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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My family loved this chicken (and whole meal, see below). I live in LA and there are many Persian markets here. I have a (Persian) friend who owns an organic Persian inspired restaurant (well, I think there are four now). She told me how to make this chicken using a spice mix from the Persian market (probably for simplicity sake, she told me the recipe while we were sitting at the beach). This recipe is the homemade version of what I made from packets, lemon, yogurt and all. I added more lemon juice and lemon zest than recipe called for because this is what I did when I made it with the packet mixture. I also made the rice shown in the picture but substituted brown basmati for white. I made a kale, golden raisin, slivered almond salad with champagne vinaigrette that I sort of copied from a local restaurant. The whole meal was s huge success.
Sounds delicious Debbie– thanks for sharing!
Delicious!
I’m wondering if you can bake these kabobs or cook on a griddle? We are making these in a vacation home that does not have a grill.
Also, where can I find the rice recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Jill, you can broil the kebabs in the oven. (Use the same cooking time as the grilling method). You can find the recipe here.
OK, I followed both the kebabs and basmati pilaf recipes word for word, the outcome was that I looked like I could cook! I texted friends, family…everyone saying “I made a recipe, and it worked! And people ate it!” haha! Everything was so delicious my son and husband had 3rds – my son is so picky too – I cannot believe it went over so well! It was my first time on the website and first time using a recipe from your site 🙂 Thank you so so much! The tips on trimming the thigh meat were very helpful. It worked like magic – especially for someone who really can only cook by following recipes! Score!
Hi, this recipe is great! Can I make this in the oven if I don’t have a grill?
Thanks
Yes, absolutely — you can broil them. Cook time would be about the same.
These were SO delicious, and SO flavorful. I’ve been looking for a good kabob recipe for a while, and this one knocked it out of the park! I made it with chicken thighs and breasts, and both were great. Thanks!
This middle Eastern kabobs are really good. Please try them- so easy to make. Thank you for this recipe.
I made this tonight and we absolutely loved it! I just wanted to let you know your recipes have improved our meals at home over the past few months. I started with your Guinness Lamb Stew with Veggies which was out of this world and I have made if multiple times since! We also love your Spicy Chicken with Sweet & Tangy Honey Glaze which I pair your your Roasted Broccoli with Chipotle Honey Butter. Again, this recipe was not surprisingly, easy to prepare, unique, cheap, beyond delicious. THANK YOU!
Excellent! My brother made this for our family and we were stunned. So flavorful!~ This recipe is now my go to for family dinners and casual dinner parties. It’s always a hit!
This looks delicious! I am always trying to find intriguing new recipes for chicken! Thank you for this!