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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Amazing recipe!! I had been looking for a good chicken skewers recipe for the BBQ for a long time and I’m so glad I found this one! Thanks Jenn 😊
can i also add bell peppers to the skewers? Are those okay to sit in the marinade?
Sure!
I have whole chicken thighs and no access to a grill. Would you still recommend broiling them? And if so, for how long? Thanks!
Hi Tanya, Assuming they’re boneless thighs, I’d broil the chicken for about 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Hope you enjoy
I made this today..it turned super yummy..We all loved this .Thanks for such a wonderful recipe. One of my favorites.
I tried the recipe yesterday and it turned out just amazing. The whole family loved it.. Thank you for the recipe…
Delicious kebabs!
Could I use chicken breast with skin for this recipe?
While technically it’s possible, I wouldn’t recommend it. (This is much better with dark meat.) Hope that helps! 🙂
LOVE this recipe. So easy and it tastes delicious. I love that you use ingredients pretty much everyone has at home. I’m so happy I stumbled upon this recipe. One of my favs!
Hi Jen,
Love all your recipes! I bought your cookbook last year, all fantastic! Realized for this recipe I forgot the cinnamon! I also had 3.5lbs of chicken thighs so double the recipe. Hope that works and won’t be salty and ok w/o the cinnamon.
I made this last night with the Basmati Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruit and Almonds (I used golden raisins) and Roasted Carrots with Thyme per your suggestion. It was so good and I am embarrassed to say I had three servings of the pilaf. I have Pasta Bolognese on the stove for dinner tonight. I am so thankful for all your recipes. I have never made one that was not a hit with my family!
Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Love this page, Jenn’s recipes have so much culture and creativity! I added Calabrian chili’s for extra kick and I’d highly recommend those with a little bit of the oil from the chilis but tone down the red pepper. Had a more pronounced spice that way.
Also, this is one of those recipes that you can make and leave in the fridge for a couple days – it only gets better and the chicken becomes so tender when marinated in yogurt. Already done this three times and will be making again!
Soooo delicious!! Made this for my family yesterday with the rice pilaf recipe and tzatziki. Used chicken breast instead and the flavors were still so amazing!
Made them tonight and they were a huge hit! I used smoked paprika since that’s what I had and misread the directions and used onion every other piece but they were still SO GOOD! Paired beautifully with your rice pilaf with dried fruit and some grilled asparagus. To finish everything off I drizzled the plate with a homemade yogurt sauce and feta. Yum!
We use saffron!
SOOO delicious! Did the marinade just as described. We ended up doing chicken breasts and planned to marinate them for a few hours but ended up being about 24 hour marinade🤦♀️ and it all turned out absolutely delicious! Made the tzatziki dip with it since I was craving it too and it was the perfect combo with the chicken and rice. Hubby and I both loved this one. Will definitely be making this one again. Thank you!!