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Juicy, tender, and perfectly charred, these grilled chicken kabobs are bursting with flavor from lemon, garlic, and Middle Eastern spices.
One of my go-to chicken recipes for summer cookouts, these grilled chicken kabobs are wonderful over a bed of rice pilaf or on top of a salad. A yogurt-based marinade gives the chicken incredible flavor and helps keep it moist as it cooks on the grill.
The only time-consuming part of the recipe is threading the meat and onions onto skewers. If you’re short on time, you can grill the chicken pieces whole (the red onions can also be sliced into large wedges and placed directly 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!
“Served with the rice pilaf…better than going to a restaurant.”
What You’ll Need to Make Grilled Chicken Kabobs
- Plain Whole Milk Greek Yogurt: Forms the base of the marinade, tenderizes the chicken, and keeps it juicy, while it also helps the seasonings cling to each piece.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Helps distribute the seasonings and encourages browning on the grill.
- Spices: Paprika, ground cumin, ground cinnamon and crushed red pepper flakes give the kabobs their warm, Middle Eastern flavor. Reduce the red pepper flakes to ½ teaspoon for less heat.
- Lemon Zest and Juice: Add brightness and tang to the marinade. You’ll need one lemon for both.
- Garlic: Five cloves give the marinade plenty of garlic flavor.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs are perfect here because they stay juicy, are forgiving on the grill, and hold up better to the yogurt-and-lemon marinade than boneless breasts. Cut them into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
- Red Onion: Softens and chars around the edges as the chicken cooks. Cut it into chunks large enough to thread onto the skewers.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Grilled Chicken Kabobs
Make the marinade: In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and garlic until well combined.
Prep the chicken thighs: 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.
Assemble and marinate the kabobs: Thread the chicken and red onion onto skewers, alternating between the two and leaving a little room between the pieces so they cook evenly. Arrange the kabobs on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush the marinade generously over the chicken, turning to coat all sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Grill and serve: Grill the kabobs, turning occasionally, until the chicken is nicely browned and cooked through. If they stick when you try to turn them, give them another minute rather than forcing them off the grates; once the chicken has browned properly, it should release much more easily. Serve and enjoy!
Chicken Kabob Video Tutorial
Grilled Chicken Kabobs (Middle Eastern-Style)
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- â…› teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (reduce to ½ teaspoon for less heat)
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2½ to 3 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-in/4-cm pieces (see note)
- 1 large red onion, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) 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 cleanup. 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.
- 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; if necessary, use a metal BBQ spatula to scrape underneath the kabobs and release them.)
- Transfer the kabobs to a platter and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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.
See more recipes:
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Make-Ahead: The chicken kabobs can be assembled and marinated up to 24 hours in advance. Keep them covered in the refrigerator until ready to grill.
Freezing: You can freeze the uncooked chicken in the marinade for up to 3 months. Place the chicken and marinade in a freezer-safe bag, press out the excess air, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then thread the chicken and onions onto skewers and grill as directed. The yogurt marinade may look slightly separated after thawing, but that’s normal.
Storage: Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Warm the chicken in a 325°F oven, covered with foil, until heated through. Avoid overheating, which can dry out the chicken.
What to Serve with Chicken Kabobs
To round out your spread, serve these kabobs with creamy hummus, tzatziki, or a garlicky tahini sauce for dipping. For something fresh, add a Greek salad, tabbouleh, or a crisp fattoush salad. Grilled or roasted vegetables are another delicious addition to the meal.
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Hi Jenny – I have to cook for 30 people and I want to make your Middle Eastern Kabobs and Basmati Rice (looks amazing)….any tips for cooking these recipes in bulk? I’d appreciate all thoughts…thank you!
Hi Susan, The chicken should be no problem to just increase the quantities. The rice will be a little trickier; unless you have a huge pan that can go in the oven, I would probably cook it in a few different batches so that it cooks evenly.
This is officially one of the top 5 requested recipes I make at home. The only change I make is to double or even triple the garlic, and I use a garlic press to save time and infuse even more of that garlicky flavor into the meat. Marinating for 24 hours makes all the difference – 6 or 8 hours just doesn’t deliver the same flavor. I’ve done this with breast meat which is easier to cut and put on kabobs, but thighs really do deliver the most flavor. We always thread zucchini and onions with the chicken, and serve it with the basmati with currants and almonds recipe pictured. Excellent recipe.
This is the second recipe of yours I tried and it’s another winner. The first was the pumpkin pecan crunch muffin which led me to this recipe. I used chicken breast, that’s all I had on hand, didn’t have any lemon zest and let the chicken sit in the yogurt mix for about 48 hours and wow…..moist and flavorful, added it to my recipe list, going to try the Peruvian recipe next and signed up for your email list. Thank you again
Very, very good! I’m going to reduce the salt a little bit next time, but other than that, wouldn’t change a thing. Enjoyed it with the basmati rice recipe. A++++
This recipe makes the chicken taste restaurant style but with an even better char. This recipe was very inexpensive to make since I had everything on hand except for the yogurt which is great when feeding a big family.
I would recommend this recipe to anyone who is looking for a Greek chicken recipe for a gyro or played with rice.
I have made this recipe twice now and it is absolutely fabulous. I make Greek tzatziki to go with it and I have used the chicken to make pitas. I also made the rice pilaf shown and it is great.
Yum, yum, yum! My family LOVED the chicken kebabs and the rice! Both turned out to be delicious! I struggled a little with the kebab grilling process and it took longer than 10 min to grill them. How do you make sure that the chicken pieces are grilled evenly and the middle part around the skewer is not raw? Thank you so much for great recipes! They are keepers in my book!
Hi Elena, Glad you enjoyed! The cook time will always vary a little on the grill, as all grills are different. It’s best to keep the lid on though, so the grill stays nice and hot.
hello I am thinking of having a go at your chicken kebab recipe do you think it would be ok to put them on bbq all the talk on your reviews is about grilling or broiling do you think the marinade might spoil on bbq food can tend to burn a bit on bbqs I am looking for ideas for a bbq for a party for someone that wont end up being the same old burgers and sausages thanks
Hi Johnny, The chicken is meant to cooked over a flame on a grill, so you should be fine 🙂
Another wonderful recipe….the kebabs and the rice were fabulous. Just love your recipes Jenn! Keep em coming!
Thanks
Sara D
If I don’t have a grill, for the bet result, would you suggest using a large grill pan on the stovetop or broiling? Thanks!
Hi Rachel, I think broiling is best. Enjoy!