What have you been up to this week?
I spent mine making smoky, flavorful grilled chicken sausage kabobs—and dreaming I’m a runner. I’ve tried running more times than I can count, but today I’ll stick to the kabobs. They’re far more rewarding.
These kabobs feature tender smoked chicken sausage grilled on skewers with red bell pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms. The savory smokiness pairs perfectly with slightly charred vegetables. Tempted?
If the picture doesn’t make your mouth water, imagine the aroma—smoky sausage and grilled vegetables filling the air. I was thrilled when I managed to capture the wisps of smoke in a photo; it felt like catching the moment the flavors announce themselves.
The smokiness of the sausage calls you to the grill. It’s the kind of dish that makes you want to toss everything on skewers and get cooking right away.
For these, I used a round Le Creuset Bistro Grill and long flexible Fire Wire skewers that contour around the pan. The flexible skewers are handy: skewer, marinate in a bag, then lift and grill. They make prepping and grilling effortless.
Before Fire Wire, bamboo skewers worked well too—just soak them for at least 20 minutes so they don’t burn. I served these kabobs with a simple salad for a light summer supper. Leftovers were great tossed on a salad the next night.
About the sausage: I often cook with chicken sausage because it’s a bit leaner than pork, is usually fully cooked, and adds great flavor. For these kabobs I used a Manchego cheese and fire-roasted onion variety I found at Costco—very flavorful. You can use any fully cooked chicken sausage you like.
Tip: I usually place meat and vegetables on separate skewers because they cook at different rates. This helps achieve perfectly cooked sausage and nicely charred vegetables without overcooking either.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 pounds fully cooked smoked chicken sausage, cut into pieces (any flavor)
- 1 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch chunks
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 8 ounces mushrooms, whole or halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, salt, and pepper so they’re evenly coated.
- Skewer the sausage and vegetables separately to account for different cooking times. If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent burning.
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.
- Place the skewers on the grill and turn occasionally for even cooking. Fully cooked sausage will be heated through in about 8 minutes and the vegetables will be tender and lightly charred after about 10 minutes. If you use fresh, uncooked sausage, grill until cooked through and firm to the touch, about 15–20 minutes.
Recipe from
CenterCutCook