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Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe

This Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe uses a flavorful spice combination to give the juicy chunks of meat a kick of heat and flavor. This is my go-to recipe when I want dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less.

You can use best chicken seasoning to marinate the chicken ahead of time or make it right before grilling. Also, learn my secret to juicy kabobs!

Grilled Chicken Kabobs

PIN this recipe to your GRILLING board.

Properly grilled chicken breast comes out juicy, delicious, with awesome grill marks that pack all the amazing flavor we expect from grilled meat.

Although, if the chicken seasoning lacks flavor, so will the chicken. Not the case with the chicken kabob marinade we use for the grilled chicken breast in this recipe though!
 This Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe uses a flavorful spice combination to give the juicy chunks of meat a kick of heat and flavor. This is my go to recipe when I want dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. You can use the spice blend to marinate the chicken ahead of time, or make it right before grilling. The flavor will be amazing, either way!

It is generally believed that marinating the meat will produce better flavor, and that might be the case, BUT! Whenever I make this grilled chicken kabob recipe, people ask me how long I’ve marinated the meat for and they’re always surprised when I tell them that I didn’t!

So, go ahead and toss the chicken breast with the chicken seasoning ahead of time if you would rather have it ready to go when you need it, but don’t feel like you’ll be missing on any flavor if you don’t!

This Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe uses a flavorful spice combination to give the juicy chunks of meat a kick of heat and flavor. This is my go to recipe when I want dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. You can use the spice blend to marinate the chicken ahead of time, or make it right before grilling. The flavor will be amazing, either way!

How to make a juicy kabob?

  1. Use fresh never frozen meat. Freezing and defrosting the meat removes the juice from the chicken, leaving you with drier kabobs. This is true for any kind of meat, so keep this in mind.
  2. Do not overcook the chicken. Quickly grilling the outside of the kabobs locks all the juices inside. But, if kept on the grill long enough the juices will evaporate and dry up.Sometimes in the hunt for that really well browned outside, people overcook the meat, which removes all moisture from the inside, rendering the grilled meat dry.To still get the kabobs nicely browned on the inside without overcooking the inside, preheat the grill for at least 10-15 minutes before adding the chicken.
  3. Allow the grilled chicken kabobs to rest for a couple minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute. Otherwise, they will leak out as soon as you bite or cut into the chicken, which means dry instead of juicy kabobs.

This Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe uses a flavorful spice combination to give the juicy chunks of meat a kick of heat and flavor. This is my go to recipe when I want dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. You can use the spice blend to marinate the chicken ahead of time, or make it right before grilling. The flavor will be amazing, either way!

How to prevent meat from sticking to the grill?

  • Start with a clean grill.Preheat the grill for good 15 minutes on high to burn off any remnants of anything previously grilled.Then use a good grill brush to clean the charred bits off.Next, use tongs and go over the grill with a big chunk of a wet paper towel to remove any smaller pieces.Finally, wet a folded paper towel with oil and brush the grates with it. This will prevent the meat from sticking to the grill. Alternatively, you can turn off the grill, and quickly spray the nonstick spray onto the grates, then turn the grill back on.

Substitute for Chicken Breast

If you would rather not use the chicken breast, you can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs as I did in the picture below.

Now that you have all the tools needed for successful kabob recipe, go ahead and make it this Memorial Day!

Before that, tell me what’s your favorite dessert to bring to a picnic? I’d love to hear what you make! Share in the comments below!

How to make Grilled Chicken Kabob?

  • Start by cutting the boneless, skinless chicken into 1.5-inch cubes.
  • In a large ziplock or a large bowl, combine the chicken, spices, and oil, then mix everything together until the meat is evenly coated.
  • Preheat grill to 400F. Meanwhile thread the chicken onto skewers, leaving at least 1 inch of space at the beginning and the end of the skewer.

How long to grill chicken breast? 

  • 1.5-inch chicken kabobs should be done in about 10 – 12 minutes. Make sure to turn the skewers roughly every 3-4 minutes to ensure even cooking on all sides. According to USDA, the chicken must be at least 160F for safe consumption.

This Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe uses a flavorful spice combination to give the juicy chunks of meat a kick of heat and flavor. This is my go to recipe when I want dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. You can use the spice blend to marinate the chicken ahead of time, or make it right before grilling. The flavor will be amazing, either way!

What goes well with Grilled Chicken Kabobs?

  • Easy Chimichurri – this parsley, garlic sauce is super easy, but oh so, so good!
  • Tzatziki Sauce – cucumber, yogurt and garlic sauce that’s always so refreshing.
  • Pickled Onions – recipe below!
  • Simple fry sauce – (mayo+ketchup) and add some fresh pressed garlic to make it extra good.
  • Spicy Korean Carrots – these are always a treat when I make them. If you’ve never had them, make them! You’ve never had carrot salad this good!
  • Pita Bread Pockets – wrap the kabobs in warm pita pocket bread and enjoy a full meal with a drizzle of chimichurri or tzatziki sauce.

Best Grilled Chicken Recipe

This Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe uses a flavorful spice combination to give the juicy chunks of meat a kick of heat and flavor. This is my go to recipe when I want dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. You can use the spice blend to marinate the chicken ahead of time, or make it right before grilling. The flavor will be amazing, either way!
4.92 from 12 votes

This Grilled Chicken Recipe is made with just a couple simple ingredients, but the chicken comes out juicy and flavorful. This is my go-to recipe for dinner under 30 minutes. The dry rub for chicken includes cayenne pepper for a good kick and smoked paprika for awesome flavor, this IS the best grilled chicken recipe marinade.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin
Course: dinner, Main Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dry rub for chicken, grilled chicken, grilled chicken breast, grilled chicken marinade, grilled chicken recipe
Calories: 320 kcal
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Easy Chicken Marinade

Pickled Onions

Instructions

How to make Grilled Chicken Kabobs

  1. Preheat grill to high heat (I heat my grill through for about 10-15 minutes).

Work on the chicken breast as the grill is preheating

  1. Mix all the cubed chicken and the easy chicken marinade ingredients in a bowl or a ziplock until the chicken is evenly coated. 

    - At this point, the chicken kabobs are ready to be grilled or can be refrigerated until you're ready to grill. Make sure to bring the chicken to room temperature before grilling.

  2. Thread the chicken breast pieces onto skewers, leaving about 1.5-2 inches of space at each end. 

    If using wooden skewers, remember to pre-soak them in water before using to prevent them from burning. 

How to Grill Chicken Breast Kabobs

  1. Follow the instructions above the recipe card on how to properly clean the grill.

    Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, about 10-15 minutes total, and all sides are nicely browned. Chicken breast kabobs are ready to remove off the grill when the thermometer inserted into the thickest piece of a kabob registers 160F and the juices run clear.

  2. Allow the chicken kabob skewers to rest for 3-5 minutes before eating.

Nutrition Facts
Best Grilled Chicken Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 320 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 144mg48%
Sodium 991mg43%
Potassium 896mg26%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 48g96%
Vitamin A 520IU10%
Vitamin C 4.8mg6%
Calcium 18mg2%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...

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  • I absolutely love this recipe!! My family enjoyed it soooo much!! My go to for Kabobs

    · Reply
  • Katie

    Hi there,

    Can I substitute raw onion for onion powder? If so, would I just chop it up finely or purée it?

    · Reply
  • Anna

    The best kabobs we had!! So moist and flavorful. A total hit. Thank you for such a great and easy recipe.

    · Reply
  • Anna

    Would love to try this in the oven, can you recommend the temperature and time for thighs?

    · Reply
  • Dixine

    I made this with plain yogurt – it was awesome! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

    · Reply
  • Azucena

    I am trying to make this but you have 1/8 of a tablespoon for oil, yogurt or mayo. But I do not have that measurement. Is there a mistake on the measurement type?

    · Reply
  • Calmwind

    which one gives best taste – oil , yogurt or mayo ? If I choose oil then what type of oil would be best choice ?

    · Reply
    • I prefer oil (not anything strongly flavored) or mayo. Yogurt does not give as good of a crust, but is lower calorie.

      · Reply
  • Emre

    I want to make it with chicken thighs , how many lb (pound) boneless skinless chicken thighs I require ?

    · Reply
  • Alaina

    Hi! I can’t seem to find exactly what chicken seasoning you used for this recipe?

    · Reply
    • I have included the chicken seasoning ingredients right in the recipe card now for easier navigation, but here’s the original link where you can find the chicken seasoning ingredients.

      · Reply
  • Diana

    This is THE BEST grilled chicken I’ve ever had in my life. I made it twice in 3 days. I used chicken thighs and it turned out sooo moist and I’ve done the marinating overnight and marinating right before grilling. No difference in taste. I couldn’t believe it, i have never been this excited about a recipe.

    · Reply
  • Vera

    Oh my its gonna be kabobs for sure this memorial i have to try your chimichurri sauce too it sounds amazing. I always grill chicken with boneless skinless thighs though it’s a little extra work but it comes out so much more tender and juicier. Thank you for sharing your recipes

    · Reply
    • Hi Vera,
      You’re going to love the chimichurri sauce! Also, you can use the skinless and boneless chicken thighs with this seasoning as well, I have done it and it was just as good, if not even better because chicken thighs tend to have a little more fat, therefor even more juicy! I buy the skinless and boneless chicken thighs at Costco and love how convenient it is!

      · Reply

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