken without clouding the flavour, so season with intention. Most importantly, if you want to sweeten the marinade, don’t rely on processed sugars like brown sugar. These will scorch quickly over open charcoal. A small pinch of sugar or a hint of honey is enough to balance the savoury elements.
3 Rustic Marinade Profiles to Try
Once you’ve learnt this marinade trinity, you can start playing with flavours. These three are perfect marinades for BBQ chicken skewers and reflect our personality at Hunter & Barrel.
Herb & Garlic
A timeless classic, and for good reason. As simple as olive oil. Lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, and plenty of minced garlic. It feels natural, foraged. Brightness from the lemon, herbal earthiness from the rosemary and thyme, and mouthwateringly savoury and sweet from the garlic. Perfect for a chicken thigh skewer, seared hard over charcoal and finished with a herb butter.
Spicy & Smoky
Inspired by our charcoal grills, this flavour combination is a tribute to heat and smoke. Smoked paprika, chilli flakes and cumin — a trinity of savoury, spicy goodness. Paired with a neutral oil and an acid of your choice, the result is a cleanly flavoured chicken skewer with notes of earth, umami, and a hint of fire.
The Barrel Glaze
A nod to our barrel-aged beverages and whisky-lined shelves. Bourbon, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and a touch of sherry vinegar create a rich, sweet marinade. To get the most out of this one, wipe off the marinade just before cooking, and brush it back on in the late stages of the cook to get a sweet, sticky finish
How to Make Marinade for Chicken Skewers
A chicken marinade is dead simple to bring together. Start by adding all your ingredients into a large bowl, and whisk them together until the oil or fat has dispersed into the other ingredients and formed an emulsion with the acid.
Cut your chicken into rough pieces. About 3–4cm cubes are a good size. For skewers, thighs are king, but breasts will work too. Just cut the pieces a bit larger so they don’t dry out. Use your hands; this isn’t delicate work. You want to squeeze the marinade into the chicken, helping it penetrate the meat.
For timing, 2–4 hours is a good window. Any less, the marinade won’t penetrate, any more, and the acid begins to break down the chicken too far.
Grilling Techniques: Chicken Marinade for BBQ Skewers
When cooking chicken skewers over fire, you have to be careful. Sugars caramelise quickly over high heat, and that caramelisation turns into burning very quickly. Preheat your grill on medium-high and start the skewers over direct heat to colour them, then finish them on indirect heat to cook through.
If basting with the reserved marinade, ensure you either reserve a portion before it ever touches the raw chicken. If you forgot, just cook it for a few minutes to remove any risk of food-borne illness. Never add the used marinade to chicken after cooking.
Serving Your Feast
Chicken skewers are the perfect sharing food. Place them on a board, stack them up to keep them warm, and serve them with simple accoutrements.
Flatbreads are a great partner, perfect for wrapping the chicken, soaking up its juices. A fresh, acidic salad, like a coleslaw, cuts through the richness of the chicken, while dipping sauces like chipotle mayo or tzatziki work flawlessly with nearly every flavour of marinated chicken.
For drinks, think about contrast. Herbaceous marinades pair well with crispy white wines, while smoky, spicy ones pair with hoppy beers or dry red wines.
A Taste of the Hunter, Without the Work
Cooking over fire at home is something that takes a bit more effort than over a stovetop, but pays back dividends in the final result. It’s something we’ve mastered at Hunter & Barrel, where food, atmosphere, and theatre coalesce into something truly special.
In our open kitchens, the tantalising waft of smoky meat scents the entire restaurant. Our chicken, lamb, and Wagyu skewers cook over roaring coals, served piping hot to be shared at the table.
Book your spot at Hunter & Barrel and feast on our signature charcoal-grilled menu items, cooked with primitive methods and prepared masterfully.
