Valentina's Corner
A grilled chicken kebab recipe is a must-have for the summer grilling season! This recipe features juicy chicken in a sweet and savory marinade with crisp tender grilled vegetables for a crowd-pleasing meal!
Chicken Kebab Recipe
Kebabs are one of the best grilling options- they prep and cook quickly and easily, are versatile, and are irresistibly delicious. This chicken recipe is bursting with sweet flavor from the honey complimented by savory notes from the garlic and a hint of spice from the sriracha. The vegetables lighten the meal, which is guaranteed to be a favorite at your summer cookouts!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delicious yet simple marinade. The ingredients for the marinade are simple yet packed with tons of flavor.
- Great to feed a party. Feeding a crowd? Make double the recipe to ensure you have enough for everyone! These go fast!
- Healthy. The chicken shish kebab recipe is healthy as it’s packed with protein and vegetables! They’re also fun to eat, making it the perfect healthy dinner.
- Meal-prep is friendly. The chicken can be meal prepped for the week or can be marinated and frozen to have on hand for a last-minute dinner idea.
Chicken Kebab Ingredients
The chicken kababs are made with fresh summer veggies and the most crave-worthy marinade.
- Chicken- you can use either boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs. Chicken thighs are less likely to dry out when cooking.
- Vegetables- use a combination of different colored bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms to give the kebabs the best flavor.
- Marinade- the chicken kebab marinade is a mixture of dry seasonings (paprika, salt, and pepper) and wet ingredients (mayonnaise, oil, honey, hot sauce, and garlic).
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Chicken Kebabs
This chicken shish kebab recipe is ready after ten minutes of prep time, a few hours of hands-off marinating time, and fifteen minutes of grilling time!
- Chop ingredients: Start by preparing the ingredients for the skewers. Cut the chicken into 1” – 1½” pieces. Then, cube the peppers and onions into pieces similar in size to the chicken.
- Mix dry seasonings: In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, oil, hot sauce, minced garlic cloves, and honey.
- Marinade chicken: In a large bowl, combine chopped bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, and cubed chicken. Pour over the wet marinade ingredients and mix to coat everything evenly. Then, sprinkle over the dry seasonings and toss again. Cover with foil, and marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes to 4 hours, or overnight.
- Thread onto skewers: Once the chicken has marinaded, thread the chicken and vegetables onto skewers, alternating to have veggie pieces in between chicken pieces. Expert tip: If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning over the grill.
- Grill: Grill the skewers over medium heat for 12-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked on all sides.
- Serve and enjoy, friends!
Substitutions and Variations
The chicken kebabs are basically perfection on a stick! If you’d like to switch out some ingredients, here are our suggestions:
- Different vegetables: The vegetables you use for the kabobs depend on your personal preference. Some of our favorites are bell peppers, zucchini, whole tomatoes, and red onion.
- Different seasonings: Flavor the chicken with a combination of your favorite spices for a slightly different flavor profile. For example, a combination of paprika, cumin, and a pinch of cinnamon will yield a more Mediterranean-style chicken kebab recipe.
Serving Suggestions
The grilled skewers already contain protein and veggies, so picking a side to complete the meal is simple!
- Rice: Make a complete meal by serving baked rice with skewers.
- Potatoes: Mashed potatoes are a great way to make the shish kabobs into a complete meal.
- Tzatziki and naan: For a greek style shish kabob dinner, serve with a side of tzatziki sauce and naan or our homemade pita bread.
- Corn on the cob: While you have the grill fired up, add some grilled corn on the cob to your dinner menu!
REcipe FAQs
If you want to cook the meat inside, you can cook it in the oven, preheated to 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the meat. Or, cook it in a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
You can use wooden or metal skewers. To prevent burning, be sure to soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
The meat can be marinated for up to 24 hours in advance, making this a great meal prep idea. Prepare the marinade and allow the chicken to marinade in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Then, proceed with the recipe per instructions.
Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165℉. All grills are different, so keep an eye on yours as the chicken cooks, and turn down the heat as needed to prevent the chicken from burning as it cooks.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Refrigerate leftover skewers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For easier storage, disassemble skewers prior to refrigerating.
- Freeze. To freeze uncooked chicken kebabs, prepare the marinade and cube the chicken. Add the chicken and marinade into a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze the chicken with the marinade for up to 3 months. Prior to cooking, thaw the chicken, and thread it onto skewers with freshly chopped vegetables. Cook per instructions. Or, freeze the kabobs after cooking, removing them from the skewers for easier storage.
- Reheat. Place leftovers in the microwave or into a preheated oven or in a skillet over low heat to reheat.
More Grilling Recipes
Summer nights call for grilling and enjoying the nice weather. Here are more recipes that you can make over your grill:
Grilled Chicken Kebab Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, boneless & skinless
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 orange bell pepper
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 6 oz white mushrooms
marinade-
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbsp oil, canola or olive
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1½ tsp ground paprika
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp hot sauce, Frank's or Sriracha
Instructions
- Stark by cutting the chicken into about 1" – 1 1/2" pieces. Cube the peppers and onions uniform pieces about the size of the chicken.
- In a bowl, combine all the dry seasonings. Mix together the paprika, salt and pepper.
- In a different bowl, mix the ingredients for the marinate: combine mayo, oil, hot sauce, minced garlic and honey.
- Combine the cut vegetables, the whole mushrooms and chicken. Season and toss in the wet marinade, sprinkle the dry seasonings and toss to combine. Marinate for 30 minutes to 4 hours (or overnight).
- Thread the chicken and vegetables onto grilling skewers.
- Grill 12-15 minutes over medium heat, turning the skewers as needed so all sides are cooked (cooking time will vary depending on your grill and size of ingredients).
- Serve and enjoy, friends.
Notes
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