Greek Chicken Kabobs
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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.
Tools For This Recipe
Metal skewers or wooden skewers
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.
Absolutely! You can substitute rosemary (dried or fresh!) or any other herb of your choosing. And because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
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!
Greek Chicken Kabobs
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
Equipment
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.
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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! 🙂