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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I absolutely love this recipe. I wanted to try with lamb loin chops. Do you think that would be good chef?
Hi Lauren, I do think the marinade would work well with lamb. Please come back and let me know how it turns out.
Jenn,
The lamb chops were amazing! Thank you. 🙂
So glad, Lauren. Now I’ll have to try it 🙂
A very good recipe, i’ll definitely be using it again. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Oh my goodness, this is an amazing recipe! I marinated the kabobs for only 4 hours, and they were spectacular. The only comment that I have is that the recipe made less than I expected. I used about 4.25 lbs of chicken, and I ended up with 9 kabobs. Otherwise, this one is a keeper!
Hi there! the recipe sounds good! Im excited to try it! anyway, will I get the same result by using beef instead of chicken? thanks! 🙂
Hi Amanda, Beef should work just fine. Please let me know how it comes out.
Yum!!. My kids who are picky eaters loved the kebobs also. I followed the recipe as is except I didn’t add the cinnamon and substituted garlic powder for fresh garlic. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
Tried this recipe tonight and I have to say it tasted just like the kebabs I ate in Dubai. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Oh my this was AMAZING!!!
I was looking for a recipe similar to Dream Dinners’ Terracotta Chicken and this sounded pretty close. I tried it with whole boneless skinless chicken breasts on the stove and it turned out amazingly, though the yogurt burned and smoked pretty badly. Next time I’ll do it on the grill as suggested, and will pound out the breasts beforehand so they don’t have to cook so long. The chicken was juicy and so flavorful and was the star of my Mediterranean inspired meal. Served it for guests and everyone loved it!
Made this recipe today and followed the ingredients and amounts to the T and it tasted great!! I marinated overnight and would say that is best . I had it with basmati rice with just a little butter and it couldn’t been better. I will def be making this again and i look forward to trying your other recipes. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I also wanted to add i grilled on a gas grill,but will try broiling it next time just to see if its just as good as i imagine it would be . That way i can make it in the winter not only in the summer months 🙂
Two questions:
1. What is Max amount of time you’d want to marinade this? Put it in fridge today at 330pm and won’t cook until 630/7pm tomorrow night.
2. Can I broil instead of grill? Don’t have access to one right now.
Thanks so much, looking forward to this meal & love your website!
Hi Elizabeth, It’s fine to marinate for that long and, yes, broiling will work. Hope you enjoy and please come back and let me know how they turn out!