Want To Learn How To Grill Kabobs Without A Recipe We’ll Tell You Everything You Need To Know In This Guide
Grilling kabobs is one of our favorite summer activities. Its a no-fuss way to cook up meat and vegetables without dirtying the kitchen. Serve them on their own for a complete meal, or drizzle them with a killer sauce and round things out with an easy side dish. No matter how you serve kabobs, theyre always delicious.
We have so many easy grilled kabob recipes, but you can also learn how to grill kabobs without a recipe. Read on to learn everything you need to know about grilling the best-ever kabob.
Tips For Cutting Chicken For Kabobs
Use a sharp knife. Make sure your knife is sharp and can easily cut through the meat. You want the pieces to have clean edges and still be thick enough to slide thread through the skewers.
Thaw and trim chicken. Before cutting, double check that your breasts are thawed completely. If theyre still frozen in the middle, theyll be harder to cut through. Also make sure to trim any extra fat or skin off.
Cut all pieces evenly. Its important that all pieces are cut the same size to ensure that they cook evenly on the grill. Aim for 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks.
Recommended Tools For Grilling
- Skewers If using wooden skewers like these, I recommend soaking them in water for 20-30 minutes prior to grilling as they can get burnt really easily over a hot grill. If using metal skewers, make sure that you handle them with care using a hot pad or kitchen tongs as they will get pretty hot.
- Grill Use a proper grill, a BBQ, a grill pan, or an oven.
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How To Grill Kabobs
Once the skewers are prepped and assembled, its time to cook! Here are step-by-step directions on how to grill the juiciest kabobs:
Tips For Easy Grilling Kabobs
This is going to be helpful in many ways, but there is no real, straight order to them. Tips and tricks Ive picked up along the years, so my kabobs end up great. Here they are.
Always leave half an inch between meat bits on the skewer. You can of course cook your meat all bunched up on the skewer. But I recommend you leave a little space, even as the meat is raw. This prevents the meat from overcrowding, which leads to it being less cooked in the parts it meets.
Always soak your wooden skewers or planks before using them. Leave them in cold water for 30-60 minutes before use, so they remain moist and dont burn while you cook with them.
This also prevents them from catching fire, which may sometimes happen and no one wants that.
If you want to be extra-safe, use metal skewers. Not only are they reusable, but they also have no chance of catching fire. They withstand heat much better than wood, and theyre usually flat instead of round. This means your kabobs ingredients wont slide around and thus will cook exactly the way you want them to.
A great metal skewer set can be found on my Best Metal Skewers page, detailing a 10-piece set which is going to help you with any cookout.
Oil will speed up the grill marks. If youre trying to grill fat free, kudos to you. But if youre looking for deep, dark grill marks youre going to need to apply a bit of fat to that kabob, be it meat or veggie.
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The Best Chicken Kabob Marinade
This pantry marinade has a Mediterranean spin that takes the chicken from ordinary to extraordinary.
- Olive Oil. To keep the chicken from sticking. Also, for healthy fats and flavor.
- Red Wine Vinegar. For brightness, pop, and to help the chicken tenderize.
- Honey. To balance the acidity of the vinegar and help the chicken caramelize on the grill.
- Dried Herbs. To go with the Mediterranean chicken kabobs theme, I selected oregano and rosemary. Feel free to swap thyme or Italian seasoning, or create your own custom kabob mix.
- Garlic. Four cloves, no less. Go ahead and up the amount if you have a house of serious garlic lovers.
- Salt and Pepper. Kabob marinade essentials.
How To Make Chicken Kabobs
1. Cut the chicken. Slice the chicken breast into 2-inch pieces. Make sure the chicken pieces are the same size to ensure even cooking.
2. Combine the chicken with 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 3 grated garlic cloves, 1 tbsp grated onion, 2 tbsp white wine, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Cut the vegetables. Cut the bell pepper and red onion into large chunks, about the same size as the chicken.
4. Season the vegetables. Toss the bell pepper and onion pieces with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 3 tbsp olive oil.
5. Skewer and grill. Place the marinated chicken and chopped vegetables on skewers. Grill over medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes, turning once halfway through . Grilling time may vary depending on the size of your chicken and the type of grill.
Also Check: What Temperature To Grill Pork Chops
How To Grill Chicken Kabobs
This recipe is a good starting point if youve never grilled kabobs before.
Chicken is a very forgiving meat, and it will grill beautifully in all cases, whether you marinate it or not.
I recommend you start out with chicken breast, as thats the easiest to work with, even if its not the most flavorful.
This recipe will yield about 6-8 kabobs, and will be great with any grilled veggie you add as a side dish. Youll need:
- 1 large, whole chicken breast, boneless and skinless
- 3-4 wooden skewers
- salt, pepper, a shake of cayenne
- olive oil
Youre going to start simply enough, by washing the chicken breast and then patting it dry.
In the meantime, heat up your grill to medium-high.
Back to the chicken breast, cut it into half-inch thick sizes. You can leave them longer, but make sure theyre not larger than 0.5 at their thickest.
Unless your grills grates are spaced wider than that, so use that as a reference.
Cut up all the chicken into cubes/rectangles, and make sure to leave about half an inch of space between each piece of meat.
Remember that wooden skewers need to be soaked in water for half an hour before use, so they dont burn up. Soak a couple more than you need, you might be left with some extra pieces of meat.
Once all the meat has been places on the skewers, thoroughly salt and pepper it, add a bit of cayenne to an extra kick or leave it out if you want.
Drizzle a bit of olive oil onto the skewers, and rub lightly onto the chicken.
The No 1 Mistake In Kabob
First things first: Wed like to dispel a common kabob-making myth. Multicolored kabobs loaded up with alternating pieces of meat and vegetables look gorgeous, but youll end up sacrificing flavor for beauty. Meat and vegetables cook at different rates, so its better to make separate skewers for meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. Its OK to combine items with similar cooking timeslike onions and peppersbut it would be a mistake to put potatoes and shrimp on the same skewer.
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How Well Done Do You Want It
Another factor that determines how long the you are cooking kabobs on the grill is how well cooked you want everything. The longer you cook your meat and vegetables for, the drier they will be. You have to be careful about overcooking them and drying out your dish.
When you consider how long to grill chicken kabobs on gas grill , think about how juicy and tender the components of the kebab will be. Its definitely tempting to cook everything until the chicken is done, but your various ingredients may need to cook at a different heat for a different duration than the vegetables.
Thats why its advisable to cook at least the meat on its own and then add it to the rest of the kebab and finish cooking them together.
So, when youre looking at how long to cook chicken kabobs on gas grill , you may actually be looking at two separate cook times- one for the initial meat cooking and one for when you grill the kebabs as a whole.
How To Grill Killer Kebabs: Tips For Beef Chicken & Swordfish
Kebabs pack a punch. Theyre quick to make, come from ingredients you probably already have lying around in your kitchen, and should be bursting with flavor. There are many types of meat and vegetables that grill well. Meat and vegetables cut into chunks have plenty of surface area for soaking in flavorful marinades. And the marinades can be as simple or as elaborate as you want them to beor you can even use your favorite dry rubs.
But most people neglect the few grilling fundamentals that separate truly great kebabs from mere mediocre kebabs. Its about more than just marinades. Learn the techniques you need for killer kebabs this week.
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How To Make Grilled Chicken Kabobs
As mentioned above, grilled chicken kabobs are a great option for a quick warm weather dinner! The marinating can take a while but the rest of the prep work will only take you about 20 minutes.
Kabob construction can be broken down into two processes: marinating the chicken and cooking the kabobs. Heres how you do it:
When And How To Serve
As you can guess, these are perfect for an outdoor BBQ. Folks always gobble these up very quickly when we make them. Consider doubling the recipe if youre feeding a crowd.
The preparation is so simple, it also makes an easy, but delicious weeknight meal.
Wonderful sides include:
No matter how you serve them, you will get rave reviews!
Folks, this is one of those recipes that is so great to have handy.
If you dont have chicken thighs, then go with chicken breasts!
Its so versatile, so festive, and so delicious! And most importantlydont forget the sauce!
Ready to take your BBQ options to the next level, with complete ease? Go for it!
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Variations Of This Recipe
- SPICY if you like a little more heat, add some cayenne pepper to the rub and/or use a spicy bbq sauce!
- OTHER MEAT Ive used chicken breasts here because my kids prefer white meat, but boneless chicken thighs would be amazing, and even juicier! Cubed pork tenderloin would be another amazing option, as would shrimp!
- OTHER VEGGIES the sky is the limit on what veggies you can add. Peppers and onions are a pretty common variety, but zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, etc are also delicious! Mango would also be amazing used in place of the pineapple.
- while its pretty to have the alternating chicken, fruit and veggies, it can be a little tricky to make sure the meat is fully cooked and the veggies and fruit arent burnt. If youre new to grilling, or simply want this meal to be even easier, do separate skewers of chicken/bacon, and veggies/fruit.
- STORE-BOUGHT RUB there are so many great pre-made rubs out there nowadays, and you can certainly use one of those if youd rather not make your own.
- HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE if youd rather use a homemade bbq sauce, you can absolutely go for it! I really love my Bourbon BBQ sauce on these kabobs.
What To Serve With Chicken Kabobs
These grilled chicken kabobs have your protein and veggies covered! Theres no specific side that you should serve with kabobs, but here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- Grains. A bed of Lemon Rice is a delicious complement to this dish. White, brown, or cauliflower rice would also work well.
- Bread + Hummus. Serve the kabobs with some warm pita bread and hummus for dipping. YUM!
- Salad. Top a bed of chopped romaine, arugula, or spinach, with a drizzle of a creamy dressing or vinaigrette and the kabobs. < This is my favorite way to eat the leftovers! I like ranch or a simple vinaigrette like the one in my Italian Farro Salad.
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The Best Chicken Kabobs
Grilled Chicken Kabobs are a fun and delicious way to serve up some chicken for dinner. Incredibly flavorful, super tender and juicy, these chicken kabobs are beautiful on a plate with some Grilled Vegetables and Grilled Potatoes. Bake a quick loaf of Garlic Bread and youve got a complete spring or summer meal thats perfect for weeknights with your family or even a outdoor dinner party.
Older kids can help in the kitchen, too! Just set up the chunks of chicken and skewers and let them get to work threading chicken onto the skewers.
How Long To Grill Chicken Kabobs
Grill! Place the skewers on your preheated grill, the grilling will take around 10-15 minutes turning halfway through . Make sure that the chicken is cooked through and is golden brown, but avoid overcooking the chicken as it can dry out and become tough. So keep a close eye on the chicken.
Serve serve the chicken kabobs warm while theyre still tender and juicy.
I usually serve grilled chicken kabobs with turmeric rice for its vibrant color and summer taste with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.
Also Check: Gas Grilling Chicken Breast
Serving Suggestions For Chicken Kabobs
Now that you have a plate of delicious chicken kabobs to serve, what should you serve them with? You cant really go wrong, but these are a few of my favorite summer sides for kabobs:
- Tzatziki Sauce: Serving chicken kabobs with BBQ sauce is always a safe choice, but I also love to serve them with homemade Tzatziki sauce!
- Rice: Keep it simple and serve your kabobs over a bed of rice. You can go with white rice, brown rice, quinoa, or some other type of grain whatever best fits your preferences!
- Pita Bread: If you like tzatziki sauce with your kabobs, why not make some pita bread as well? Its super easy, and its such a versatile appetizer/side dish.
- Salad: Sometimes I like to chop up the grilled veggies and toss them in a light green salad. You can also make some more roasted or grilled veggies to go on the side of your kabobs if you like .
What Youll Need To Make Greek Chicken Kabobs
These wonderful greek chicken kabobs are made with a few summer staples and are loaded with flavor. I absolutely love when there are tender, sweet bell peppers served with my greek chicken, so were using all three stoplight bell peppers in the recipe, too! These are the basics youll need :
- Chicken: youll need one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- Veggies: were packing in all of the fresh summer produce with red, yellow and green bell pepper, plus a zingy red onion.
- the homemade greek marinade is what makes these kabobs extra special! See below for all of the deets.
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How To Check The Doneness Of The Chicken
The best way to check the doneness of the chicken is by inserting a kitchen thermometer in the center of the chicken piece, and the internal temperature of the chicken should read 165°F or 75°C.
If you dont own a kitchen thermometer, I highly recommend that you invest in one to use for chicken, meat, bakes, and candy making. The one that Ive been using for the past 6 years is this one, it gives you accurate instant readings within 3 seconds. And I really love it!
The Juiciest Grilled Chicken Kabobs
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Learn how to make the juiciest grilled chicken kabobs with this easy chicken recipe. Multiple seasoning options included!
Cheers to the long weekend ahead everyone!
I hope that lots of warm summery sunshine, ice cold drinks, flowy sundresses and flip flops, maybe some splashes in the pool, long evenings outdoors, and easy hangs with the people you love most are on the agenda wherever life may find you this weekend.
Ive been counting down the days until this weekend for months myself because you guys Barclay and I are finally headed home to Kansas City together for the first time since moving to Barcelona!! Last year, we both ended up having to take separate trips back for different commitments that we both had on the calendar. But this will be the first time that weve returned to KC in nearly two years as a couple, and I absolutely cannot wait. Were so ready to be back in the Midwest, see the friends and family we adore, eat all of the Mexican food and drink all of the iced coffees we can find, make a much-anticipated Target run, celebrate one of my best friends wedding, and leave behind the European double-kiss for awhile to give out so many hugs. Oh man, Im so excited. Cant wait to be back home.
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