The Juice Carton Hack For Grilling Perfect Chicken Skewers
If you need to please a crowd, grilled chicken kebabs are one of the best things that you can serve at your backyard barbecue or cookout. These skewers of bite-sized chicken and colorful veggies aren't only delicious, but also convenient to grab and chow on while mingling. Plus, the gorgeous grill marks are bound to make your mouth instantly water. While the ingredients are simple — just chicken breasts and vegetables like sliced bell peppers, and eggplant speared with a wooden skewer — assembling and threading each vegetable and piece of chicken can be a bit of a hassle, especially if there are other dishes on the menu. Fortunately, there's a clever hack that can significantly cut down your prep time, courtesy of Scrumdiddlyumptious on YouTube. This trick involves repurposing an empty cardboard carton (like a spent juice carton) to help shape your kebabs.
Here's how it works: Cut off the lid so that you have what looks like a small box (you don't have to cut out a side panel like in the video, which is for demonstration purposes only). Then, layer each slice of seasoned chicken breasts and veggies inside to create a stack of ingredients. Once the carton is packed, slot four pre-soaked wooden skewers in each corner of the carton and put it into the freezer to chill overnight. Before you're set to grill, thaw it until the meat softens, then cut the stack into four equal-sized skewered portions. No need to painstakingly thread each one!
Why freezing is important for this trick
Freezing is a big part of this trick. Once the ingredients are frozen, they'd meld together as they freeze, turning into solid cube-shaped chunks on the skewers. So, when you finally defrost them, you should have an easier time cutting. About an hour or two before you're set to fire up the grill, remove the frozen kebab container from the freezer to defrost on the countertop. Once the meat and veggies have thawed enough to no longer be a solid block, remove the cardboard mold and cut it into four equal portions as usual. Your chicken kebabs are now ready for the grill!
When you put the kebabs on the grates, don't worry about the wooden skewers charring. So long as you've soaked them before you put them into the freezer, the moisture should protect the wood from burning. The tips might get a bit singed, though — that's normal.
Since everything's might still be a bit cold in the center, it could take longer too cook your skewers than if were cooking fresh, room-temperature chicken on the grill. The chill isn't going to add too long to the cooking time, just a few minutes at best. Still, keep a close eye on the kebabs to avoid under- or overcooking, and use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before you plate and serve them.