Classic Middle-Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers

These Chicken Skewers are the tastiest way to prepare chicken for a crowd. Serve with Oven-Baked Fries or side salad for a complete meal.

The Middle East is a land of spices, stews, and grilled meats, and that’s exactly what we’re cooking here — grilled chicken marinated in Middle Eastern spices. Grilling on skewers ensures that the chicken pieces stay juicy and tender.

They’re marinated with onion juice, lemon, and spices that make them incredibly easy to make but also something everyone is bound to enjoy! In fact, the first I grilled these I ran out of them because everyone loved the juicy chicken kabobs so much!

Grilled Chicken Skewers are my go-to for a warm-weather day while entertaining guests. Kids seem to enjoy these just as much as adults do. Serve it with a side of French fries, salad, or with some delicious basmati rice – either way, they’re going to be a crowd-pleaser for sure!

What are Chicken Skewers?

Chicken skewers are marinated chunks of chicken threaded onto skewers, usually along with some vegetables as well (though not necessarily so). You can alternate the chicken pieces with vegetables, or just stack up cubed chickens on top of each other.

There are also beef skewers or just vegetable ones! We’ll be making Middle Eastern style Chicken Skewers today that are absolutely scrumptious.

What is a Skewer?

A skewer is a thin wood (usually bamboo) or metal stick that holds pieces of food on it. Food is threaded (or ‘skewered’) onto the skewers and can then be grilled together. This means to poke the meat and vegetable through the pointy end of the stick and line up the meat and/or vegetables onto it. It’s usually used while grilling or roasting different meats and vegetables together.

How Do I Prep My Skewers Before Grilling?

If you’re using metal ones, you don’t need to do anything to prep them (apart from giving them a quick wash).

But if you’re using bamboo or wood ones, soak your skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. If possible, soaking them overnight is best!

The reason why we do this is that the bamboo ones can catch fire or burn while grilling. Leaving them in water allows water to soak up the moisture from them and prevent any burning or breakage.

Since it takes a while for the water to soak into them, doing it overnight is best. But a minimum of 30 minutes can work.

So, give them a quick (or overnight soak) to get the best results!

How Long Should I Marinate the Chicken?

The longer you leave the chicken in the marinade, the stronger and better the taste will be. I would recommend a minimum of 4 hours or overnight for best results!

You can, technically, marinate it for only an hour but you will lose out on flavor in that case. But if you have guests coming over and want to quickly prep them – go for it! While at it, don’t forget to soak your bamboo skewers!

Can I Prep my Chicken Skewers the Night Before?

Absolutely! This is what makes them perfect for a barbecue party. While you can definitely marinate them for only an hour, leaving them marinated overnight will make them taste even better.

Just place the skewers in a pan or baking sheet and cover it with plastic wrap. Pop them in the fridge overnight, along with the vegetables in the skewers, and take them out before you’re about the start grilling them. Super easy and efficient!

Which vegetables can I use with the chicken skewers?

I’ve opted for zucchinis in my recipe but there are a ton of different veggies you can go for! Red onions, bell peppers, whole garlic cloves, and cherry tomatoes go really well with this recipe.

Although not strictly Middle Eastern, but you can also go for mushrooms or pineapple chunks – anything you fancy! Make this recipe your own and experiment with whatever you have on hand. That’s the best part of making Chicken Skewers, they’re so versatile!

What do I need to make them?

This is probably the simplest but most delicious chicken recipe you’ll ever try! Here’s what you need to make it:

Chicken: I’ve opted for skinless chicken breasts in my recipe, but you can also choose to use skinless chicken thighs instead.

Onions: The delicious flavor of the chicken, in part, comes from doing a nifty little thing to the onions! We’ll extract the juice from it (it’s super simple) but read on below to know how exactly. Trust me it’s way easier than it sounds.

Lemon juice and vinegar: Two different acidic agents but both add that extra tang and zest to the recipe.

Olive oil: We’ll only need 1 tablespoon of it which makes this recipe great in terms of nutrition and low in calories!

Spices: Black pepper and paprika or red chili powder (optional) are all you need for it. And of course, salt to taste (I’ve used ½ teaspoon in the recipe).

Assorted veggies: I’ve used zucchinis in my recipe, but you can use cherry tomatoes, whole cloves of garlic, bell peppers, onions, or any other vegetable you feel like grilling!

How to make Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers?

This recipe is incredibly easy. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Extract onion juice: Start by mincing or grating onions. Next squeeze them using your hands (make sure to wash them first!), and the juice will come out. Collect it in a bowl.
2. Create marinade: To the onion juice, add vinegar and the rest of the ingredients excluding the chicken. Mix it all well. The color might turn pink, that’s normal when you mix onion juice with vinegar.
3. Marinate chicken: Cut the chicken into 2-inch chunks and add them to the marinade you made in the previous step. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least for four hours.
4. Chop veggies: Pick whichever veggies you want and cut them into cubes as well.
5. Skewer the chicken and veggies: Skewer the marinated chicken cubes and veggies on the skewers. Next, grill on a grilling skillet or an electric grill, but make sure the heat is high. Grill the chicken on each side, for 3 minutes or until done. You can reduce the heat to medium-high heat if you’re afraid to burn the chicken.
6. Ready to serve: When done serve hot with salad on the side, or French fries (if that’s more your thing!).

What's the best way to eat chicken skewers?

Usually, it’s not a problem for people to eat the chicken and veggies straight off the skewers (how it’s traditionally done), but you can also slide the ingredients off the skewer onto a plate before having them.

For kids, I’d definitely suggest taking the chicken and veggies off the skewer before serving it to them.

Tips to make the juiciest Chicken Skewers

• Grilling chicken on high heat will seal it from the outside and keep all the juices inside, this will cook the chicken breast and keep it tender.
• Marinating the chicken for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) will result in the best flavor.
• Make sure to soak your bamboo sticks for at least 30 minutes (or preferably overnight) so they don’t burn while you’re grilling the chicken.
• Use different veggies according to your preference to make this recipe your own!
• When skewering the chicken and veggies, you can do it in whatever order you prefer.

More Recipes to Try

Chicken Tikka.

Shish Tawook.

Teriyaki Chicken.

📖 Recipe