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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Tender and delicious!
The recipe calls for skewering the chicken and then brushing it with marinade. Any reason not to marinate the chicken first and then skewer it?
Hi Esty, Either way will work; it’s just a bit messy to skewer the meat once it’s in the marinade.
This was exactly my question, glad I scrolled down to find that someone else had wondered about this. I don’t mind the messy part, in fact I find it sort of fun, LOL. For me, it’s a matter of the size of my fridge (small) so putting a whole baking sheet in there is a bit problematic. If I marinate the chicken on its own, I can use a big zipper bag and it fits in a corner with no cross-contamination concerns. Win win!
Can’t wait to make this, it looks fantastic (and WW friendly). Thanks, Jenn!
I’d like to try this recipe this weekend and have a question. My husband (the grill-er) typically uses our grill’s rotisserie to grill kebobs (so the kebobs would be above the grate and not directly on it). Do you recommend cooking directly on the grate of the grill instead of above on a rotisserie? Do you think it would make a difference in finished product?
Hi Diana, I think the rotisserie will work great (and you won’t have to worry about sticking); just be sure the flame is high enough to get some color on the kabobs.
First, thank you for so many delicious recipes! I love your site and have yet to make one of your recipes that didn’t turn out great.
Now for my question: I made the marinade yesterday (Wednesday) morning as I was planning to have the dish for dinner tonight. Change of plans and now I have the marinade in a covered bowl in the fridge (not on the chicken). How long do you think it will keep like that? Do you think I could still use it on chicken Sunday night to marinate and cook on Monday or should it be used up before then?
Hi Heather, I wouldn’t worry about it – it should be fine to use on Sunday. Hope that helps!
This was wonderful! Made half the amount of kabobs and marinade but total rice! Yes quite time consuming, and after completing it, thought never again🤣. BUT we loved it and since my husband raved so much, I’ll definitely do it again! Only had 1 1/2 % yogurt, but seemed fine. The rice is a true treasure, and don’t leave the red onions out of the kabobs! Everything’s easier after the first run through!
Hi Jenn, love this recipe! Question-I like to cook with coarse kosher salt. Would I add more than the 1 3/4 tsp or the same? Thanks!
Hi Rosalee, I’d go ahead and add the same amount (and glad you like this)!
It’s a keeper!! My husband vacuumed saved the leftovers. He saves the good stuff for when he hunting at his man cave when I am not around to cook. Will make this several more times.
This was very well received when I made it for company; they even asked for the recipe. I followed it exactly but would increase the herbs for cooking for my family; it seemed a little mild to me, but clearly was good for a general population like my guests. We enjoyed it with your rice pilaf with fruit and almonds. thank you.
My entire family LOVES this recipe – and I have some picky eaters! It is a wonderful change from our standard dinner fare. The only change I made was 1/2 the red pepper flakes, as some family members don’t like a lot of heat. The chicken is very tender, and I put squash, zucchini, red onion, and red peppers on the skewers. The left overs are delicious, too!!
Hello, could we have a bit more guidance on how to serve to a crowd with the rice, please? Would you have the rice separately in a big bowl, and then the skewers out on a platter, for people to go through a line and enjoy both? Thank you for any tips on the best way to serve these to a crowd, especially when dining in a buffet fashion.
Yes, I think what you’ve suggested it the perfect way to go about it. Hope everyone enjoys!
Kay, you could also use disposable aluminum chafing dishes with Sterno to keep the food hot on a buffet line. When I serve a crowd, I boil a lot of water in a tea kettle, then carefully pour the water into the chafing dish and light a can of Sterno underneath the rack to keep the water hot for a couple hours. Then I use smaller square aluminum serving dishes for the food. Place them carefully in the larger tray of boiling water. As long as the water is high enough to touch the bottom of your serving pan, the food in the pans should stay hot. You can buy all of the necessary components for this at any party store.
Can I use fat free Greek yogurt instead of full fat?
You can, Rachel, but they won’t be as flavorful. If you are comfortable using 2%, I’d recommend that.