Fun Meal for Kids: Caterpillar Mini Chicken Kebabs

Following on from the Doggy Hot Dogs and Fishy Boats I’ve already shared, here’s the third meal in my set of extra special fun meal ideas for kids. I’ve created these fun meals to celebrate the launch of new Heinz Tomato Ketchup No Added Sugar & Salt. This recipe is for Caterpillar Mini Chicken Kebabs, my personal favourite of the three new meals that I have created!

Heinz Tomato Ketchup No Added Sugar & Salt took six years, seven thousand working hours, 500 prototypes and over a 1,000 taste tests with Heinz teams, the public and professional tasters to create! It was developed with families in mind, aiming to help us make positive lifestyle choices whilst still enjoying the yummy Heinz taste that both kids and adults love. After tasting it myself, I’m really impressed – it tastes great and still has the classic Heinz flavour. It was a hit with my boys too, who thoroughly enjoyed being my taste testers for this project!

Back to the fun meal – these mini chicken kebabs have a really simple homemade marinade that’s mild and child friendly. They’re delicious on their own but the real cuteness factor comes from turning them into edible caterpillars with the addition of cherry tomatoes and my favourite googly eye bento picks!

As well as a fun meal at home, they’d also be perfect for a garden or bug themed party, and as they can be eaten hot or cold, they are lovely to take along on a summer picnic or to pack in a lunch box for a fun lunch time surprise.

Caterpillar Mini Chicken Kebabs

Ingredients (makes 8): 

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp garlic granules
• 2 chicken breasts
• 8 x 15cm bamboo skewers

To serve (1 fun plate): 

• 2 lettuce leaves
• 3 thick slices cucumber
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• Heinz Tomato Ketchup No Added Sugar & Salt
• 2 x googly eye bento picks

Method: 

Start by marinating the chicken. Measure out the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and garlic granules into a bowl and whisk until completely combined.

Cut the chicken breasts into small pieces, about 1cm by 1cm.  Place the chicken into the bowl with the marinade and stir with a spoon until completely coated.

Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour to marinade.

Meanwhile, soak 8 bamboo skewers in a glass of cold water.

Once you are ready to cook the chicken, push the chicken pieces onto the skewers, dividing the chicken between eight. Leave 1-2cm clear at the ends of the skewer.

Grill the chicken kebabs for around 10 minutes until cooked through, turning once.

Whilst the chicken is cooking, prepare the rest of the meal.

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and place on a plate.

Using a mini flower shaped cutter (or cut out freehand), cut the cucumber slices into flowers. You can also add circles of cucumber skin to the centres if wanted.

Cut two of the cherry tomatoes in half using a small sharp knife, cutting in a zig-zag pattern around the tomatoes to create tomato flowers.

Add cucumber and tomato flowers to the plate, placing them on top of the lettuce.

Draw a flower onto the plate using the Heinz Tomato Ketchup No Added Sugar & Salt.

Push a googly eye pick into each of the two remaining cherry tomatoes, then push them onto the ends of two of the cooked chicken kebabs to create the caterpillars.

Place two of the caterpillar kebabs on the plate and serve immediately.

Note: The cooked chicken kebabs can be chilled and eaten cold the next day too, so they’re perfect for picnics and lunch boxes! Cool down the chicken quickly after cooking, cover and store in the fridge until ready to eat. Don’t add the tomatoes until you are about to serve them (or add them when you pack the lunch box)

Don’t forget to check out the other two fun meals that I made for this project; Doggy Hot Dogs and Fishy Boats with Carrot Starfish!

If you enjoyed these fun meal ideas, be sure to check out the Fun Food Tutorials section here on the blog for loads more ideas and recipes for making food fun for kids! You’ll also find plenty of family meal inspiration over in my Family Meal Ideas section too.

Heinz Tomato Ketchup No Added Sugar & Salt is available in supermarkets now, priced at £1.99 for a 400ml bottle. You can find out more about the full Heinz Tomato Ketchup range including the new variety over on the Heinz website.

Grace

Disclosure: This blog post was commissioned by Heinz.  I was compensated for my time and the cost of ingredients, however all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

This post contains some Amazon affiliate links; I may receive commission on items purchased through the links.

Print Recipe

Caterpillar Mini Chicken Kebabs

Kids will love these fun and easy Caterpillar mini chicken kebabs. This cute fun food idea is perfect for picnics, lunch boxes and fun meals at home!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Marinating Time30 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Lunch, Main Course, Party Food, Picnic

Cuisine: British

Servings: 8 mini kebabs

Calories: 68kcal

Author: Grace Hall

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp garlic granules
• 2 chicken breasts
• 8 x 15cm bamboo skewers

To serve (1 fun plate):

• 2 lettuce leaves
• 3 thick slices cucumber
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• Heinz Tomato Ketchup No Added Sugar & Salt
• 2 googly eye bento picks

Instructions

• Start by marinading the chicken. Measure out the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and garlic granules into a bowl and whisk until completely combined.
• Cut the chicken breasts into small pieces, about 1cm by 1cm.  Place the chicken into the bowl with the marinade and stir with a spoon until completely coated.
• Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour to marinade.
• Meanwhile, soak 8 bamboo skewers in a glass of cold water.
• Once you are ready to cook the chicken, push the chicken pieces onto the skewers, dividing the chicken between eight. Leave 1-2cm clear at the ends of the skewer.
• Grill the chicken kebabs for around 10 minutes until cooked through, turning once.
• Whilst the chicken is cooking, prepare the rest of the meal.
• Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and place on a plate.
• Using a mini flower shaped cutter (or cut out freehand), cut the cucumber slices into flowers. You can also add circles of cucumber skin to the centres if wanted.
• Cut two of the cherry tomatoes in half using a small sharp knife, cutting in a zig-zag pattern around the tomatoes to create tomato flowers.
• Add cucumber and tomato flowers to the plate, placing them on top of the lettuce.
• Draw a flower onto the plate using the Heinz Tomato Ketchup No Added Sugar & Salt.
• Push a googly eye pick into each of the two remaining cherry tomatoes, then push them onto the ends of two of the cooked chicken kebabs to create the caterpillars.
• Place two of the caterpillar kebabs on the plate and serve immediately.

Notes

Note: The cooked chicken kebabs can be chilled and eaten cold the next day too, so they're perfect for picnics and lunch boxes! Cool down the chicken quickly after cooking, cover and store in the fridge until ready to eat. Don't add the tomatoes until you are about to serve them (or add them when you pack the lunch box)

Nutrition

Calories: 68kcal

Enjoy this fun meal idea? Why not save it to Pinterest so you can easily find it again!