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 tried this recipe and it was delicious! I didn’t marinate it the whole time (only an hour or so) and it was still tasty — in the future I’d marinate it longer though!
Have made this many times and it is delicious. Have even broiled in the oven and tasted just as good
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you so much for your absolutely wonderful website. I stumbled upon your website as i was looking for a tilapia recipe and found the crispy tilapia dish which was just wonderful. Then the next day I did the Mediteranian Kebabs dish and my pickey eater daughter looked at her mom and said ” You know what? This ain’t so bad at all”.
For the past 3 days since finding out about your web site i have spent a lot of time reading your recipes. Just awsome. I told my wife that i have found a new woman that can cook. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your passion for cooking with others, very much appreciated. i can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Ziad Jaber
So sweet, Ziad. Thank you!
I’m making this for the third time tomorrow night. My husband and I absolutely love it! The first time I made it on the grill and I used chicken thighs as recommended. I’d never used them before and it was unbelievable. The second time I made it I mixed the marinade the night before then threw everything in the slow cooker in the morning and it was just as good. Tomorrow I’m using the slow cooker again. I like that the meat falls apart and you just serve it over rice with a side of veggies. This is a new favorite. Thanks!
Scissors! After years of using a sharp paring knife to trim fat from chicken thighs, I just tried kitchen shears per your instructions. Thank you! What a difference that small trick makes in efficiency and thoroughness. Thanks, Jenn, again and again!
We grill all the time and I can’t wait to try this one.
I made the marinade Tuesday night and cooked these on the BBQ last night – omg they were SO DELICIOUS. i made it exactly as described here and wouldnt change a thing…other than making a double batch!
The only little thing i did different was marinate the chicken in a bag, and then put it on the skewers the next day. a little messy but worked fine. the onions were delicious. i loved it.
oh – I used 2% plain greek yogurt b/c i couldn’t find whole greek yogurt. it was still amazing.
PS
made them again…double batch…YUM
This was an easy and very tasty recipe – definite crowd pleaser. I used white meat and also wooden kabob skewers (pre-soaked, of course). This recipe is all about the prep work; then you can sit back and relax – my husband is the grill expert! This was served with my version of yellow basmati rice. The next day, we took the chicken and onions off the skewers and sauteed with the leftover rice to make a middle eastern fried rice. Two super meals!
Terrific tasting… used white meat… Never have acquired a taste for thighs. Served with rice… nothing left this morning!!
This is amazing! So easy to make and most ingredients are already in the pantry! Love how the yogurt gives it that tang. Perfect with rice pilaf and roasted vegetables.
Thank you for posting this recipe!