Greek Chicken Kebabs
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Grilled Chicken Kebabs served with warmed pita bread and my fresh and easy tzatziki sauce is an absolutely delicious, healthy meal you can prepare on the grill, in the oven, or on a grill pan on top of the stove.
Marinated in fresh lemon juice and herbs, these savory and sizzling kabobs are simple yet impressive. Prep and marinate your veggies, thread ingredients onto skewers, and grill until slightly charred and beautifully tender!
Light and fresh Greek chicken kabobs with creamy and tangy Tzatziki sauce are guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser, especially for these final hot and sunny summer days.
Marinated in fresh lemon juice and herbs, these chicken kabobs are both healthy and delicious!
It’s the perfect weeknight dinner to prepare ahead of time. I like to toss the chicken and veggies in the marinade before leaving for work. That way, the remaining dinner prep only takes minutes when I arrive back home. Win, win!
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know I’m a big fan of Greek flavors. My Mediterranean Chopped Salad and Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade are prime examples.
Plus, if you enjoy making kabobs, you may also want to check out my Smoky Chicken Kabobs.
Key ingredients & substitutions for Greek Chicken Kabobs
Kabobs
- Chicken breasts — You can’t have chicken kabobs without quality, skinless chicken breasts.
- Bell peppers — You’ll need one green and one sweet red bell pepper to thread onto the skewer. When picking them out, ensure the peppers are vibrant in color and lack any soft spots or discoloration.
- Sweet onion — For the best flavor, choose a large sweet onion, but any onion works.
- Lemon juice — I recommend squeezing fresh lemon juice from the fruit. However, if you want to make the prep a little easier or if you need to finish off a bottle in your fridge, you can use bottled lemon juice.
- Dijon mustard — For the marinade, purchase some tangy Dijon mustard. Stone ground mustard or even yellow mustard work as suitable substitutes.
- Fresh Herbs — Since my herb garden has flourished this year, I love incorporating thyme, rosemary, and Italian parsley into the marinade. If you use dried herbs, remember to use half the amount.
How to make Grilled Greek Chicken Kabobs
For the best flavor, use fresh herbs.
STEP 1 | Make the marinade
Mince the rosemary, remove the thyme leaves, and chop the parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, herbs, and black pepper.
STEP 2 | Prep the chicken and veggies
You’ll begin preparing these delish chicken kabobs by patting the chicken breasts dry using paper towels. Next, cut the chicken into cubes about 2 inches in size and place them into a gallon-size resealable bag.
Onto the veggies! Grab your green and red bell peppers and remove the seeds and ribs. Then, cut the peppers into 2-inch pieces, similar to the size of your chicken cubes.
Next, peel the onion and cut it into wedges, separating the layers. Then place all those veggies in the bag with the chicken.
STEP 3 | Refrigerate and Marinate
Pour the marinade into the bag, then seal the bag and mix the ingredients to ensure the marinade evenly coats the chicken, bell peppers, and onions. Pop the bag into the refrigerator and allow it to sit for at least 4 hours.
The longer you allow the ingredients to marinate, the better. If possible, keep the bag in the refrigerator for a full 24 hours.
tip
- While the chicken and veggies marinate, put together my delicious cucumber sauce recipe so those ingredients have time to chill in the fridge.
STEP 4 | Assemble kabobs and grill
Once you’re ready to cook the Greek chicken Kabobs, preheat your grill to medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grill grates.
After the chicken and veggies have marinated for long enough, thread them onto bamboo or metal skewers. Then, discard the marinade.
Finally, grill the skewers for about 10 minutes, turning as needed, until the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables are tender.
tip
- When using bamboo skewers, soak them first. This helps prevent them from flaming up on the grill and avoids any unwanted splintering as you thread the chicken and veggies onto the skewer. Simply place the skewers in a pan long enough to lay flat and cover with water for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
You know chicken is done if the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. For more accurate cooking, use an instant-read thermometer to measure the internal temperature, which should be 165 degrees.
When cooking kabobs, the vegetables and chicken must be cut so that everything touches when the kabobs lay flat on the grill. That way, the cooking will be more even.
Furthermore, thread the chicken and veggies as evenly as possible, having the skewer pierce through the center of each ingredient.
Wrap the skewers in aluminum foil and place in a 325-degree oven until heated through, which will take about 15 minutes. You can also remove the chicken and vegetables from the skewers and reheat them in the microwave for quick and easy leftovers.
Absolutely! To cook kabobs on the stove, preheat a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Lightly oil the pan. Cook the skewers for 10 minutes, turning as needed.
For the oven, preheat to 400 degrees. Place the skewers on baking sheets lined with aluminum foil lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, turning midway through until the chicken is fully cooked.
What to serve with Chicken Kabobs
Truly, this versatile dish can be served with many different options, depending on what you desire. Pair these tasty kabobs with pita bread and dipping sauce, over rice or pasta, or even on top of a Greek salad.
- Try some warmed Naan bread or stuff the chicken and veggies in a pita pocket and garnish with cucumber sauce.
- Serve with a side of healthy Greek coleslaw.
- Place the skewers on top of this easy rice pilaf.
- Pile the grilled chicken and Vegetables on top of a leafy green salad with homemade Greek salad dressing.
Greek Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
Kabobs
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 large sweet onion
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Tzatziki Sauce
Instructions
Kabobs
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and cut into 2-inch cubes. Place the cubes into a gallon-size zip lock bag.
- Remove the seeds and ribs from the bell peppers and cut into 2-inch pieces. Peel the onion and cut into wedges, separating the layers. Place the veggies in the bag with the chicken.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and black pepper.
- Pour the marinade into the bag, seal, and mix to coat the ingredients. Refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium-high heat, about 400 degrees and lightly oil the grill grates.
- Thread the chicken and vegetables onto skewers, discarding the marinade. Grill the skewers for 10 minutes, turning as needed, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees) and the vegetables are tender.
Notes
- To remove excess moisture from the grated cucumber, wrap in cheesecloth and squeeze or place in a fine mesh colander and use the back of a spoon to press out the moisture.
To cook kabobs on the stove:
Preheat a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Lightly oil the pan. Cook the skewers for 10 minutes, turning as needed.To cook kabobs in the oven:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the skewers on baking sheets lined with aluminum foil lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, turning midway through, until the chicken is done.Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Sheila Thigpen
Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer
Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.
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