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These Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs are full of flavor, and so easy to make either on the grill or in the oven. Chicken and fresh summer vegetables are marinated in a light Mediterranean-style marinade of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and spices, then grilled on skewers until golden brown.
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Table of Contents
- Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs – At a Glance
- Ingredients For Mediterranean Chicken Skewers
- How To Make Chicken Kabobs
- Tips For Juicy Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs
- Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs Recipe
- How To Serve Chicken Kabobs
- How To Store Leftover Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs
- Recipe FAQs
- Origin of Shish Kebab
- More Cookout Recipes
Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs – At a Glance
PREP: 40 min | COOK: 10 min | TOTAL: 50 min | SERVES: 10 | DIFFICULTY: Easy
MACROS: Protein 15g, Carbs 5g, Fat 6g, Fiber 2g | CALORIES: 134kcal
INGREDIENTS: boneless & skinless chicken breasts, bell peppers, red onion, & marinade (olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves & spices)
DIETARY PROFILE: gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30, low-carb, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free
This grilled Mediterranean Chicken Kebab recipe is one of my favorite easy weekend grill recipes – fresh, juicy, and packed with flavor. The marinade comes together quickly, and letting the chicken and veggies soak for an hour makes all the difference.
It reminds me of summers back home in Bulgaria, where everything was made from scratch and meals were full of fresh and vibrant flavors.
Keep reading for all my tips on getting perfectly grilled and tender chicken every time!
Looking for more Mediterranean recipes? Try this easy Mediterranean Tuna Salad and Greek Salad.
Ingredients For Mediterranean Chicken Skewers
For a full ingredients list with measurements, check the recipe card below.
- Skinless & boneless chicken breasts – cut them in 1 ” pieces
- Bell peppers – I prefer to use different color bell peppers to make the skewers colorful but you can also use only red, green or yellow bell pepper if that is what you have on hand.
- Red onion
- Marinade ingredients – the marinade is made of simple ingredients – olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, and black pepper. The marinade adds a lot of flavor to the chicken and makes it tender & juicy.
How To Make Chicken Kabobs
- Marinate the chicken and vegetables. Divide the marinade in half. Toss the chicken with one half and the vegetables with the other, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while everything marinates.
- Assemble the kebabs. Thread the chicken, peppers, and onions onto skewers, alternating the ingredients for even cooking.
- Grill. Preheat a lightly oiled grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill the kebabs for about 10–12 minutes, turning halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through.
Oven option. Bake on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet at 425°F for 20–30 minutes, turning halfway, until the chicken reaches 165°F. - Rest and serve. Let the kebabs rest for a few minutes before serving.
They’re delicious with tzatziki, rice, or a fresh Mediterranean salad.
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Tips For Juicy Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs
- Make sure you marinate the chicken – 30 minutes to 1 hour is enough. It will make it juicy and flavorful! Don’t skip this step.
- You can also pierce the chicken with a fork several times before you add it to the marinade.
- If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water 15 – 30 minutes prior to threading the chicken onto the skewers, so they don’t burn while you grill the Mediterranean kebabs.
- If you are using metal skewers, make sure not to touch them as they will be hot. Use tongs to move them to a serving platter.
Looking for some traditional Bulgarian dishes? Check out my tried and true Bulgarian Moussaka, Tarator (cold cucumber soup), and Gyuveche.
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Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs
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Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Kebabs
- 3 chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch cubes
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 green bell peppers
- 1 red onion
Chicken Kebab marinade
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- juice of 1 lemon, divided
- 6 clove of garlic, chopped, divided
- 2 teaspoon paprika, divided
- 2 teaspoon thyme, divided
- 4 teaspoon oregano, divided
- 4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Instructions
Marinade
- Marinate chicken. Mix 1/2 of all ingredients for the marinade in small bowl. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over it. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Marinate vegetables. Mix the other HALF of the ingredients in the same bowl pour into a ziplock bag with the vegetables. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Soak wooden skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20–30 minutes while the chicken and vegetables marinate. This helps prevent them from burning on the grill and makes it easier to slide the chicken and veggies off after cooking.
Chicken Kebabs
- Assemble skewers. Thread the chicken and peppers and onions on the skewers. I usually place about 5-6 chicken pieces and a combo of peppers and onion in between.
- Grill chicken skewers. Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray the grates lightly with oil and grill for about 5 minutes on each side, or until the center is no longer pink.
- Oven method. You can also bake this Mediterranean chicken skewers in the oven if you want to. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place chicken skewers on roasting racks over two foil-lined baking sheets and bake for about 10-15 minutes, turn over once and bake for another 10 – 15 minutes on the other side, or until they are baked through.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary with ingredients, brands, and portion sizes. For accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this recipe is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. I am not a doctor or a dietitian. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance regarding your diet or health. For more details, please read my full disclosure page.
How To Serve Chicken Kabobs
- Potatoes: You can serve Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs with oven baked wedges or potato salad. For a Paleo option, you can also serve these grilled Mediterranean chicken skewers with sweet potato fries or sweet potato chips.
- Rice: You can also serve with rice or cauliflower rice for a grain-free option.
- Salad: My favorite salads with the chicken kebab recipe are Tomato Cucumber and Avocado Salad, Maroulosalata, Greek Salad, Shopska Salad or Italian Chopped Salad. Another favorite I like to serve often is Caesar salad.
- Sauce: Of course, the Mediterranean chicken goes wonderfully with Tzatziki sauce or zesty Pesto Sauce.
And don’t forget to make a Homemade Lemonade – so much better than store-bought.
How To Store Leftover Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs
To store leftover Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs, first, let them cool to room temperature. Then, remove the chicken from the skewers and place it in an airtight container or resealable bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you want to keep them longer, you can freeze the kabobs for up to three months. Just thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature has reached 165 F. If you don’t have a meat thermometer and are wondering if the chicken is done, an easy way to tell is to cut a piece of chicken and if the inside is white and there is no pink, then the chicken is done. Don’t overcook the chicken, otherwise, it will become dry or worse – burnt. You want to get a nice golden color.
You can also bake these Mediterranean chicken skewers in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place chicken skewers on racks over two foil-lined baking sheets and bake for about 10-15 minutes, turn over once and bake for another 10 – 15 minutes on the other side, or until they are baked through.
These Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs are so tender and flavorful. Both chicken and veggies are marinated and the flavors are rich and savory!
As I mentioned above, I cook the chicken kebabs for about 10 minutes total. But I want to make a note that cooking time for chicken kabobs will depend on the temperature of your grill. Chicken skewers are cooked pretty quickly compared to whole chicken breasts because the chicken is cut into small pieces. So, once you put the chicken kabobs on the grill, watch them closely. You don’t want to burn the vegetables or the chicken.
Origin of Shish Kebab
In my home country, we call meat grilled on skewers “shish kebab”. But the term actually comes from Turkey and it means “gobbets of meat roasted on a skewer”. Also, it has a history connected to war – it’s believed that Turkish soldiers grilled meat on their swords over an open fire during the invasion of some Mediterranean regions. This is how the name stuck and has become a part of the traditional Mediterranean cuisine.
The variety of kebabs you can make are endless – chicken, lamb, beef, pork, veal. But no matter what kebab you make, cooking your food on a stick is a fun and fast way to put together a delicious meal.
More Cookout Recipes
Main Dishes
Bacon Pineapple Chicken Kebabs
Main Dishes
Grilled Chicken Caprese
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This was fantastic! I cooked this with some marinated veggie kabobs. My husband and father loved the chicken. Unfortunately I couldn’t find my thyme spice so I omitted it. I added red pepper flakes for an added kick. So good
Excellent recipe, great flavors! My family loved it! I had to grill the skewers 5 minutes on all 4 sides (20 min) to get the chicken done (maybe my grill top wasnt hot enough?), but the chicken was still tender and delicious. I served it with white rice, a greek salad and pita bread.
This really makes me wish its was summer now again. I just love the flavors on these kebabs and believe it or not Florida is cold for me right now so I will be saving this one for warmer time!
Hi. How many kebabs would the 228 calories be, roughly?
That should be for 1 chicken kebab.
I made this today in the oven and it was delicious! I served it with spicy tzatziki and a cucumber-tomato salad. Thanks for the great recipe!
I didn’t watch the video until after I prepped everything. Would suggest directions to indicate to chop the garlic. I just crushed and put in the marinade. It came fine though.
Thank you! I updated the recipe card.
I chose this recipe because I didn’t have a lot of time and didn’t want to shop for ingredients I didn’t have. Luckily it was winner. Simple AND delicious. Loved by all. I will definitely make this again.
Hi Jodi! So glad everyone loved the recipe! 🙂
I made the grilled Mediterranean chicken kebobs tonight. Delicious! My mom and my house guest both enjoyed the kebobs with grilled asparagus and grilled corn on the cob. I doubled the recipe and I am so glad I did. The seasonings in the marinade are perfect for people who like a tiny bit of exotic flavoring but not too spicy. I will definitely make these again.
At the risk of sounding redundant, I had to come back and comment on your kabob recipe. These were the most flavorful kabobs I’ve ever prepared (and I am a pretty good cook..) I can’t say what put your recipe over the top, but it’s definitely a keeper.
Thanks for sharing!
Perfect for summer grilling!