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
You May Also Like
- Grilled Moroccan Chicken
- Perfect Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lemon, Garlic & Herbs
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- Souvlaki
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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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Hi Jenn, First off I have to say thanks for sharing your recipes! I have tried a few so far and let’s say they have become family favorites and now I have to stock up the ingredients so that I can make them whenever I crave for the dish.
This is my second time making the Middle Eastern Chicken Kebabs. The first time I made this recipe I marinated for 6-8 hours and followed the exact recipe. It was delicious but I was curious to see how coriander would taste if it was added with the recipe. I’m still new and love exploring on the spices from Middle East. I notice that coriander is one of the few ingredients that comes up a lot. For this second batch I used ½ teaspoon of coriander and instead of skewering them and placing the sauce on the kebabs, I instead marinate the chicken in the sauce for 12+ hours. The following night I skew them in wooden toothpick since I couldn’t find my actual metal skewer and bake them at 350 degree for 30-40 minutes, rotating every 10-15 minutes. I opt in for baking because it was late at night and didn’t want to be in the dark grilling. There were liquids from baking so I had to pour them out from the pan each time I flip them over. I think the next time I’m going to try to grill instead. I had to bake the chicken in two separate batches because my tray was too small. After two hours of baking, I finally get to taste. I have to say I absolutely love the taste of the coriander added, it gave a hint of sweetness which I like! I was actually surprised. I am looking forward to trying it again with the coriander and hopefully grilling it the next time around!
Jen, this recipe specifies metal skewers. Is there any reason I can’t use wooden? That’s all I have.
Hi Jennifer, Yes, you can use wood skewers; just soak them in water for about 30 minutes first so they don’t burn when you grill them.
Can I make these in the oven? Thanks!
Yes, Paj, I would broil them for the same amount of time they should be grilled. Enjoy!
Wow! This reminds me of one of my favorite places! When I would travel to India, there was this amazing grill on the roof of the hotel where I was staying. They made some incredible chicken dishes on the open flame grill. This reminded me so much of those awesome delicacies! Thanks for providing simple, yet wonderfully delicious recipes!
Delicious! I used four of your recipes to create the menu for my husband’s birthday party and these were delicious! I used both chicken breast and thighs, and both were good! I didn’t change anything from the original.
I am having a family party for 10 and would like to make this dish (looks amazing) and add another ‘main’ to the menu…what would you suggest that would be a good fit with this? I just love your site and your recipies!!
Hi Anne, My lamb kofta or Moroccan Meatballs would both go perfectly.
I am wondering about using pork in this recipe. Would it work? I have a lot of cubed pork that I purchased that looks like tenderloin pieces.
Hi Sheila, If what you have is pork tenderloin, I think the kebabs would come out a bit too dry (because the tenderloin has very little fat). Sorry!
What is the rice recipe you serve this with?
Hi Anne, It’s this one. Enjoy!
These kebabs were a winner! Succulent and packed with flavor. Thank you!
loved this recipe! 🙂 marinated the chicken for more than 24 hours and it tasted so good! Thank you Jenn for sharing your recipes!