This tutorial is all you need to make the BEST grilled chicken kabobs! Thanks to a tasty Mediterranean chicken kabob marinade with the right combination of spices; garlic; citrus; and olive oil, these skewers are perfectly tender and packed with flavor!
Grill them outdoors or indoors. You can even broil these kabobs in the oven! Watch the video and grab all my tips and suggestions for what to serve along below.
Food on a stick is such a glorious thing, and we do so much of it all summer long around here... Greek souvlaki, Kofta Kebabs, Steak Kabobs, or even antipasto skewers with olives and artichokes!
With a few unique spices, loads of garlic, chunks of onions, and colorful bell peppers, these chicken kabobs are a variation of my popular chicken tawook recipe (another must-try)!
Grilled Chicken Kabobs
This is an easy kabob recipe that's the quintessential summer entree, and I can think of several sides and salads to serve along (check out the ideas below!)
The gist: Well-marinated chicken pieces and colorful veggies, thread into skewers and grilled to perfection. You can grill them on an outdoor grill, indoor griddle, and you can even broil them in your oven.
How long to grill chicken kabobs? They'll take about 10 to 15 minutes in total, and the are absolutely divine! And for me, a generous drizzle of tahini sauce on top is a must!
Chicken kabob marinade
The secret to the best chicken kabobs is in the marinade.
My marinade combines some bold Mediterranean spices--paprika, thyme, nutmeg, and a hint of green cardamom--with onions, a generous dose of fresh garlic, citrus and Greek extra virgin olive oil. How Mediterranean can you get, right?!
How long to marinate chicken?
If you have the time, I highly recommend you let the chicken marinate for 2 to 4 hours in the fridge (up to 8 hours refrigerated.) But if you don't, at the very least for 30 minutes.
Time will allow the chicken to soak up as much flavor as possible, it also helps tenderize the chicken, particularly if you are using chicken breast like I am.
How do you grill kabobs?
I prefer to cook the chicken and vegetables skewers on an outdoor grill. You can also grill them on an indoor griddle or grill pan (affiliate links). Here's how:
- Soak the skewers (if using wooden skewers) and thread the marinated chicken and vegetables (peppers and onions) through, alternating.
- Heat the grill or griddle to medium-high heat (make sure to lightly oil the surface)
- Grill the kabobs anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes, turning the skewers about until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Chicken is ready when internal temperature registers 165 degrees.
Don't have a grill? Broil in the oven!
And if no grill or griddle is available, you can even broil chicken kabobs in the oven!
When you're ready, preheat the oven broiler. Lightly oil a sheet pan and arrange the skewers in a single layer on the pan. Broil for 5 minutes, then flip the skewers and broil on the other side for 5 more minutes.
Why are my kebabs dry?
There are a few tips that ensure tender, juicy chicken kabobs even if you use chicken breast.
- Cut the chicken to the proper size. Typically for chicken breasts, 1 ½-inch pieces work best. Try to cut them all to the same size for even-cooking. If you go for larger cubes, they will take longer to cook and may give you burnt exteriors and a raw center.
- Don't thread the meat and veggies too tightly! Allow a little bit of room between the chicken and vegetables so that the heat can move about freely to cook everything more evenly.
- Allow sometime for the chicken to marinate. Especially if you're using chicken breast, giving it a bit of time in the tasty kabob marinade infuses it with flavor while working to tenderize it. Ideally 2 to 4 hours, but even if you have just 30 minutes, that should help.
What to serve with these chicken kabobs?
Chicken kabobs are so fun to serve even with just a little tahini and some warm pita bread. But they can totally be the star of a big Mediterranean bbq, and I have a bunch of options for you to serve along:
- Salads: Tabouli; Fresh Bean Salad; Homemade Salsa; Mediterranean Watermelon Salad; Mediterranean Mustard Potato Salad; Chickpea Salad
- Sides: Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables; Asparagus with Mediterranean Salsa; Orzo with Zucchini and Chickpeas
- Dips and Such: Mezze platter; Creamy Hummus; Baba Ganoush; Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
You may also like 50+Mediterranean Diet Recipes. For all recipes, visit us here. Join my FREE mailing list here for weekly meal plans and more!
Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
For the Chicken Kabobs
- 2 teaspoon Spanish paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground green cardamom
- Salt and pepper
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Cut into large cubes (1 ½-inch or so in thickness)
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO
- 15 garlic cloves minced
- 3 lemons or limes juice of
- 1 green bell pepper cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 red bell cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 red onion cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
For the Tahini
Instructions
- Make tahini sauce according to this recipe Store in fridge until ready to use.
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, thyme, nutmeg,cardamom, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Generously coat the chicken with the spices.
- Place the chicken cubes in a deep dish with the sliced yellow onions. Combine the minced garlic and lemon juice and add them to the chicken dish. Add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Toss the chicken to make sure it's well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours (if you don't have the time to marinate, allow the chicken about 30 minutes or so at room temperature before grilling).
- A few minutes before grilling, thread the chicken cubes, green peppers, red peppers and red onion onto wood skewers (skewers must be soaked in water for at least 1 hour before using).
- Lightly oil and heat a gas grill or griddle to medium-high heat. When ready, grill the chicken kabobs, turning occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and juices run dry (internal temperature should register 165 degrees F.)
- Serve chicken kabobs with warm pita and tahini sauce with other bright sides and salads (see suggestions)
Video
Notes
- Cook's Tip: If you are using bamboo or wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in plenty of water for 1 hour.
- Cook's Tips: Allow some time for marinating, 2 to 4 hours or up to 8 hours in the fridge will help the chicken soak up all the wonderful flavors as it tenderizes. But even just 1 hour of marinating will help.
- Broiler Instructions: Preheat your oven broiler. Coat a sheet pan with a little oil. Arrange the skewers in a single layer on the sheet pan. Broil for 5 minutes, then flip the skewers and broil on the other side for 5 more minutes.
- What to Serve Along? I've shared lots of ideas for dishes that work with chicken kabobs in the post, but here are a few: tabouli, chickpea salad, watermelon salad to grilled vegetables and Greek potatoes
- Leftovers? You can refrigerate leftover chicken kabobs in tight-lid containers for 3 days.
- Recommended for this Recipe: our Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives!). Our all-natural nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, and paprika.
- SAVE! Create your own 6-pack of our all-natural and organic spices; or try the Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle.
- Visit The Mediterranean Dish Shop for quality Mediterranean products!
Nutrition
*This post originally appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015. It has been recently updated with new media and information for reader's benefit.
Mary Jane Harvey says
I live in Mexico and can't find cardamom - can I substitute something for it?
Suzy says
Hi, Mary Jane. There is such a small amount, you could omit it, if you'd like. I've also seen it mentioned that a mixture of equal parts nutmeg and cinnamon would also be a good substitute for cardamom, although, that's not something I've tested with this recipe.
Mary Jane Harvey says
Thanks so much! I'll give it a go!
Dina says
We made Suzy's chicken kabobs and lamb kabobs for Thanksgiving lunch. We followed the recipes exactly, and they were outstanding! We marinated the meat for 3 hours and it was very tender and juicy. As she says in her videos, make sure to leave a bit of room around the chunks of meat on the stick, so they cook evenly. The only mistake we made was not doubling the chicken kabob recipe, guests wanted more! I highly recommend serving the chicken kabobs with Suzy's tahini sauce. We did double that recipe in hope of having leftovers, but ... there were no leftovers of anything. Guests brought pita bread, hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, tabouli, greek lemon potatoes, salad, and baklava to complete the meal.
Suzy says
Thank you for the feedback and kind review, Dina. Very much appreciated!
Berties.kitchen says
Hi Suzy. Can I use regular (brown) ground cardamom?
Suzy says
Sure! The flavor profile might be a bit different, but still good!
sally nardo says
Hi, I'm making this tonight. I don't have Spanish paprika. Will regular paprika work?
Suzy says
Sure! That would be fine.
Cleo Arezio says
Happy anniversary.May the Lord protect and bless you.
Your recipe was very good.I used beef instead ofchicken.
Thank you for sharing.
Cleo.
Suzy says
Thank you so much, Cleo!
Faith says
can I substitute pork?
Suzy says
Sure!
Claudia Kneebone says
I will be trying this tonight!
Suzy says
Awesome! Hope you enjoy them, Claudia!
Stephanie says
Yum! I cut the recipe in half for just two of us. I also mixed the spices, lemon/lime, garlic, and oil before massaging that all over the cut chicken. It was delicious and easy on the grill. I will definitely use this recipe again.
James says
These look good - one question, the recipe calls for a half cup of olive oil, which seems like a lot - do you really need to add that much to the marinating chicken? It looks like less when you add it in the video.
Thanks
Suzy says
Hi, James. I do, but you can certainly adjust it if you'd like.
Claudio says
Simply awesome!
Suzy says
Thank you so much!
AJ says
I'm about to try this recipe (sounds divine). Just confused on one point: We're marinating the chicken
with the white onions but then, in the rest of the recipe, the white onions never show up again. Do you toss
them? Or skewer them, along with the other veggies?
Suzy says
I typically discard the onions from the marinade.