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!
“Served with the rice pilaf, it is better than going to a restaurant.”
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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Going to try this for my BBQ later!
I’m sure they’ll taste great! However for my convenience I’m going to marinade the chicken separately and thread them on the skewers with veggies before grilling.
Thats what I do and its perfect. The veggies stay fresh as well.
I did that – great suggestion’
Another 5+ star recipe. Served with the rice pilaf it is better than going to a restaurant. We are going to use the leftovers for a gyro with tzatziki.
These are AMAZING. I let them sit in the marinade overnight. So delicious, especially with the golden rice pilaf! Perfect dinner! Thank you!
Both the Chicken and the Rice are some of our favorite recipes! Great to serve company. Everyone is always impressed.
Made it and my family loved it! I paired with yellow rice pilaf and salad sides.
This is a go to recipe in our house…I’ll sub sour cream if no Greek yogurt on hand. Great flavor!
Hello. If I wanted to make these skewers as an appetizer, is there a sauce that you recommend that I can serve these with?
Hi Tanyia, they’d be deliciuos with tzatziki. Labneh or hummus would work also. Hope everyone enjoys!
Obsessed with this recipe. I used chicken breast cut into 2” pieces, marinated for 3 hours, and cooked it on a griddle on the stove. Thighs would have probably been better but I only had breasts and it was still absolutely delicious. Just don’t over cook! I upped the cinnamon, lemon, and garlic and used mostly smoked paprika since I wasn’t grilling. My mom is Hungarian and this reminds me of the chicken paprikash she would always make when I was a kid. Such a great recipe, 10/5!
Instead of using an outdoor grill, could I use the stove, oven, or air fryer?
Hi Supriya, I’d use the oven and broil them for about the same time as indicated in the recipe – and you’ll need to turn them occasionally just as you would on a grill so that they brown evenly. Hope you enjoy!
How long and what temp to cook in oven and how long to broil?
Hi Sehr, broil them for about the same time as indicated in the recipe, and turn them occasionally, just as you would on a grill, to ensure they brown evenly. Hope you enjoy!
This was amazing, and my wife and her brother loved it, too. Instead of kebabs, I took the easy way and used whole boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I did not change the marinade at all, and I am glad, because it was perfect. I marinated it for 12 hours, greased the grill well, then plopped it on the BBQ at 400 degrees. It took around 8 minutes per side. The metal BBQ spatula was great to get underneath it well to flip and to avoid having a lot of it stick to the grill. Thanks for the tip! I used a thermometer to make sure it was cooked enough and checked that it was over 165 degrees. They were perfect, and I will definitely make them again. Thanks so much!