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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This was absolutely delicious! Loved the rice too!
Love this recipe along with the other Middle Eastern recipes in the website. They’re my go to recipes, and remind me of home
I have always been planning to make kabobs. I like it’s texture as it is super soft inside and crunchy outside. I don’t have a grill though. I would like to know how I can use the oven to make this.
Hi, If you don’t have a grill, you can broil them in your oven. Set the broiler to high. The timing should be the same; just be sure to turn the skewers so they brown evenly. Hope you enjoy!
I made these kebabs and love how the red onion flavor goes so well chicken. I am always looking for ways to spice up chicken. It was tasty and my family enjoyed t. I might fix these again come July 4th.
I just made these chicken kebabs for the third time and they are so delicious. I just grill them on my cast iron grill on the stove to get the charred bits and the chicken stays moist and is so flavorful. I love Once Upon a Chef recipes – they’re all simple, use ingredients I mostly have and are so good!
I have made this several times along with the recommended sides and it is always a hit! This is the recipe that I first found and have subsequently made several other recipes on the site (and bought the cookbook)!
This is a winner! One of our family’s favorites! (I say that about a lot of Once Upon a Chef’s recipes! Haha!) For real, though. It’s worth the planning ahead to get those chicken skewers marinating in the morning. We serve with the recommended Basmati Rice Pilaf recipe, and steamed broccoli, and naan. That Basmati Rice Pilaf recipe is a winner too!
This is a staple in our household and great on the grill, nice and crispy.
I have made this recipe numerous times. It is absolutely delicious. A few times I didn’t have the yogurt and used sour cream instead. It turned out great with both the yogurt and the sour cream. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for suggesting the use of kitchen shears. Threading took the longest for me. My family liked the recipe. Tasted like in our local restaurants.
These were delicious! Moist, tender and tasty! I served the kebabs with the suggested Basmati Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruit and Almonds. The entire meal was such a big hit that my husband asked me to add it to our meal rotation.
Second time I’ve made this recipe, this time not on the skewers it took a bit longer to broil than the recommended 15 minute in my over however you have to keep a close eye after 15min to not dry out the meat. I can’t wait for summer to bbq! Taste great with the tumeric basmati rice recipe! Thanks Jen!
OMGosh, my family LOVES these kebabs! I make them exactly as the recipe is written with no substitutions (and chicken thighs) and they are delicious! I love to try new recipes and this is one that now is on frequent repeat. It is easy to assemble and the flavors are a wonderful combination. We live in No CA so we can grill outside most of the year. I serve them with rice and a green salad.
This was the very first recipe I tried from your website, and it’s one of my family’s favorite meals! I’ve made this chicken many times now, and marinating it overnight provides the best flavor. To make prep even simpler, I usually don’t skewer the chicken. I just coat the boneless, skinless thighs with the yogurt mixture (smear it all over each thigh with a spoon) and let them marinate in a glass bowl overnight. They are delicious when grilled (or cooked over a campfire!) Thanks for so many terrific recipes, Jenn!
This was a great recipe. Simple to do with tons of flavor. great under the broiler as well as the grill so good for a winter meal.
So so good! The flavors come together beautifully. I followed the recipe as written. I used this recipe as a family meal and for company and everyone always raves about it.
I make this for guests every time when summer rolls around so I can fire up the grill. Everyone says these chicken kebabs are better than (insert X restaurant name) which always makes me glow like the glowing embers beneath the kebabs! Haha. I haven’t modified this recipe at all since it is such a bit. It’s good over tahdig rice or stuffed in some flat bread. Love it.
This recipe is so easy and delicious!
I added a yellow bell pepper to my skewers as well, great way to get some more veggies in and the flavours worked really well together.
These kabobs are amazing. Just the perfect flavors melded together. I make this often. When I make them I feel like we had a healthy meal.
YUM. This was so easy and so good! The prep time was short and the grill time was even shorter. Loved it!
This is my go-to recipe for kebabs! A winner!
Very easy, moist and flavorful chicken to make. Whole family loved. Paired with some naan and homemade raita (Indian sliced yogurt) to round out the meal. Definitely a great summer rooftop grill dinner!
I 100% recommend these Kebabs!! My husband is from Afghanistan so Ive always been nervous to make Kebabs at home not wanting to be compared to his family’s amazing cooking. But I decided it was time to be brave and made these last night. He did a little happy dance when he took the first bite off the grill. It only got better when plated it up with the Basmati rice pilaf. So flavorful and delicious thank you for this awesome recipe!!
This looks amazing! I am going to try it this week. Do you think it would also work with shrimp?
btw- love all of your recipes. Just this week, I have made your challah, golden Rice Krispies, Southwestern burgers, and Thai curry. Love your book too!
So glad you like the recipes — sounds like you’ve been busy in the kitchen! I haven’t tried this with shrimp, but I think it would work. You should definitely cut the marinating time down to 30 to 60 minutes. And, be careful not to overcook the shrimp – you’ll need about 1 1/2 minutes per side. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Thanks so much for your reply! The chicken was amazing, and I also tried it with shrimp using your advice and it was also delicious. Thank you!
So glad — thanks for the follow-up!
Can this be baked in the oven? I’ve made on the grill but would like to bake in oven during the winter.
Hi Donna, If you want to use the oven, I’d broil them. Set the broiler to high. The timing should be the same; just be sure to turn the skewers so they brown evenly. Hope you enjoy!
❤️❤️❤️this recipe! 🚫 boring chicken! So flavorful, moist and yet, easy! The fruited rice is exceptional too.
First, I want to thank you for your awesome site. I recommend it all the time. I love your buttermilk chicken tenders, Peruvian roasted chicken and, I just fell in love with your key lime pie recipe!
I was excited to try this chicken recipe but I must say I was disappointed. I personally didn’t care for the overall flavor… I prepared it on a cast iron stovetop grill without the onion (maybe that would have made a big difference). I’ve tried at least 5 recipes from this site. Most of my ratings have been 5 star ratings. With those odds, I’m searching your site looking for my next favorite only minutes after I’ve devoured your key lime pie. Thanks, Jen!
I made this recipe for dinner two nights ago and my husband loved it. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs and it turned out perfect. Very yummy! I served it with grilled eggplant, humous, a bulgur and wild rice salad and, of course, pita. DELICIOUS!
This recipe has become a family favorite. My kids love it! Thank you.
Fabulous recipe! Easy to prepare before guests arrive and just grill. I cut up the chicken thighs, mixed them in a bowl overnight. In the morning I threaded the skewers — chicken only, red onion only and tri-colored pepper only, each on it’s own skewer (because each is cooked at a different rate). Served with the basmati pilaf, greek salad, pita bread and a platter of Trader Joes’s hummus, red pepper spread, pitted kalamata olives and tzatziki sauce.
Try Jen’s hummus recipe. Love it and make it almost every week. I add extra cumin and coriander.
Loved this chicken recipe!! Made it twice as kebabs on the grill, and then as chicken tenders fried, and both came out delicious! Thank you!
I was so afraid to try this at first. My teenager daughter is terribly picky (in the sense that chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese are her main choices). The whole family absolutely loved this! I made with chicken breast… followed the reviewer who suggested 5 minutes one side, flip and another 3 then tent with foil. It was falling apart it was so tender. I followed the recipe exactly, not being sure what the outcome would be. The flavors were incredible, very different, but we couldn’t stop eating them. My only regret is I didn’t make more. Thank you for posting this amazing recipe! I served with lemon lentil soup, fried tortillas with hummus, and caprese on skewers.
AMAZING RECIPE
This is the BEST middle eastern chicken recipe ever! I prepared everything the same way, but used chicken tenders and my husband cooked them whole. People could not stop raving about how delicious and tender the meat was!! Try this recipe. You will not be disappointed.
This was delicious. I doubled the amount of cumin and marinated the chicken overnight. I broiled them for about 7 minutes on each side. So yummy!
This is one my my favorite chicken recipes on this site. I served it with the recommended rice and Jenn’s brussel sprouts. My entire family loves it. I take about 15 minutes the night before to prep it and marinate it and skewer and grill it when I get home from work. Leftovers at lunch make all my coworkers jealous! At this point, if you haven’t ordered Jenn’s cookbook you’re seriously missing out. Get on it!
Thank you Jenn! They were delicious! And appreciate the hint about using thighs instead of boneless breasts. Made all the difference…. Also i just grilled them on a grill pan. 👌👌
Can I cook the skewers in the oven? If yes, what temp and for how long?
If you want to use the oven, I’d broil them. Set the broiler to high. The timing should be the same; just be sure to turn the skewers so they brown evenly. Hope you enjoy!
Did you try broiling? How did they turn out?
I want to just marinade the chicken and bake it on a baking sheet in the oven. Will it lose the essence of this recipe you think?
I haven’t broiled these myself, but I think they will turn out nicely using a broiler. I wouldn’t really recommend baking them as you won’t get that nice char on the outside that makes the kebabs so good.
I broiled mine in the oven and they turned out just fine!
I oven broiled them, turned out great with some delicious char.
I followed the recipe and the kebabs were delicious!
I have made this dish several times and have found it fabulous in every way. I was wondering if this marinade can be used with other meats such as lamb or beef?
Sure, Rich, that should work!
Can I add the chicken thigh/breast fillet with the marinade, and just freeze everything for future cooking? If so, how long can i keep them frozen and still be good?
Sure, that will work. And you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
This is very easy, very tasty and has become a go-to for me. It’s a keeper.
I have extra chicken in the marinade that I haven’t cooked yet. Can I freeze in the marinade or should I cook it first then freeze?
You can go either way — you’ll just need to boil it for at least 3 minutes (to rid it of any bacteria) if you plan to use it as a sauce.
Wonderful recipe. Enjoyed by all. Marinated the chicken overnight and result was tender and flavorful meat. Can’t wait to make it again!
Can I make this with low fat plain Greek yogurt or is that not advised? Trying to make it more diet friendly 🙂 it’s delish as is.
Sure — they just won’t be quite as rich. Hope you enjoy!
Dear Jenn, have just discovered your bolg🤗 one question, in this recipe – is it smoked paprika or regular? Thank you!
Happy you’ve found the blog! You’ll need regular paprika here. (I’ll always specify if you need the smoke variety). Hope that helps!
Can these be frozen
Sure, you can get away with freezing them. Enjoy!
So good! This recipe was actually brought to a potluck by a friend of mine a few years ago and it’s how I discovered this blog. I made it last night and I’m so glad I did! The chicken is tender and flavorful and even tastes good cold. I like serving it with hummus. I think it would be a great picnic food since it’s still yummy if it isn’t hot. Thanks!
I made these twice for BBQs in the summer strictly according to recipe and they were delicious. Today l made them using Skyr natural yogurt not Greek and cut up chicken breast instead of thighs as it was what l already had. I also baked them in my fan oven for 35mins at 200c as it’s autumn now and l was only cooking for myself. They were still delicious and l honestly could not tell that much difference. Lovely.
Hi there! I came across this recipe after trying another one a few weeks back (that I really enjoyed-the white chicken chili) and have been looking forward to it since. I make a similar kebab with beef or lamb using the yogurt but with different spices. I have this all set marinating in my fridge, and was a bit worried because I’ve experienced issues with chicken marinating in citrus for more than a few hours before and it becoming really tough/having an unappealing texture. I guess I just wanted to double check that the overnight marinade was really ok in this case. Appreciate any feedback you have-I did do it with thighs, as suggested, so looking forward to that change from normal 🙂
Hi Naseem, because thighs are used in this recipe, it’s fine to have citrus in the marinade and marinate overnight. Hope you enjoy!
Really nice recipe I found I had to leave mine in longer as it didn’t look properly cooked but it was bursting with flavour thank you!
The chicken kababs were delicious and tender.
My wife makes fun of me because when its my turn to cook, the first thing I do is google “the best… hamburger, the best.. taco recipe, etc”. It almost never fails to turn out awesome! Thanks internet. My wife likes complex food, fresh food, healthy food, etc. I like to work in the garage and cook things with less steps. For example, frozen pizza – heat oven, open box, put pizza in oven, wait, take out, cut, serve.. 4-5 steps!! You’ve probably figured out by now, this methodology is not acceptable for my wife.. 🙁 As a solution, now when I have to cook, I try to find recipes that most ingredients go in one bowl or all go in the pan you will cook them in. There are some awesome honey glazed chicken thighs in here somewhere, all prepared and cooked in a deep casket iron skillet. Anyway… this time I searched “the best chicken kabobs” and came up with this recipe. I’ve done this before by the way. If you were wondering if you always get the same recipe, ya don’t. So this time I searched for kabobs I got this one. Hands down, easily one of the best kabob recipes ever! The chicken thighs were tender. However next time I think I’ll do the recipe on a cast iron skillet for some more crispiness! I also did all of the sides, awesome! The Israeli salad rocks!
lol Frank, I’m with you – in fact I think you are me 🙂
Exactly what you do, I do.
Great write up, it put a smile on my face.
An Aussie.