Mexican street vendors invented tortilla kebabs in the 1960s when metal skewers became cheaper than corn husks for wrapping.
Tortilla Kebab Skewers
Dive into my delicious twist on the trending tortilla kebab skewers! Coated in a luscious tomato butter glaze, these skewers boast a perfectly crispy exterior and succulent filling that will blow your taste buds away. Trust me, you won't want to miss this flavor explosion! 🌟
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 1 red bell pepper, finely grated & squeezed dry - important
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium red onion, finely grated & squeezed dry- important
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (30 ml)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley (15 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1.2 lb (550g) minced chicken (use fresh, not defrosted) (544 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 4 tbsp butter (56 g)
- 1 tbsp sour cream, or Greek yogurt 18% (15 ml)optionalGreek yogurt
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 tsp honey (5 ml)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (15 ml)
- 4–6 large flour tortillas. I used 5 in total.
🧂Spices & Seasonings(8)
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (2.5 ml)
- 0.5 tsp coriander (2.5 ml)
- 1 clove, minced
- 0.5 tsp cumin (2.5 ml)
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika (7.5 ml)
- 1 tsp paprika (5 ml)
- 0.5-1 tsp paprika adjust to taste (2.5-5 ml)
- 1-2 tsp salt (adjust to taste) (5-10 ml)
📦Other(1)
- chili flakes (adjust to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Mix all chicken filling ingredients until just combined. Chill 15-20 minutes. Cut tortilla into rectangles.
- 2
Layer tortillas + thin chicken mixture, repeating until you have 4-5 layers. Finish with a tortilla on top. Press gently and chill again 5-10 minutes.
- 3
Slice the layered stacks into 4 even rectangles.
- 4
Rotate each piece and insert each rectangle carefully onto skewers to hold the layers together. Place on lined tray.
- 5
Bake skewers at 400°F/200°C fan for 15 minutes first.
- 6
Meanwhile, melt butter on low heat, stir in tomato paste for 30–60 seconds, then add spices, garlic and parsley to make the spiced butter glaze.
- 7
Remove skewers from the oven and brush generously each side with the butter glaze.
- 8
Return skewers to the oven for another 15 minutes until golden, crispy, and fully cooked.
- 9
Rest for a few minutes before serving. I served mine with a quick homemade dip. Just sour cream mixed with smoked paprika, chili, and salt. Enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Chill the chicken mixture for 15-20 minutes to firm up proteins and reduce moisture by 10-15%, preventing the filling from squeezing out during assembly and creating cleaner layers.timing15-20 minutes
- ✓Press the tortilla stack with 2-3 pounds of gentle pressure before chilling to compress layers and create better adhesion between tortillas and filling for structural integrity.technique2-3 pounds pressure
- ✓Bloom the tomato paste in melted butter for 30-60 seconds at low heat to develop umami compounds through the Maillard reaction and eliminate raw metallic flavors.technique30-60 seconds
- ✓Apply the butter glaze only after the initial 15-minute bake when surface proteins have set, preventing the glaze from burning and ensuring it penetrates slightly into the tortilla layers.timing15 minutes
- ✓Insert skewers at a slight angle through the center of each rectangle to distribute pressure across multiple tortilla layers, preventing the stack from splitting under its own weight.technique
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Mexican street vendors invented tortilla kebabs in the 1960s when metal skewers became cheaper than corn husks for wrapping.
Tortilla Kebab Skewers
Dive into my delicious twist on the trending tortilla kebab skewers! Coated in a luscious tomato butter glaze, these skewers boast a perfectly crispy exterior and succulent filling that will blow your taste buds away. Trust me, you won't want to miss this flavor explosion! 🌟
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 1 red bell pepper, finely grated & squeezed dry - important
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium red onion, finely grated & squeezed dry- important
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (30 ml)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley (15 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1.2 lb (550g) minced chicken (use fresh, not defrosted) (544 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 4 tbsp butter (56 g)
- 1 tbsp sour cream, or Greek yogurt 18% (15 ml)optionalGreek yogurt
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 tsp honey (5 ml)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (15 ml)
- 4–6 large flour tortillas. I used 5 in total.
🧂Spices & Seasonings(8)
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (2.5 ml)
- 0.5 tsp coriander (2.5 ml)
- 1 clove, minced
- 0.5 tsp cumin (2.5 ml)
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika (7.5 ml)
- 1 tsp paprika (5 ml)
- 0.5-1 tsp paprika adjust to taste (2.5-5 ml)
- 1-2 tsp salt (adjust to taste) (5-10 ml)
📦Other(1)
- chili flakes (adjust to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Mix all chicken filling ingredients until just combined. Chill 15-20 minutes. Cut tortilla into rectangles.
- 2
Layer tortillas + thin chicken mixture, repeating until you have 4-5 layers. Finish with a tortilla on top. Press gently and chill again 5-10 minutes.
- 3
Slice the layered stacks into 4 even rectangles.
- 4
Rotate each piece and insert each rectangle carefully onto skewers to hold the layers together. Place on lined tray.
- 5
Bake skewers at 400°F/200°C fan for 15 minutes first.
- 6
Meanwhile, melt butter on low heat, stir in tomato paste for 30–60 seconds, then add spices, garlic and parsley to make the spiced butter glaze.
- 7
Remove skewers from the oven and brush generously each side with the butter glaze.
- 8
Return skewers to the oven for another 15 minutes until golden, crispy, and fully cooked.
- 9
Rest for a few minutes before serving. I served mine with a quick homemade dip. Just sour cream mixed with smoked paprika, chili, and salt. Enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Chill the chicken mixture for 15-20 minutes to firm up proteins and reduce moisture by 10-15%, preventing the filling from squeezing out during assembly and creating cleaner layers.timing15-20 minutes
- ✓Press the tortilla stack with 2-3 pounds of gentle pressure before chilling to compress layers and create better adhesion between tortillas and filling for structural integrity.technique2-3 pounds pressure
- ✓Bloom the tomato paste in melted butter for 30-60 seconds at low heat to develop umami compounds through the Maillard reaction and eliminate raw metallic flavors.technique30-60 seconds
- ✓Apply the butter glaze only after the initial 15-minute bake when surface proteins have set, preventing the glaze from burning and ensuring it penetrates slightly into the tortilla layers.timing15 minutes
- ✓Insert skewers at a slight angle through the center of each rectangle to distribute pressure across multiple tortilla layers, preventing the stack from splitting under its own weight.technique