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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Jenn, we love this recipe. I don’t use all the marinade on the chicken but put some aside for dipping when served. My big problem is that as much as I oil the grill they still stick. Is my grill too hot?? Usually around 400 degrees. I have started making mine in the oven, just rubbing marinade on the whole boneless thigh and baking them with the red onions. Seems to work, but we love to use our grill. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Terry from AL.
Hi Terry, I don’t think your grill is too hot. If anything, you could make it a little hotter. Because of the yogurt marinade being a bit gloppy, these have a tendency to stick a bit. I’d just get under them with a spatula and scrape a little until they release. Hope that helps!
Would nonfat Greek yogurt work in this recipe?
Hi Susan, It will work, but won’t be quite as rich and flavorful. If you’re able to, I’d suggest using 2% instead.
Sorry, I just saw that someone else had already asked this question. Will make with sour cream instead of yogurt! 🙂
I am intolerant to yoghurt, can I make this with sour cream instead?
Sure — enjoy!
Hi,
I’m making these today and i don’t have a grill, do you have any estimates or suggestions on baking then putting under the broiler?
Thank you!!
Charlene
Hi Charlene, I think I’m weighing in too late to help — sorry. If you haven’t made them yet, you can broil them, flipping once or twice like you would on the grill so they brown evenly – the cook time will be about the same.
Hi!!! I only had two chicken breasts on hand, but that didn’t stop me from using your recipe! I marinated them a couple of nights ago, and grilled them last night on the bbq! I watched them very carefully as you had mentioned that this type of meat would dry out more quickly. The skewers cooked in approx. 20-25mins. Turned out great 🙂 Soft, tender, and lots of flavour. I think there might have been too much marinade, hence a bit salty. I will likely half the recipe next time. It made about 3 1/2 skewers which was shared amongst the 3 of us. Thank-you for the easy instructions and recipe.
Hello ! I marinated these last night and am going to cook them tonight but was wondering if I were to bake them instead, what temperature and how long ?
Hi Brianna, I would broil them in the oven, flipping once or twice like you would on the grill so they brown evenly – the cook time will be about the same.
This was AMAZING! My first time working with chicken thighs and it was a little intimidating with the amount of trimming I wanted to do. I ended up trimming only the major areas and was prepared to hate the outcome – but totally loved it! (And I am one to be very sensitive to “bad bites” of chicken.) it seems the thighs are forgiving! The taste was so fresh and light – and truly better than any kebabs we’ve ever ordered at an Afghan or middle eastern restaurant. The whole family – including husband, mother in law, and two elementary aged kids all raved about it! This will be a favorite for a long time! Thank you!
This recipe delivered and then some! Everyone loved them and I took Jenn’s advice and made extra and have enjoyed the leftovers for lunch this week! Rice pilaf is a MUST! Thanks Jenn!
OMG, this is seriously delicious!! It tasted very authentic. I served it with a Tabbouleh salad, hummus and flat bread for a bbq. This will be definitely be on my menu for my bbq’s over the summer!