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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Hello Jenn – This is the 2nd time I’ve made this for my family and it was a hit. In addition, I made the rice pilaf today and it was a hit as well. Thanks. I will be trying the Peruvian chicken and green sauce recipes soon.
Love your website.
Hi Jennifer. I just love your recipes and the occasional pix of your kids. Do you have a recipe for black bean cakes? We used to get wonderful ones at The Tobacco Warehouse in Shockoe Slip in Richmond.
Thanks so much, Karen. I don’t have a go-to recipe for black bean cakes but it’s a great idea – I will add it to the list 🙂
Do you have the recipe for the rice that is accompanying this chicken dish?
Hi Nadiyah, Yes, here it is:
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/basmati-rice-pilaf-with-dried-fruits-and-almonds.html
Made this tonight, it was delicious. Thanks for posting, I’m looking forward to trying some other recipes on your site (which I came across for the first time today). Thanks again!
Sarah
So glad you enjoyed, Sarah — and welcome to the site!
this recipe was spot on! I added some extra red pepper and thought I could have added even more! only marinated this for 3 hours so I’m sure it would have been ever better had I let it marinate for even longer!
Pair this meal with some homemade tzatziki and everyone will be satisfied!
I used chicken breasts instead of making kabobs and serviced with Jasmine rice, delicious!
This was the first Kabob recipe I’ve ever tried and it was delicious. I did try it again without the Kabobs, becuase that was a bit time consuming for me. So I just marinated the chicken pieces and grilled them and served them with onions and green peppers it was just easier for me to omit the skewing step.
Love this!! I use breasts, and I broil it in the oven without skewers. Still comes out amazing!
Regular staple I our house.since the weather has been cold , I broil these (minus the kebab) and serve with couscous. Plates are elways licked clean
Hi Jennifer,
I am pretty new to the cooking world, but as one of my resolutions for the new year, I sought to cook one dish that I have never made before every week. Well, about a month ago, I had a hankering to make a red spicy lentil soup and wanted a main dish to accompany it. I did some research online and came across this recipe and I am so glad that I did. It came out perfect on the first try! (Thanks to your step by step recipe of course). In any event, I did not have any skewers, so I just threw in the chicken and vegetables (I added green, orange, and red peppers) all into the yogurt spiced mixture and put in the fridge overnight. The next day I cooked it on my grill pan on the stove and it was delicious! So bold and flavorful!
Needless to say, your website has encouraged me to fulfill my new years resolution with ease and all in all, inspired me to cook at home. So, thank you, and I look forward to making more of your dishes!