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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 Making Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs
- How To Serve Chicken Kabobs
- How To Store Leftover Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs
- Recipe FAQs
- Origin of Shish Kebab
- More Cookout Recipes
- Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs Recipe
- More from Delicious Meets Healthy
Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs – At a Glance
PREP: 40 min | COOK: 10 min | TOTAL: 55 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 chicken, onion & bell pepper pieces in a Mediterranean chicken skewer marinade in a ziplock bag. Place the bag in the fridge and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Thread the chicken, onion, and bell pepper pieces onto skewers alternately.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken shish kebabs on the prepared grill, and cook for about 5 minutes on one side, and another 5 minutes on the other side, until the chicken is done.
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Tips For Making 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.
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, Shopska Salad or Greek Salad. Another favorite I like to serve often is Caesar salad.
- Sauce: Of course, the Mediterranean chicken goes wonderfully with Tzatziki sauce. But if you are not a fan of it, you can omit it.
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
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BBQ Chicken Wings
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Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs
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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
- Mix 1/2 of all ingredients for the marinade in small bowl. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over it. Marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Mix the other HALF of the ingredients in the same bowl pour into a ziplock bag with the vegetables. Marinade for at least 30 minutes.
- If you are using wood skewers, while the chicken and veggies are marinating, soak the skewers in water for about 15 minutes. You need to soak wooden skewers in water for about 20- 30 minutes to keep them from igniting right there on the grill. I have also noticed that it’s much easier to slide out the meat and veggies on your plate if the skewers have been soaked before grilling.
Chicken Kebabs
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
After the first batch. I added a splash of sherry, a tsp of ginger and done minced mint leaves. Seemed to even out the flavor
Our go-to recipe for deliciously flavorful and moist chicken kabobs.
Love this! I made for my son’s birthday. Adult and kids love them. Leftovers taste even better;) will make again.
This turned out amazing. I used half the marinade for 6 chicken breast in fridge overnight and my guests LOVED the kebabs. I served it with a lemon rice and it was a big hit. Thanks!
This looks absolutely delicious and I plan to make it, but how many pounds of chicken would this be?
about 1.5 lbs
Delicious! I cheated and added 1/2 cup tzatziki to the marinade for the chicken portion and zucchini. I couldn’t get over how tender the chicken was. Served alongside a super greek salad and crispy potato wedges.
I marinated the chicken and vegetables for over 6 hours in separate bags, as suggested, and then skewered before grilling. They were fabulous. The leftovers were equally as good. I will definitely be using this recipe again and again. Thanks!
I normally don’t comment, but these were so delicious that I had to. I also used the marinade on skewers with ribeye cubes and mushrooms. My entire family loved everything. Great job. Can’t wait to make them again.
Thank you Jenn! They were delicious! And appreciate the hint about using thighs instead of boneless breasts. Made all the difference…. Also i just grilled them on a grill pan.
This is the BEST middle eastern chicken recipe ever! I prepared everything the same way, but used chicken tenders and my husband cooked them whole. People could not stop raving about how delicious and tender the meat was!! Try this recipe. You will not be disappointed.