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
- Middle Eastern Lamb Kofta
- Souvlaki
- Gyros
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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Absolutely delicious!!!
I was wondering if I can bake the chicken thighs instead of grill. Will it taste the same? For how long and what temperature do I bake it on?
If you want to use the oven, I’d broil them. Set the broiler to high; just be sure to turn the skewers so they brown evenly. Hope you enjoy!
Can I freeze chicken that has been marinated already? I think I marinated way too much and I want to save it
Sure!
AMAZING!!! The thighs take some time to trim, but so worth it!! ALL of your recipes are the best!! I will be making this one A LOT!
OMG – These kebabs were delicious!!! I made them along with you recommendations of Basmati Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruit (chopped raisins) & Almonds, and the Roasted Carrots with Thyme! I cooked the kebabs and carrots on the BBQ- the carrots in a veggie basket – and then served them with some fresh thyme.
My husband is a picky eater, but he really enjoyed it all. I made a plate for my neighbor lady and she loved it, too!!! She just brought us over freshly baked brownies to thank us – so sweet!!! We’re twice blessed!!
All 3 recipes are super winners! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes! Even though we are sheltering in place, I feel like I took a little trip to the Middle East 😁
Hi Jen,
I was wondering if I could bake this in the oven?
Hi Bea, yes, but I would broil them.
Do you recommend an oven temperature and time under the broiler?
Hi Jessica, I’d set the broiler to high. Cook time will be about the same as that for the grill. Just be sure to turn the skewers to they brown evenly. Hope you enjoy!
Made those Kebabs last night. Had them marinated for 24 hours. Every morsel got eaten , it was so tasty and meat was moist and tender. Also made the basmati rice with apricots and toasted almonds
Perfect side dish. This will go into my rotation for sure, much better than bland dry chicken breast. Another winner from Jennifer.
The kabobs were good, with just a slight amount of perfect heat. I didn’t serve it with the recommended basmati rice recipe since neither my husband nor teens would go for it. Instead, I served it with white rice. Because of this, if I make this again, it would have to have a side sauce to accompany the chicken. Perhaps a tzatziki sauce would’ve made it perfection. White rice killed it lol.
This recipe is WONDERFUL!! I have tried a number of different Greek chicken kebab recipes, but the texture of the chicken was always odd with other recipes. This chicken was PERFECT, both in taste & texture. The recipe was easy & had excellent instructions & tips. I actually made the whole dinner menu Jenn suggested & loved the basmati rice & carrots with thyme as well! I will be making this recipe very often!
Hello, Jenn! Would this marinade translate to a steak? I’m looking to make something similar but with steak but I’m not sure how well it would turn out in a yogurt based marinade. If you have any other suggestions for a middle eastern steak kabob recipe I’d greatly appreciate it!
Hi Matty, I do think this would translate nicely to steak. While this is a bit different than what you’re looking for (made from lamb and not a kebab, this kofta is another option to take a peek at. Hope that helps!
Just stumbled across your website and this was the first recipe I made – it was delicious! So many websites are afraid to use spices to please the bland loving masses, and I’m very happy to find someone who’s not afraid of seasoning!
A wow dish, impressive and very delicious. Served with the rice suggested, tzatziki, a cold green bean salad and topped off with the key lime pie ice cream…a wonderful summer meal. Worth the effort!!