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An easy and delicious Chicken Kebab recipe. This recipe includes a tasty yoghurt marinade. These chicken kebab skewers are so versatile, they can be grilled, baked in the oven or cooked on the BBQ. A new healthy version of your favourite Greek takeaway.
If there’s one food that reminds me of summer holidays, it’s a Chicken Kebab.
When I was in my 20s, my lovely BFF, Naomi and I were often adventuring (that might be a bit strong, laying by a pool somewhere hot is more accurate). Our holidays were heavily focussed around cocktails, feta and food cooked over charcoal.
The smell of kebabs cooking takes me right back there, wanting to order a mojito!
I can’t promise that these are authentic to the Greek or Turkish kebabs that Naomi and I ate then. But they are my own version and they are super delicious.
How do you make Chicken Kebab?
Chicken kebabs are so simple to make, they are basically marinaded chicken, threaded onto skewers and cooked through.
For this recipe we use a marinade of yoghurt with paprika, cumin, a little cinnamon, chilli flakes, garlic and lemon.
Can you cook Chicken Kebabs in the oven?
Yes, it’s perfectly safe to cook chicken kebabs in the oven, as always, just check that they are cooked through before serving.
If you’re using bamboo skewers, as always, soak them for about 30 minutes in water before using.
They will take about 20 – 30 minutes at 180C/350F.
How long do you cook Chicken Kebabs for?
If cooking these Chicken Kebabs under a hot grill (broiler) or on the BBQ (or barbecue!) they will take about 20 – 30 minutes depending on how thick your chicken is and how high your heat is.
Always be sure to check that the chicken is cooked through and not pink, before serving.
Are Chicken Kebabs good for you?
Homemade chicken kebabs are not unhealthy when cooked this way.
You can easily make this recipe even lower in fat by using chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs and using low fat, or fat free yoghurt.
(If you’re following the Slimming World plan, this would also make these Syn free chicken kebabs.)
You could also add in extra vegetables, like peppers or onions onto the skewers. These look good too!
Watch me making the Chicken Kebabs on Instagram Stories
Tips for making the Chicken Kebab recipe:
- In these photos I used Bamboo Skewers. I like the way they look but they do burn! You need to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before using.
- If you prefer metal skewers I like these ones. Once you’ve bought a set, you’ll wonder how you lived without them. I like these Metal Skewers Set on Amazon.
- I like to use chicken thighs for this recipe as they become tender when marinaded with the lemon. They are also super tasty. Feel free to replace with chicken breasts if you prefer.
- These Chicken Kebabs are delicious cold. We love serving them for a picnic! (There we are below eating them at one of our favourite National Trust spots.)
Fancy some other easy kebab style recipes?
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.
I’d love to know how you got on and what you thought of it if you make this Chicken Kebabs recipe. Please rate the recipe and leave me a comment below if you do.
Also, if you fancy showing me a photo by tagging me on Instagram (@tamingtwins) I LOVE to see your creations.
How to make the Chicken Kebab recipe:
Chicken Kebab Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) Chicken thighs, Boneless and skinless and cut lengthways
For the marinade:
- 150 g (0.75 cups) Natural yoghurt
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 2 tsp Ground cumin
- 0.5 tsp Cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp Dried chilli flakes
- 2 tsp Garlic granules , (or 3 cloves of fresh garlic)
- 1 Lemon, Zest and juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Mix the marinate ingredients together well in a large bowl.
- Add the chicken thighs and marinade for at least 30 minutes or even better, overnight. (Cover with cling film and put in the fridge.)
- Thread onto skewers and cook for about 20 minutes until golden on the outside and cooked through.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
This post was originally published on August 2, 2018 and updated later to make improvements.
Delicious!!! Even my wife and kids loved it! Very easy to make!!
These are delicious! Made them tonight for dinner and my boys absolutely loved them! So tasty! And so easy to make. Thanks for the recipe X
We made these tonight for tea and my son who is 23 and vegetarian had it on fish rather than chicken . They both chicken & fish went down a storm. We will definitely be doing these again and again.
A good recipe for the BBQ next year too. And a bonus that they are healthy and low fat .
Thanks for sharing
So pleased you liked them Karen!
Your picnic spot is so refreshing. Loinging to get out in the sun. Plus, I guess, this recipe can be made on the pan too, as I don’t have a grill oven.
I love chicken thighs (and drumsticks) and I think this is the best recipe I’ve tried for a very long time. Didn’t have skewers, so simply grilled de-boned marinated thighs for about 20-25 minutes, then chopped them into kebab sized pieces. I used skyr (Icelandic) style yoghurt for the marinade, and as I had no lemon, I used a lime instead. I only marinated the chicken for about 30 minutes in the fridge but was absolutely blown away by the succulence and tenderness of the result. I suspect cooking the whole thigh helped keep it moist. You certainly wouldn’t need to brush it with oil using this method.
Tried this recipe tonight as a last minute change of plan, added peppers and onions to the skewers and used a own brand low fat yoghurt, left to marinade for 1 hour and the chicken was succulent and full of flavour. It was delicious and will definitely be making again, served it with salad, pitta bread and a rice salad. A hit with all the family.
Delicious!! I made this recipe and oh man, perfect chicken skewers. I made it with chicken ready and it was moist. Thank you for sharing!!
Hi there – did you oven cook? If so, what temp/timings did you use?
I took have lost the will to live this week. Am making your Slow Cooker Chicken Curry for supper tonight because it’s so easy and tasty. But will try these kebabs; look lovely!
Yummyyyyyyyyyy yumyyy😋😋😋I tried it at home it was simply delicious .
How many teaspoons of salt and pepper?
Very excited to try this for New Years Eve. My boyfriend and I used to get Kabobs at a restaurant by my apartment. We bought a house together and are far from our kabob place. I’m planning a romantic evening in, and this will be such a cute surprise for him! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Does anyone have some side dishes that might pair well?
Middle Eastern Cuccus goes well with the flavors in the marinade .
Rice or parathas, a yoghurt dip, a salad, Couscous or Quinoa are all good options.
I would recommend a pilaf of rice and orzo cooked with butter, and a red cabbage salad, which is basically thinly sliced red cabbage in a dressing of red wine vinegar and olive oil.
Eat this, sitting out in the sun, paired with a large glass of chilled Grüner veltliner.