Greek Chicken Kabobs
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Super juicy, tender Greek chicken kabobs made with the most flavor-packed marinade! Prep and make ahead of time for an easy weeknight dinner!
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why you’ll love these Greek Chicken Kabobs
- Make-ahead recipe. These chicken kabobs is one of those recipes that you can easily make ahead of time, marinating overnight and cooking (or grilling) right before serving.
- Go-to easy weeknight dinner. With it’s easy prep, you can skip the takeout and drive-thru lines! This recipe is here to save your hectic weeknights and lazy weekends. It’s a simple no-fuss dish, yet so so good.
- Best marinade. Olive oil, lemon juice + zest, paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic, and shallot come together for the most flavorful marinade for the chicken.
- Perfect on the grill. Throw these bad boys on a hot grill for extra, smoky charred flavors during the warmer months.
- Great for entertaining. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled as needed, dressing it up as a platter. The platter is also incredibly easy to whip up, and so darn impressive.
What are Greek chicken kabobs?
These kabobs feature bite-sized pieces of marinated chicken, threaded onto skewers and then charred and grilled, typically served with tzatziki sauce and warm pita. The marinade consists of classic Mediterranean staples such as olive oil, lemon, garlic, and oregano.
Key Ingredients
- Marinade: olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic, shallot, salt, and pepper
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
- Vegetables (optional): bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, or mushrooms
- Sauce: tzatziki sauce
How to make greek chicken kabobs
- Marinate. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic, shallot, salt, and pepper. Stir in the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Thread. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, discarding the leftover marinade. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Prep the grill. Preheat the grill to medium heat (325-375°F) and scrape the grill grates clean to prevent sticking and to guarantee those perfect sear marks on the kabobs.
- Grill. Grill the skewers (or cook on a cast iron grill pan indoors) until charred and fully cooked through (165°F), about 10 minutes.
- Serve. Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving warm with tzatziki sauce.
how to serve greek chicken kabobs
- Platter: serve the kabobs on a platter with warmed (or grilled) pita bread, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and homemade tzatziki sauce for dipping
- Pita sandwiches: fill warmed pitas with chicken (removed from the skewers), romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, feta, and tzatziki sauce
- Grain bowls: place the skewers over cooked grains (ex. lemon rice, quinoa, farro, or couscous) topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, and tzatziki sauce
more favorited kabob recipes
Tools For This Recipe
Greek Chicken Kabobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content, which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken when thrown on the grill.
Metal skewers are sturdy and reusable but note that they will retain heat so please be careful when serving. Wooden skewers can also be used but can burn over a hot grill. I recommend soaking them overnight in water (or at least 30 minutes) prior to using.
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter months when it’s too cold to grill out!
To ensure juicy, moist chicken, marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, avoid overcooking (use an instant-read thermometer) and let it rest prior to serving.
Yes! The chicken can be marinated overnight and placed in the fridge.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
Greek Chicken Kabobs
Video
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, diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
Instructions
- 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.
Equipment
Notes
- An outdoor grill is not necessary. Too cold to grill outside? A cast iron grill pan can be used to get those favorited grill marks and charred flavor.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. While bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch, freshly squeezed is ideal here for its vibrant, stronger flavors.
- Mix it up. Thread bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes or mushrooms to the kabobs for added veggies.
- Work in batches. An overcrowded grill or pan can lead to uneven cooking and poor browning. Work in batches to maintain high heat for a good sear and crispy crust on each chicken skewer.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Let your meat rest. Let your chicken kabob rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover chicken can be rubbery when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
Did you make this recipe?
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Absolutely delicious and very tender! The flavour is amazing too! I accompanied it with Greek Lemon Rice, Greek salad and homemade tzatziki. And I followed this recipe to a ‘T’. I used a cast iron skillet with grill lines instead of my grill and it worked beautifully.
This was a hit at dinner yesterday. The marinade is very tasty. There was second helpings. I will make this again.
Plan on making this for party. Can I marinade this and put it in the freezer a week prior then pull it out a day before or will the citrus make the chicken a nasty texture?
Absolutely my new favorite!!
I made ahead of time (2 days) and froze for a camping trip!
It basically was in marinade in freezer for two days then we defrosted and cooked at our campsite. The flavors were AMAZING, and grilling made it crispy while still juicy!!
Awesome recipe!! I’m all about Greek recipes with lemon now!! Anything with lemon is my favorite!!
Delicious. Had only fresh basil and thyme which were fine. Marinated about 30 hours . Chicken was very flavourful and tender. Thanks!
Love this chicken recipe! So tasty!
Oh my goodness! I made these for the first time about a year ago and now they’re our go to chicken kabob recipe. Everyone loves them! Soooo delicious!
So easy and delicous! I am making it again tonite- I do not have 2 hours, will one hour of marinating be ok?
Another amazing recipe – thank you!!!
Question: what exactly does it mean by “salt and pepper to taste” when you’re making a marinade or prepping the kabobs before you put them on the grill? I’m making these today, so I added a tsp of salt and a half tsp of pepper to the marinade but I have no idea if that’s too much or too little.
Absolutely without a doubt, the very best Kabobs l have made. So tender and so delicious, do not hesitate to make, you will not be disappointed.
This is hands down the best Greek Chicken recipe!! I attempted to duplicate your beautiful platter and it was wonderful. I followed the recipe as written and wouldn’t change a thing!
LOVE this recipe. I did add a touch of honey and soy sauce, delicious!
What a wonderful, tasty, recipe. I left mine to marinate overnight in the fridge. Fired up the BBQ and cooked possible 12 to 15 minutes. Everyone at the dinner table loved them. Looks like l will be making them again, and very soon.
Great flavor; my family loved it!
Made this for the family and they loved it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is going to be a go-to! Delicious. Aded extra paprika and honey as recommended in the comments. Also skewered peppers onto the kebabs. Served with garlic roasties and green salad with Greek dressing.
This recipe was truly fantastic! The chicken was moist and so full of flavor. Definitely keeping this recipe on rotation. Thank you!
Just as many reviewers reported, this recipe will be my go -to recipe for chicken kebabs. I felt like I was eating in a Greek restaurant when I served the kebabs along with the tzatziki. So flavorful and so tender. Extra paprika and honey was added, as suggested by some reviewers Yasoo.
I have made it several times and everyone loved it. I make extra marinade to brush cooked chicken to keep it moist.
Just here to add my 5 stars. I made this tonight to add to my giant salad and WOW. I will be making it again!! I marinated a couple of chicken tenders, since it was only for me, and cooked them up in a cast iron skillet. Tasted amazing in a salad with roasted chickpeas, tomatos, feta and a lemon vinaigrette.