Middle Eastern-Style Grilled Chicken Kabobs
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You’ll make these flavorful chicken kabobs all summer long.
One of my go-to chicken recipes for summer cookouts, these Middle-Eastern style grilled chicken kabobs are wonderful over a bed of rice pilaf or served with a Greek salad. The chicken is marinated in yogurt, olive oil, lemon, garlic and spices, and then grilled over an open flame until juicy and golden brown. The only time-consuming part of the recipe is threading the meat and onions onto skewers. Short on time? Skip the skewers and grill the chicken pieces whole, and slice the red onions into large wedges and pop them right on the grill. A word to the wise: make more than you think you’ll need. The first time I made these chicken kabobs for a crowd, I actually ran out of food!
What You’ll Need to Make grilled Chicken Kabobs
I’ve specified boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe; they’re juicier and more flavorful than boneless skinless chicken breasts, and they also hold up better when using an acidic marinade; yogurt or lemon-based marinades can make boneless skinless chicken breasts leathery. Chicken thighs are also much easier to cook without drying out. (If you’d like to experiment with other chicken thigh recipes, BBQ-spiced chicken thighs and char siu chicken are both huge crowd pleasers.)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Marinade
In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic.
Stir to combine.
Step 2: Prep the Chicken and Thread onto Skewers
Trim the chicken of any excess fat and gristle. Don’t worry about getting every last bit of fat; most of it will melt off on the grill. Then cut the meat into bite-size pieces. I think it’s easiest to use kitchen shears as opposed to a knife.
Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers alternating with the red onions. Metal skewers are ideal as they won’t catch fire on the grill. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes first so they’re slower to char on the grill.
Step 3: Marinate the Chicken
Place the kabobs on a baking sheet lined with foil, and then brush the marinade all over the meat, coating well. Cover and let the kabobs sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Step 4: Grill the Kabobs
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, grease well, and then grill the kabobs until golden brown.
Serve and enjoy!
Chicken Kabob Video Tutorial
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Middle Eastern-Style Grilled Chicken Kabobs
You’ll make these flavorful chicken kabobs all summer long.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (reduce to ½ teaspoon for less heat)
- Zest from one lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2½ to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-inch pieces (see note)
- 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Vegetable oil, for greasing the grill
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers, folding if the pieces are long and thin, alternating with the red onions. Be sure not to cram the skewers. (Note: You'll need between 6-8 skewers.) Place the kabobs on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the marinade all over the meat, coating well. Cover and refrigerate at least eight hours or overnight.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. To grease the grill, lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. Grill the chicken kabobs until golden brown and cooked through, turning the skewers occasionally, 13 to 15 minutes. (The yogurt marinade makes these kabobs prone to sticking to the grill grates; if necessary, use a metal BBQ spatula to scrape underneath the kabobs and release them.) Transfer the kabobs to a platter and serve.
- Note: I've specified boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe; they're juicier and more flavorful than chicken breasts, and they work better in this type of yogurt and lemon-based marinade. They're also much easier to cook without drying out.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 350
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Sugar: 3g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 41g
- Sodium: 871mg
- Cholesterol: 186mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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I made this recipe for our family Sunday lunch. It was great!! I used small pieces of chicken breast instead. The chicken was very tasty and the rice was perfect.
Thank you for sharing your recipes!
This. Was. Awesome.
I had to make a few changes and it still was amazing: used sour cream instead of the yogurt, left out the red onion, subbed in a red pepper, cooked it covered on the stovetop not on skewers (this was actually a yummy change- I ended up with sauce. I’m sure grilling it is even better because, hey, it’s grilled)
I served it with that awesome rice on this site and with homemade hummus and veggies and pita bread. Delicious! My picky fancy pants husband said it was his favorite meal he’s had in a long time.
Thanks so much!
I plan on just making the whole chicken thigh so I would love to know how to cook them in the oven and have the coloring and charring still look beautiful thank you
I would broil them on a rack or broiler pan 5-6 inches below the heat source. Cook time would be about the same. Please let me know how they turn out 🙂
Well let me tell ya. I did this recipe half drunk on red wine. Hosted a bbq and freaking nailed it. Took all the praise for myself and got some sweet loving. (A man 32yrs) God bless you x
Hi Jen
It rained in DC last night but I was determined to try this and it did not disappoint. My poor husband was in the rain working the grill but he said it was totally worth it! I just have one question, I thought the kabobs needed some type of sauce, do you have any that you can recommend ?
Hi Fran, Glad you and your husband enjoyed. I think tzatziki would be delicious. Here’s a link: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/tzatziki.html
Thank you for your prompt reply. I will certainly try this. All the best to you and your family !
PS….love your recipes ! This is my go to site !
I used the chicken breasts that I had on hand, sour cream instead of Greek yogurt, a pinch of cayenne and since it was pouring outside, I ended up having to broil these (for ~20 min). Still came out tasting great!
Hi Jenn ,
This Recipe sounds perfect ! I just want to know if I can marinade the chicken and freeze it for about 3 weeks to cook on my daughter birthday party ? I am a little hesitant about freezing chicken in a yogurt-based marination .
Please let me know
Hi Mariam, I think it will fine. The yogurt might separate when you defrost it, but that shouldn’t affect the end result.
The recipe was great! Really flavorful. I paired it with a jalapeño cilantro lime hummus. My issue was i lacked greek yogurt and was in a time crunch. I subbed mayo, less than 1/8 cup. 2 reasons for the small amount 1) i feared the flavor change 2) that would be a crazy amount of mayo. The spices were really concentrated but it worked! Thanks for the recipe, ill try it for real next time!
This chicken is amazing, I have made it almost every week since I first found it. I wanted to know what is the longest period of time that I can keep it marinated? Is 2 days too much? Thanks!
Two days is fine but I probably wouldn’t go any longer.
Any suggestions if you don’t have Greek yogurt stocked in the house? I was thinking of trying sour cream… I know it’s more fat but kids are napping and trying not to run to the store.
Hi Stephanie, That should work 🙂
It was still amazing! Can’t wait to try it without the substitution. Thanks!