Chicken Kabobs
The best Chicken Kabobs with a flavorful homemade marinade and colorful vegetables grilled to delicious perfection. This kabob recipe is a family favorite for summer get togethers and barbecues.
We love grilling chicken kabobs for dinner because they are full of flavor, easy to make and fun to eat. Grilled kabobs have an advantage over other grilled chicken recipes: the bite-size pieces of chicken soak up extra flavor from the marinade so that every bite is intensely flavorful and satisfying. When you pop the skewered meat and veggies on the grill, all that surface area is ready for delicious caramelization on the hot grill grates. Try our favorite Steak Kabobs next!
These chicken kabobs start with my very favorite Chicken Marinade. I opted to toss the vegetables with a simple mix of olive oil, salt and pepper to let the flavor of the grilled veggies shine. If you don’t have a grill or it’s not grilling season, you can bake the kabobs in the oven.
Sit back and relax with an ice-cold glass of Lemonade while these tasty skewers cook to zippy perfection. All that you need to make these chicken kabobs a meal is a side dish or two. Enjoy them with Instant Pot Rice, Instant Pot Corn on the Cob, Potato Salad, Greek Salad or a crisp Green Salad. And don’t forget the Peach Cobbler for dessert!
Chicken Kabobs Ingredients
For this recipe you’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, vegetables and a marinade for the chicken. You’ll also need metal or wooden skewers.
For the veggies, I used zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper and red onion. Other vegetables that would be delicious on these kabobs are mushrooms, green bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. Cut the vegetables into 1-inch pieces. Mushrooms and cherry tomatoes can be left whole.
Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
Chicken Kabob Marinade
The amazing chicken kabob marinade is what makes these chicken kabobs the absolute best. This marinade infuses the chicken with delectable savory flavor and helps the edges to caramelize on the grill. In this recipe, I used my favorite Chicken Marinade Recipe. This marinade also makes the most delicious Grilled Chicken Breasts!
For the marinade you’ll need:
- Olive Oil: Helps to infuse the flavor of the other marinade ingredients into the chicken.
- Soy Sauce: For flavor. Look for a low sodium soy sauce for less salt.
- Lemon Juice: Adds flavor and helps to tenderize the meat.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds umami flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a hint of sweetness. You can substitute honey or omit the sugar if you prefer.
- Garlic, Italian Seasoning and Black Pepper: For seasoning. Dried oregano is a good substitute for the Italian seasoning if desired.
How to Make Chicken Kabobs
- If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for at least 20 minutes.
- Mix together the marinade ingredients, either in a zip-top plastic bag, bowl or baking dish. Optional: reserve a few tablespoons of the marinade to brush over the chicken kabobs near the end of the cooking time.
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces.
- Add the chicken to the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
- Drizzle olive oil over the zucchini, bell peppers and red onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently to distribute the oil, salt and pepper. Keep a few layers of onion together so that the onion doesn’t burn on the grill.
- Thread the chicken and vegetables onto the skewers. Discard any used marinade that came in contact with the raw chicken.
How Long to Grill Chicken Kabobs
Grill chicken kabobs over medium heat for 12-18 minutes total. Turn the kabobs every few minutes as they cook to help them cook evenly on all sides. They are done when the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165Ā° F as measured with an instant read thermometer.
How to Cook Kabobs in the Oven
If you don’t have a grill or it’s not grilling weather, you can cook these chicken kabobs in the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake chicken kabobs on the baking sheet at 425Ā° F for 24-30 minutes, turning them occasionally, until chicken is cooked to 165Ā° F. I use kitchen tongs to turn the kabobs, as the skewers are hot.
Chicken kabobs can be served on the skewers or you can remove the chicken and vegetables from the skewers before plating. Just be sure to slide the chicken and veggies off the skewers before eating. And be careful if you use metal skewers, as they will get very hot while cooking.
I hope you enjoy this delightfully colorful meal that’s big on flavor and impressive in presentation. The inviting aromas that come off the grill as these chicken kabobs cook are enough to call everyone to the table!
More Tasty Grilling Recipes
If you love this chicken kabobs recipe, try one of these delicious grill recipe next:
Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- Ā¼ cup olive oil
- Ā¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or honey
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or dried oregano
- Ā¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Ā¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Vegetables
- 2 small or 1 medium zucchini, sliced into Ā½-inch thick rounds
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small red or yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks with a few layers still together
- 1 Ā½ tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Equipment
- 8 wood or metal skewers
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in a dish of warm water for at least 20 minutes.
- Combine the chicken marinade ingredients in a zip-top bag or dish: olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Squish to mix in the bag or whisk if using a dish.
- Add the chicken pieces to the marinade. Make sure that all of the chicken is coated with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
- Place the zucchini rounds and chopped bell peppers in a baking dish or bowl. Drizzle with the 1 Ā½ tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Add the onion to the bowl last and mix in very gently so that the onion layers stay together as best as possible.
- Put the chicken and vegetables on the skewers, dividing evenly between the 8 skewers and arranging the vegetable pieces in between the chicken pieces. Aim to put about 3 chicken pieces and 2-3 pieces of each vegetable per skewer. Discard all of the used marinade that held the chicken.
- Grill over medium heat for 12-18 minutes, turning every few minutes to cook all sides evenly. Kabobs are done when chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165Ā° F.
Notes
- To cook in the oven: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place kabobs on the baking sheet and bake at 425Ā° F for 24-30 minutes, turning them occasionally, until chicken is cooked to 165Ā° F. I use kitchen tongs to turn the kabobs, as the skewers are hot.
Just made this tonight and this is now our go-to chicken kabab recipe! Love the flavors and the Italian seasoning! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe š
We were having Kabobs with our neighbors and I was in charge of bringing the chicken. I tried this marinade, and yuum! I used it for both breast and thigh meat and it was delicious on both. The only thing I did differently from the recipe was add more pepper than called for, but that’s just a matter of personal taste. This went into my “keeper” recipes.
Very good! This is a definite keeper.
Can you also put the marinade on the vegetables as well?
Yes!
Loved by all family members. Thank you. Made with metal skewerĀ
Can the chicken be left in the marinade overnight? I want to prep this, but donāt know if weāll be home in time to make them tonight. Would make it tomorrow if weāre not. Thanks!
My concern is that with the pieces of chicken so small, they may start to break down if left in the marinade for that long. It may work, but I haven’t tried it.
It would be fine if you used the lemon zest instead of the lemon juice. Then it will not turn the chicken mushy because you are not using the acidic juice.
EXCELLENT taste. I made the marinade and divided it in half. Marinade the chicken for about 4 hours. Put all the vegetables in a bag and added the other half of marinade to the bag about 1/2 hour before grilling. Put the chicken on wooden skewers and drained and put the vegetables in a grill pan. Came out perfect. I will be keeping this recipe. Can’t wait to have it again.
Loved this recipe & will be making it again. I used metal skewers and they worked perfectly.
Delicious recipe – the whole family loved it!
Hi Kristine, just found your website and want to try the chicken kabob recipe. Once the kabobs are threaded can I freeze them with the marinade? Pls adviseĀ
I would not recommend doing that. These are best cooked right away, or you can assemble the kabobs a few hours ahead of time and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook them.
Love love love this marinade, and so did my family! Made them last night.
I used boneless thighs, I think they are a little more “forgiving” on the grill than breast meat. For veggies I went with zucchini/red & yellow peppers/mushrooms.
This is the best marinade recipe i’ve ever tried, and i’ve been making kebabs for years.
Not even kidding; my wife asked me to make them again tonight (yes, dear!).
Thank you, thank you, thank you,
you make a home chef shine!!!