During the summer, I love to have friends over for a cook out. So I’m always looking for easy recipes to make on the grill. This delicious lemon chicken shish kabobs recipe is one of my favorites!
Grilled Lemon Chicken Shish Kabobs Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. We make a small commission if you buy the products from these links (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. But we only recommend products we would use ourselves. For more information, click here to see our disclosures.
These grilled lemon chicken shish kabobs are easy to make and have a ton of flavor.
Since they benefit from being marinated for a couple of hours, they do need to be made a little in advance, but I think they are worth the wait!
And being made in advance can work in your favor if you’re looking for a tasty finger food to serve for a party.
Ingredients
Okay, here’s the shopping list for this lemon chicken shish kabobs recipe.
Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts work best
Oil: Any mild flavored oil will work, but I like to use olive oil
Acid: Lemon juice used in the marinade will help to keep the chicken breast tender.
Spices: Oregano, cumin, cilantro
Salt: I use fine sea salt.
Pepper: This recipe uses both black pepper and red pepper flakes.
Garlic: Mincing 2 fresh garlic cloves tastes best, but you can also use 2 teaspoons of pre-minced garlic
Supplies
To make the lemon chicken shish kabobs, you’ll need the following supplies:
- a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, or a large ziploc bag
- carving knife
- 15 wooden skewers. Soaking the skewers in water for a few minutes will help to keep them from burning.
- grilling basket (optional)
How To Make Grilled Lemon Chicken Shish Kabobs
To start, chop the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes.
To make sure the chicken cooks evenly, try to cut all the pieces about the same size.
Then mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl or ziploc bag.
Add the chicken to the bowl (or bag) and toss it until the chicken is coated with the marinade.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
Once the chicken has been marinated, thread 4 to 5 cubes of meat onto each of the wooden skewers.
Let the chicken warm to room temperature before cooking, about 30 minutes. This will help it to cook through evenly.
Placing the shish kabobs in a grilling basket will make managing all of the skewers easier.
Grill over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until no longer pink inside, turning every 3 to 4 minutes.
Serve the chicken on the skewers for an easy to pick up finger food.
Lemon Chicken Shish Kabobs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
To Marinate:
- Mix all of the ingredients except for the chicken in a large bowl.
- Chop the chicken into 1" squares.
- Add the chicken to the marinade.
- Mix to coat the chicken.
- Cover the chicken and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours.
To Cook:
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat the grill to medium high (or turn on the broiler if you are going to cook them in the oven).
- Thread the chicken on to skewers.
- Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until no longer pink inside, turning every 3 to 4 minutes.
- Serve with the skewers for an easy to pick up finger food. Or remove them from the skewers to serve over rice.