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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Wow…I mean, seriously…wow! I made these under the broiler. Also made the Basmati Rice Pilaf. My SO and I literally had to make ourselves leave the table. SO good!
We don’t have a grill. How would I cook these in my oven/broiler?
Hi Janet, You can use your broiler. Set your oven rack about 4 inches from the heat source and broil, turning a few times so the kebabs brown evenly.
How long would you broil the kebobs?
(It looks like my oven’s broiling temp is 500 degrees. . . I plan on using chicken breast meat.)
Hi Maureen, I’d say about 5 minutes per side for white meat.
This is one of my favorite recipes! I omitted cinnamon and added garlic powder. The marinade had a lot of flavor. We made pita sandwiches with tzatziki sauce with the leftovers.
Easy, flavorful and impressive. Be sure to try the suggested sides too.
I came across your website when I googled yogurt marinade for chicken 2 weeks ago. I have made several of your dishes and am so satisfied with the results, and have been raving about your site. So my first recipe that I made was Middle Eastern chicken kebab. I’ve made it 3x in 2 weeks. I marinated it for different amts of times and the overnight marinade resulted in beyond raving comments from my 4th of July guests. Prior to that time, I was rushing and only had 4 hrs to marinade, and it turned out bland. So definitely allow the marinade to flavor the chicken overnight. Also, I was torn between, thighmeat vs boneless breast, and The breast was the juiciest that I’ve ever had! I think the yogurt is the secret in the moisture. I gave all credit to you and spread your website to my guests. Everything that I make from your site is amazing and I see it with all the compliments that I get from my guests. I’m on everyday looking for new recipe to make. I thank you so much.
This dish is so good. It is true about making extra, it goes.
Another amazing recipe! Every recipe we’ve made has been delicious, we actually did a combo of kebabs and chicken wings with this marinade and it was all delicious!
Followed direction as stated. Turned out excellent. I marinated the skewers for 24 hours. Just make sure you leave a little space between the chicken pieces. I put a couple pieces of the red onion between each piece of chicken. Served over Basmati rice with diced unsalted almonds and cherry craisins. Thumbs up! Winner!
Hi Jenn,
Excellent recipe, tried with chicken breasts. I understand that breasts can be very dry if cooked for long and chewy, but mine turned out to be very juicy and tender and very delicious. Next time I will try with the thighs and see what the difference if there is.
Nevertheless its a very good and simple to follow recipe, cant fault it.
I am very strict at ratings but this definately will score a 5 star.
Thanks
What if I want it for 10 lbs of meat, how would I change the recipe?
Hi Zirley, No need to change the recipe; just multiply as needed. Hope you enjoy it!