Chipotle Chicken Kabobs with Avocado Cream Sauce

I was looking for something light to make for dinner one night and this chipotle chicken kabob recipe looked like it would be perfect. The only problem was that none of the grocery stores within 5 miles of my house had chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. (I think I need to have a chat with the grocery manager and give him my list of items the store needs to start carrying because this isn't the first thing I haven't been able to find.) Since I couldn't find the chipotle chilis the night I wanted to make it, I improvised and just used chipotle chili powder instead. We ate the chicken in tacos and it was delicious! I didn't bother making the avocado dipping sauce though. We liked the chicken so much that the next week I decided to make it again when I finally found the chipotle chilis in adobo sauce at another store. The chicken was good with just the chipotle chili powder, but I think the chilies in adobo made it even better. This time I also made the avocado sauce. Yum! I could have eaten that by the spoon fulls!

The only change I made to the original recipe was I used plain non-fat yogurt instead of Greek yogurt because I don't care for Greek yogurt. I made some extra marinade since I had left over chipotle chilies and froze it with chicken. The chicken will marinade as it thaws.

Chipotle Chicken Kabobs with Avocado Cream Sauce

For the Chicken:
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon chili podwer
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2" to 2" inch pieces
Minced fresh cilantro, for serving

For the avocado cream sauce:
1 avocado
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl or baking dish/pie plate, combine the lime juice, oil, spices, garlic, brown sugar, and chipotle. Whisk together to combine. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well to ensure that they are all coated and mostly submerged. Cover, refrigerate, and let marinade for 30-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium-high and oil the grates. When the chicken is done marinading, thread the pieces onto skewers for grilling. (If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water first to prevent charring/burning.) Dispose of the excess marinade. Place the kabobs on the grill and cook, turning once or twice, until all sides are slightly browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate and let rest 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with minced fresh cilantro, if desired.

To make the sauce, combine avocado, yogurt, garlic and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor or a blender. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the kabobs for dipping.

Enjoy!