Lemon and Garlic Chicken Kebabs

You had me at kebab. There is something gratifyingly carnivorous about breaking down meat, piercing it with a sharp object, and cooking it over an open flame. My inner cavewoman was happy, while at the same time my more refined palate was equally as delighted.

This recipe for lemon and garlic chicken kebabs had a beautiful balance of flavors. The earthiness of the oregano blooms as it is grilled. The bright lemon shines through in every bite. I actually grabbed an extra lemon, halved it and threw it on the grill with my chicken. Then, I served my skewers over a bed of mixed greens. I drizzled the plate with olive oil, a squeeze of charred lemon, salt, and pepper. I even shaved some parmesan over the top. It made for a gorgeous, healthy, delectable twist on grilled chicken salad using these little flavor bombs on a kebab. This one is a keeper!

I loved the flavor combination of lemon and garlic chicken kebabs! I am not a seasoned griller, but the directions were very clear and guided me through the process. This grilling recipe gave me confidence! I used a thermometer once I thought the chicken was “springy” at 7 minutes and ended up adding another 2 minutes to the cook time. I noticed the chicken pieces in the middle of the skewer took longer to cook compared to the outermost pieces, so I recommend testing the middle chicken pieces when deciding whether the chicken skewer is fully cooked. I added the chicken to a Greek salad I made as a side, and that was the best decision I made. The chicken needed a little extra flavor and dressing to round it out.

I have a go-to souvlaki recipe that takes 2 days from start to finish, which is both indescribably delicious and inconvenient. This recipe for lemon and garlic chicken kebabs is the closest thing I’ve come across that delivers on taste but cuts down on the waiting. This isn’t described as souvlaki but, for us, it came very close.

I used a combination of thighs and one breast (it was just what I happened to have at the time). The thighs were definitely more flavorsome but that’s the beauty of thighs, right?

Marinate the chicken chunks and when you’re ready to eat, line them up on the pre-soaked skewers and get grilling. I used Mexican oregano (because I had some) and it added even more citrus flavor. I let the chicken marinate for 3 hours, soaking the skewers for 10 minutes before threading and grilling. Served with warm pitas, tzatziki, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and a lot of feta cheese, these were a big hit.

We really enjoyed the Mediterranean flavors that this very simple marinade brought to the lemon and garlic chicken kebabs. I only marinated the chicken for 20 minutes and found that the chicken had perfectly incorporated flavors from the oregano, garlic, and lemon. Be sure to crush the dried oregano between your fingers to release the oil left in the leaves and bring out more flavor.

I like to “massage” the pieces while they are resting in the marinade and rotate the bag. Grilling the kebabs needs to be done carefully – not enough cooking and the chicken will be underdone, too much and the chicken will be tough and dry. It’s a fine line especially since the pieces on the skewers may be slightly larger or smaller, or they may be getting more or less heat from different areas of the grill. All of that said, the timing should be adapted to your grill and if in any doubt about the doneness of the chicken, you can use an instant-read thermometer to be sure your chicken is cooked to a temperature of 165 degrees.

The photo shows metal skewers but the instructions indicate wooden skewers, so I believe either will work. I chose to use metal skewers for this type of grilling since the metal will generate more heat to the inside of the chicken pieces. A very good, and good for you dish, which can be made in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe for lemon and garlic chicken kebabs is the type I like to make in the summer, minimal ingredients, easy to make, quick to cook, and flavorful. The recipe can be increased to feed a crowd or for leftovers.

I skewered chicken tenders (had in the freezer), marinated, and brushed with olive oil just before grilling and did not add the oil after cooking. Next time I’ll double the recipe and freeze half as suggested. I liked this recipe very much, and leftovers were just as good added to an orzo and tomato salad the next day.

WOW – this simple recipe really packs a flavor punch – I’ll keep it in my back pocket since I always have all these ingredients on hand. Threading the chicken on the skewers and marinating directly is a brilliant tip and it’s helpful to know they freeze well in the marinade too.

The flavor of these lemon and garlic chicken kebabs was so good and the chicken was so tender, paired with some rice and a Greek salad, it was a fabulous summer meal that would work well on a weeknight but also for guests.

A quick chicken dish full of flavor? Count me in for these lemon and garlic chicken kebabs. I made this for an impromptu dinner when family showed up unexpectedly. I used 2 lbs of chicken breast cut into 2-inch cubes since that’s what I had in the fridge.

The marinade is quick to make up and uses ingredients readily available in most kitchens. I marinated the pieces for 2 hours before grilling them up. The marinade smelled wonderful. We heated the grill to high and grilled the skewers for 2 minutes per side before lowering the heat and finishing them off for another 6 minutes. Along with a quick Greek salad, and some sausages for the kiddies this was a great dinner and, on the table, quickly. We got 4 servings of chicken.

These lemon and garlic chicken kebabs are flavorful, easy to make, and there’s a good chance you have all of the ingredients on hand! The chicken thigh cubes were tender and well-seasoned, even after only a 20 minute marinade. I’m looking forward to making these again and letting them marinate for a little longer to really bump up the flavor.

I put the cubed chicken in a freezer bag with the marinade and refrigerated them for about 1-1/2 hours. I took the bag out of the refrigerator to warm up for about half an hour, and then threaded the chicken on skewers just before cooking.

I served the lemon and garlic chicken kebabs with steamed rice, steamed corn, and mashed kabocha. The chicken was very good – tender, moist, and with a pronounced lemon flavor. And the recipe couldn’t be simpler.

The final result was very good and the lemon and garlic chicken kebabs were moist which I love! I cleaned the chicken thighs removing all fatty pieces and washing them thoroughly, then cut them in cubes. Preparing the marinade was very easy, next time I’ll use a square container since my bag was leaking and difficult to rub the marinade into the chicken.

I’m giving this recipe a TC because it delivers what it advertised and was quick and easy to bring together. I struggled a little because there was no wow factor with these lemon and garlic chicken kebabs, which is typically what pushes recipes into the TC category for me. But a solid dish that delivers excellent flavors, is straightforward and not fussy gets me there. Plus, it’s a dish that can be enhanced in many ways by adding some veggies or other treats to the skewers.

I’d let the chicken cook longer on high heat to get that Maillard reaction really going. I used boneless chicken breasts, next time I will definitely go with thighs for greater moisture. Served with grilled broccoli and grilled green beans.