Chicken Heart Skewers
Hearts on a skewer are badly underrated: dense, deeply savoury and half the price of breast. The rule here is the opposite of braising — not long gentle heat but short and fierce. Two hours in a mustard marinade softens the muscle, and after that everything comes down to twelve minutes.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Rest
- 2 h
- Total
- 2 h 32 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 280 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Chicken gizzards work the same way, but boil them for 40 minutes first.
Makes: 4 skewers
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Prepare the hearts
Trim the pale tubes and excess fat, rinse and dry thoroughly. Don't cut them open — whole hearts stay juicier.
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Step 2: Marinate
Mix the hearts with the mustard, oil, crushed garlic, paprika and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
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Step 3: Slice the onion
Cut one onion into 1 cm rings for the skewers and keep the second for serving.
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Step 4: Salt
Salt the hearts just before threading — salt in the marinade would draw the moisture out.
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Step 5: Thread tightly
Thread the hearts snugly against each other with an onion ring after every three. Packed tightly, they don't dry out.
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Step 6: Grill over high heat
The coals should be hot. Grill for 10–12 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until the surface is dark and glossy.
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Step 7: Check
Cut one open: it should be an even greyish brown with no blood. Overcook them and they go rubbery.
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Step 8: Serve
Scatter with fresh onion rings and parsley and squeeze over the lemon.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Soak wooden skewers for 20 minutes — this is fierce heat and dry wood catches fire.
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Variation
Soy sauce and honey instead of mustard give a sweet-salty glaze, but watch it closely so it doesn't burn.
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Swap
Chicken gizzards work the same way, but boil them for 40 minutes first.
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Storage
Best straight away; cold the next day they are good in a salad with onion and vinegar.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 280 kcal | 1,120 kcal |
| Protein | 30 g | 120 g |
| Fat | 16 g | 64 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4 g | 16 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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