Brazilian Coração de Frango no Espeto, Grilled Chicken Heart Skewers

📍 Where this dish comes from: Brasília · Cathedral of Brasília
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No Brazilian churrasco is complete without skewers of coração de frango, juicy chicken hearts grilled until crisp at the edges. They are rich, tender and packed with iron and protein. Marinated in garlic and lime, they convert even skeptics.

Per serving: 329 calories · 2.9 g net carbs · 27 g protein · 23 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Brazilian Coração de Frango no Espeto, Grilled Chicken Heart Skewers

No Brazilian churrasco is complete without skewers of coração de frango, juicy chicken hearts grilled until crisp at the edges. They are rich, tender and packed with iron and protein. Marinated in garlic and lime, they convert even skeptics.

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Prep Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Brazilian

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 329kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken hearts trimmed
• 4 cloves garlic finely grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

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Instructions

• Trim any fat and the tough tubes from the tops of the hearts with kitchen scissors. Rinse and pat dry.
• Toss the hearts with the garlic, lime juice, olive oil, paprika and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
• If using wooden skewers, soak them for 30 minutes. Thread the hearts snugly onto skewers and season with the coarse salt.
• Grill over high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning every few minutes, until browned and crisp at the edges and cooked through.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

Notes

Chicken hearts are small but dense, so they need steady high heat rather than a quick flash. Cut one in half to check; it should be uniformly cooked with no raw red center. They can also be cooked under a hot broiler for about 12 minutes, turning once.

Chef's Tip: Thread the hearts tightly, all facing the same direction. They hold together better and the outsides brown evenly.

Keto Swap: Chicken hearts are naturally keto. At a churrasco they are often eaten with farofa; enjoy them with a squeeze of lime and a spoonful of vinaigrette instead.

Success Tip: For children trying them the first time, serve them on short skewers with a dipping sauce like garlic mayonnaise.

Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 329kcal | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Fiber: 0.4g

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About This Dish

Coração de frango is one of the most popular items at Brazilian churrascos and is served in nearly every churrascaria. It is also a favorite at street espetinho stands. Brazilians eat so many that hearts are sold by the kilo in supermarkets, ready for the grill. Organ meats like hearts were long part of thrifty home cooking, and the churrasco made them a celebration food. Many churrasco hosts grill a skewer of hearts first, as a snack while the larger cuts cook.

Pairs Well With

• Brazilian Salada de Chuchu, Chilled Chayote Salad with Tomato
• Brazilian Salada de Repolho, Cabbage and Carrot Slaw with Lime

This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 5: Chicken (Cathedral of Brasília). See all Brazilian recipes