Greek Chicken Kabobs
Super juicy, tender kabobs made with the best marinade ever! Olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic. SO BOMB.
How badly do you want to faceplant yourself into this platter? I mean, I basically did that all. summer. long.
Because here’s what’s involved: grilled pita bread, English cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cubed feta, kalamata olives, and tzatziki sauce paired with the best Greek chicken kabobs I have ever had.
Now the kabobs get the most amazing marinade makeover – olive oil, lemon juice/zest, paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic and shallot. From there you can let the chicken thighs swim in this for a bit before throwing these bad boys onto the grill for that smoky, charred flavor.
It is so simple, yet so so good.
I should mention that a platter is absolutely not required, but it is pretty great for summer entertaining (and it’s easy to whip up too!).
However, if it’s just you and your baby corgis like I am 99% of the time, the kabobs paired with some beers/wine should be absolutely perfect.
Greek Chicken Kabobs
Super juicy, tender kabobs made with the best marinade ever! Olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic. SO BOMB.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic, shallot, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1 1/4 teaspoons pepper.
- Stir in chicken until well combined; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Thread chicken onto skewers. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Add skewers to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Did you Make This Recipe?
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This is such a great recipe! I made it at a family bbq 2x! The chicken stays so nice and tender and the flavor is perfect. Tastes like it’s from a Greek restaurant. I had tzatziki, cucumber, olives, tomatoes, hummus and warm pita as sides.
Wow! Delicious! I let the chicken thigh marinate overnight and bbq’d them. Best chicken I’ve ever made! I was so proud and my family loved it. Great recipe
Loved it!
Just made this last night and our family absolutely loved it. Make sure to serve with the other ingredients not listed but shown in photo to make great pitas!
Realy Delicious!
I was so proud and my family loved it.
Really good even when marinated for 30 minutes. Thanks!
Delicious! I marinated thighs over night. Didn’t kabob, just cooked full thighs. Was really yummy, such good flavor! Served with a very yummy Greek pearl cous cous salad, corn on the cob and warmed pita bread.
Great recipe. I baked them and brushed on a bit more marinade instead of oil and they were wonderful and packed with flavour. This is definitely a dinner rotation recipe in our house. We served them with a fresh Greek salad and braised lemon Greek potatoes.
This recipe is amazing! I have made it several times this summer. It’s always a hit.
I only marinated the chicken for an hour. I trimmed the thighs really well. It came out so good. I served it for company and arranged the platter similar to yours. You didn’t include a recipe for the Tzatziki sauce so I made my own. its a simple sauce to make. I will definitely be making it again.
This chicken dish is delicious . I used boneless chicken breast. Grilled the the chicken and vegetables on separate skewers. I made a bed of rice pilaf and divided the chicken and vegetables on each plate. A dollop of tzatziki sauce and a squeeze of lemon to finish. Definitely going on repeat.
Great taste. I created a platter of Greek veggies and condiments, as suggested. It looked great and everyone enjoyed the dinner.
This was absolutely delicious. We will make this again and again. Thank you!
What seasoning did you put on all of the components on the platter?
This was awesome! The marinade is more of a paste. I followed recipe and resisted the temptation to add more oil. I’m glad I did since it tuned out great. I made a Greek salad to go with it comprised of grape tomatoes, bell pepper, cubed feta, cucumbers, Greek dressing,red onion, and a dollop op Tzatziki sauce on the side. I grilled both breasts and thighs. Both were great. I will be making this again soon!
Thanks for including a side idea! 🙂
I’m going to make this for my boss, who is coming over for dinner next week. Quick question, do you toss your fresh veggies and feta in a bit of the marinade as well? If so, I’ll resever a bit. Or are they just sprinkled with salt/pepper? Thank you!
I’d give it 100 stars if possible!!! So easy so flavorful and a new favorite!!! Thank you for putting flavor into clean eating!!! The longer you marinate the better the flavor. Yum!!!
I used chicken breasts since that was what I had on hand for dinner and just grilled them whole instead of making kabob. It was more of a paste when I mixed everything and ended up adding some extra EVOO, didn’t have two hours, so it only marinated for 1 hour but was still delicious!
Super tasty. I used skin on chicken thighs and griddled them so we had lovely crispy bits. Even our little picky eater scoffed these down. Served with homemade tzatziki, salad veg and flatbread. Will be making again.
I use this recipe at least once every two weeks! It’s so good and flavorful with chicken thighs. I end up just baking them and get great results!
What did u out on those cucumbers ? they look delicious
Omg this is the best chicken i have ever had in my life and i didn’t even bbq it yet. I couldnt wait till tomorow so I pan fried a few pieces in the skillet with some rice and a little butter. Topped it off with slivers of red onion and some pickeled mango and its up there with the best meat I ever put in my mouth…Lmao. Tomorow when i grill this up they are going to cream themselves. I will probably use this recipe 2 times a month. I put extra lemon and used smoked paprika.
Was thinking about making this chicken for dinner tomorrow, along with lemon rice pilaf and the Flat bread recipe, Love this Chef! After reading this comment, I am now most Definitely making this Chicken! LMAO
Hi, I followed your recipe and my family loved it. The flavor of the chicken is deliciously good.
Totally delicious chicken but what’s the yellow and white yogurt looking bowel and how can I make it?
I have weird hours with my job/passion project, and will often have meetings after dinnertime with my team around the world.
I make this in the oven and throw a thing of prepped broccoli/mixed veggies and brown rice/quinoa bags in the microwave (you can use quart size ziplocks with little slashes in them for make your own steamer bags) and make meal bowls in under 15 minutes. The family loves it, I don’t have to trust my SO to cook, and its so healthy and easy.
Prep the chicken no more than 2 days ahead or else the lemon juice will over tenderize the chicken and it’ll taste funky. Learned that the hard way.
Do not microwave anything in plastic. Very bad for your family.
What temperature do you put your oven on and how long to cook?
Absolutely delicious. We enjoy these Kabobs regularly
It was really good. I loved it. My husband had issues with th rosemary but I said it was just right.
Absolutely delicious. Was very thick and paste-like, so added another TBSP of olive oil.
I found that the marinade was more of a paste, and needed additional olive oil and lemon juice for all the spices that are mixed in. I would say I roughly doubled it. 2 tablespoons of each was not enough.
Brilliant.
Gave me some great ideas.
Loved it.
Many thanks
This was so good! I copied the idea to make a platter. My family loved it. The flavor of the chicken is very good.
This was so good! I copied the idea to make a platter. My family loved it.
Absolutely delicious! My entire family, including my two young sons, loved this chicken. To save some prep time I threw the marinade ingredients into my mini food processor to combine. Marinated it for six hours and the chicken thighs were so tender and tasty. Grilled them on my indoor grill pan and they were absolute perfection, just like every one of your recipes that I’ve tried. We’ll make these again many times in the future. Thanks so much for yet another winning recipe!
oh my god! Best recipe!!!! Made it on my ninja grill.
Oh, a great recipe, thank your for share it, I’m gonna try it this weekend
OMG! So good, delicious I doubled the recipe for my family and it was gone ALL gone! Got fresh pia bread from the bakery and we made wraps with all the ingredients. The killer was a homemade greek dressing I put on the side for drizzling of lemon, oregano, shaved garlic, oregano salt and pepper!!!! OH this is so going into the rotation!
Can you use pork also or just chicken?
Delicious! Everything about this recipe is perfect! Served with yogurt sauce, pita, and a Greek salad!
Your recipes are second to none. This is an amazing recipe! It tastes exactly like the chicken shishkabob at our favorite local Greek restaurant! We love it!
Haven’t made this yet, but it sounds delicious.
my question is when you call for a shallot, is that a clove or the whole bulb.
thanks
Shallots are very similar to an onion, not garlic. I’d guess that she means an average sized shallot that you can easily contain in a cupped hand.
can I put the chicken skewers in the oven? for how long ? temp?
Not a chicken thigh fan so used chicken breasts. WOW my new favorite greek kabob recipe. Absolutely damn delicious.
Best ever chicken recipe made with chicken breast. Will use recipe regularly Thanks so much. Just had to comment
Wow! Delicious! I let the chicken thigh marinate overnight and bbq’d them. Best chicken I’ve ever made! I was so proud and my family loved it. Great recipe
I used chicken breast and it was so tender and damndelicious.
Best marinade ever chicken skewers paired with tzatziki and pita bread perfect! I love your recipes I often use them for their simplicity and delicious taste.
This is absolutely the best marinade I have ever tasted. .Just the right amount of spices, heat and flavor. Just perfect! A huge hit! Thank you!!
Wow! Delicious! I let the chicken thigh marinate overnight and bbq’d them. Best chicken I’ve ever made! I was so proud and my family loved it. Great recipe
I used chicken breast and it was so tender and damndelicious.
How do i make that platter?
What a disappointment. I marinated for 3.5 hours and it must need much more, and possibly another acid like white vinegar or wine. We regrettably found the flavor – flat. I’m glad I grilled a few test skewers, which allowed me to add much more seasoning to the remainder. The look and tenderness was there, but not a depth of flavor.
My new favorite marinade for chicken – loved it on both grilled and baked chicken. Thanks!
I just made and finished eating this and it is absolutely going to become one of my staple summer meals! The chicken was tender and that marinade!!!!!! My husband couldn’t get enough! Thank you – so yummy!
Absolutely fantastic – I ate a couple hours ago, yet thinking about them for this review is making my mouth water!
OMG! This was SO GOOD! Will be a staple in our rotation of meals!!!!
I had this chicken at my son’s home. My daughter in law did the marinade, he did the grilling. I have a new grill and can’t wait to try it. She sent me the link to your recipe. It was soooo good, very tender.
Omg! The marinade for the chicken is BOMB! This turned out amazing for a summer dinner. My husband and I will be making it again soon.
SUPERB. IM IMPRESSED. VERY EASY. LOTS OF FLAVOR. AMZING! THANKS FOR SHARING. =)
Thank you! This was a beautiful summer dinner. I did the full platter and it was impressive and delicious!
As I was mixing the marinade up I was worried it was going to be too strong but it was perfect!! The chicken had the perfect amount of flavor and I don’t have a grill so I pan fried and they turned out great! Thanks for another great recipe!!
I would have liked to see the calorie and fat count.
If you were to invent a recipe, how would you go about determining the fat and calorie count?
Made this with boneless skinless chicken breast not skewered Delicious! We are making this again tonight using skewers .My 10 year old loved it( that is saying something) This is the best marinade ! He even wanted to share it with his friends( kids) who also agreed. They loved it!! Tons of flavor and so tender .
Restaurants in SC are slowly starting to reopen post quarantine, and my husband asked if I wanted to dine out. My response…why? I made this for dinner tonight and he agreed. This chicken was so flavorful and better than anything I could have ordered off a menu! The way you photographed it made easy for me to recreate deconstructed gyros. I have also made a couple of your other recipes and have loved everything. Thank you for sharing your talent with us. I cannot wait to get your book and continue making our dinners darn delicious!
Absolutely delicious! My ENTIRE family, including my picky 13 yr old and his friend loved it! I will make this again and again.
I’m not a huge chicken fan, but wanted something lighter for our grilled meal this weekend. So glad I chose this! I pulled this marinade up literally a half hour before we were to grill and realized it says to marinade for a few hours, but even with just 15 minutes in the marinade the chicken had a light, fresh flavor. Very Greek! The reconstructed gyro platter was phenomenal and filling. We used cucumbers, red bell, red onion, chunks of feta, tzatziki and fries on the side.
These turned out great! I used boneless skinless chicken breast, marinated it overnight, and cooked them on the grill for about 15 minutes. I used more olive oil than the recipe called for when marinating. Put it in pita bread with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce.
Hey, The picture looks so yummy.. i must try this for the weekend.
Excellent a real Greek treat, tasted and looked just as good as the photo. I cooked my on a charcoal BBQ.
Paired with Pita bread, tzatziki, salad and charred green chilli. Brilliant.
One of my go-to meals. Tziazki sauce is a must. The feta cheese is neat touch.
The chicken came out flavorful and juicy! It smelled amazing and tasted just as good as it smelled. Next time I’m making tzatziki sauce to go with it!
Is this Greek yoghurt in the pot with the olive oil on top
Sorry haven’t made it but I couldn’t post without putting a rating. I actually have a question…what do you suggest to make a variation of this in an instant pot? Should I just add some chicken broth? Or would it be better to bake the chicken? Not able to grill at the moment. Thanks for your input.
Oven roast this at preheated 425º for 12 minutes, then broil for a few minutes, turning once or twice.
This was so so good. Will be my new go-to for chicken kebabs and we don’t have to pay $60/meal for Me Va Me takeout anymore!
Fantastic recipe! Too cold / rainy to grill, so I put the chicken pieces on a sheet pan under the broiler, which worked out great.
How long did you leave in for?
We used chicken breast because we had it on hand. Absolutely delicious-now in our “Favorites” file. Paired it with Jasmine rice.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! We put the chicken in the marinade only for three hours and it was still very
tender. The best flavor ever! We are fans! It is a keeper.
We are so glad this was a winner for you, Frances!
I absolutely love getting your emails with gorgeous pictures of food, and I save almost every one of them. This recipe is no exception. I used to get turkey kabobs years ago from a place in Torrance, at the Del Amo Mall of all places. All they sold were these delicious turkey kabobs and I am just sure that your recipe will be as good as theirs. Can’t wait to try it with either turkey or chicken. We must be soul-sisters as to food, as we have the same taste. Thanks, Sister!
Made this recipe last night using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Absolutely delicious! Because I used chicken breasts, I used a little more olive oil, but I think that helped infuse the flavor of the spices.
Great way to do it, Kim! Thanks for sharing with us!
I just found this site and im soooo happy i did! I’m making this tomoro nite! It looks simple, healthy and super easy!!
We are so happy to see you found us! We hope you’ll enjoy our recipes, Blossom! 🙂
I’m getting ready to marinate my chicken now for tonight’s dinner. We are not grill people. Can I bake the kabobs in the oven? Thank you.
Absolutely!
425º for 12 minute, then broil to brown if desired.
These chicken kabobs are amazing! I usually bought my Greek kabobs from my favorite supermarket(pricey), since I didn’t have a good recipe! You have not only saved me money, but provided a great recipe for my guests! I so enjoy your recipes and the beautiful and appetizing photos to go along with it! Always look forward to getting your email!
Looks amazing! Do you make your own Greek salad dressing. If so can you share the recipe? Thanks!!
Missy, I used store-bought dressing for this to save on time. The true star here is the chicken kabobs! 🙂
This looks really TASTY! My husband especially would love it.
Looks delicious! I’m ready to make it! How do you think chicken breast will work?
Thank you!
Luis
Absolutely!
The pictures of your food are always so beautiful, which makes you want to cook the recipes. Will be making this over the weekend.
Wow this is amazing!!! The only thing I would have liked is a recipe for is the beautiful veggies in the picture on the plater to go with it. It looks like it’s in a nice dressing, but can’t see a recipe for the veggies. The chicken was superb.
Found a recipe on the internet for a Greek veggie salad to go with the dish that looked good.
This was a delicious dish,,, thank you
Debbie (from Canada)
Hi Debbie (from Canada)! I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken kabobs! They are so so good.
As for the platter, it’s basically the veggies you see here drizzled with Greek salad dressing. Easy peasy, right?
Thanks, I was wondering that as well!
looks great. Any way of getting the recipe for the sauce in picture
It is tzatziki sauce. 🙂
Tzatziki sauce can be purchased as is from most major supermarkets buts so much better when made fresh , all you do is fresh cucumber fresh crushed garlic and Greek yoghurt,salt and pepper, i mix it to my flavours every ones taste is different it so compliments any Greek dish
Greek chicken kabobs taste delicious on the grill! I also love to use other meats for this recipe, like beef and even lamb!
This looks so good. I can’t wait to try it! Do you just grill regular pocket pita bread, or Greek pita? Any particular brand you like? It looks like the perfect finish to your chicken kabobs!
Any pita bread should work just fine here, Kate! 🙂
This chicken looks incredible! Totally need to try this asap!