The BEST Grilled Chicken Shish Kabobs (Easy)
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Grilling season is upon us and we like to take full advantage of it. Even though we grill year round at my house, there is nothing like summer grilling and eating dinner on skewers outdoors. This is the easiest 5 ingredient chicken shish kabob recipe and the only one you need. It turns out juicy and delicious with minimal ingredients and prep work.
I have a number of kabob recipes and i like to make them on rotation but this is the best chicken kabobs recipe that is the easiest, tastiest, juiciest and the one that satisfies everyone which is why we keep going back to it over and over again.
This chicken shish kabob recipe is made with simple ingredients you are likely to have in your pantry such as onion, fresh garlic, mayonnaise and Johnny’s Seasoning Salt. The only time-consuming part of the recipe is cleaning the chicken thighs and threading meat onto skewers. The rest is a breeze.
If you do not yet own Johnny’s brand seasoning salt, i highly recommend getting your hands on it as it simplifies a list of ingredients needed and it tastes amazing (no this isn’t sponsored) It is widely available in most grocery stores as well as online. I use this seasoning salt in a lot of my recipes and do not recommend substituting another seasoning salt as the results WILL NOT BE THE SAME!!
Can i use chicken breast for this recipe?
Yes you can. However keep in mind, chicken breast is more dry, therefore cooking time will be much quicker.
Do i have to marinate chicken kabobs overnight?
It is best to give the meat time to absorb marinate flavors but i have also marinated in the morning and grilled for dinner the same day, they turned out very good too. For best results, allow at least 3-4 hours to marinate.
What hardwood pellet flavors are good for grilling meat?
Our personal favorites are fruity flavors such as cherry and apple. Some other good ones that add great flavor are fruitwood or oak. It is best to look for pellets that are real hardwood with no fillers.
Stainless steel metal skewers vs. Wooden bamboo skewers?
If you can get your hands on good heavy duty metal skewers, they are better then wooden ones. You don’t have to worry about them burning on the grill, you can reuse them, thread more meat on one skewer, easier to handle and rotate on the grill.
The only time i would use wooden skewers is when you go camping or grilling at a park, it’s less clean up and more hassle free.
What are chicken shish kabobs good served with?
These chicken shish kabobs literally pair well with just about anything. A side of potatoes like our Chunky Creamy & Garlicky Baby Potatoes or double baked potatoes. A bed of steamed rice with vegetables. A fresh salad or roasted beets salad. Whatever your taste buds are craving, these flavorful chicken kabobs is a great way to fulfill those cravings. Easy recipe is easy dinner your whole family can enjoy.
You can choose to serve these chicken kebabs on a skewer or use a fork to pull the chicken pieces off the skewers into a serving bowl and garnish with fresh herbs, lemon zest or red onions just for garnish and some color (totally optional).
Chicken Kabob marinade ingredients:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Johnny’s Seasoning Salt
- Mayonnaise
Instructions to make chicken shish kabobs:
- Wash and paper towel dry the chicken thighs and trim off any excess fat and/or membranes.
- Cut the chicken into 1.5-2 inch pieces and add them into a large bowl.
- Cut the onion into slices and add it to the chicken together with pressed garlic cloves, and Johnny’s seasoning salt.
- At this time squeeze the onion slices very hard in your hands to release as much onion juice as possible, repeat as many times as needed until the onion is broken up and most of the juices have been released. (The onion should be somewhat wilted)
- Lastly, add the mayonnaise and mix everything very well to combine, cover the chicken with plastic wrap or put in an airtight container and leave it out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to an hour before transferring to the fridge overnight.
- This recipe is best marinated overnight or up to 2 nights in the fridge. (at least 3-4hours)
- Before grilling, take the meat out of the fridge to come up to room temperature or close to room temperature if possible. This will help the meat cook evenly and prevent overcooking making a juicy chicken kabob instead of a dry one.
- Preheat your grill to about 400F and plan on grilling it for about 10-15 minutes turning the skewers a few times throughout so that they brown nicely on all sides.
- The kabobs are ready when the juices from the chicken run clear or when the internal temperature reaches 165F on an instant read meat thermometer.
Note: If you are using wooden bamboo skewers, be sure to place skewers in water for at least 15-20 minutes. This will help the wooden skewers not burn on the grill.
If you are using a as grill, it is in your best practice to spray down hot grill grates with a little olive oil to avoid meat sticking to the grates
Add Colorful Vegetables:
You can add colorful vegetables such as onions, zucchini or yellow, orange or red bell peppers on the skewers between the meat. For best results, I like to cut the vegetables in about same size pieces as the meat and season them with salt, pepper and oil and toss them around in a bowl prior to threading them on the skewers. Add pressed garlic for an extra boost of flavor. (optional)
Add BBQ sauce:
One other thing i like to do to switch things up a little bit is brushing your favorite BBQ sauce over the chicken skewers minutes before they’re ready to come off the grill. Totally optional for this recipe but when you just want to mix things up, give this a try.
HAPPY GRILLING! If you loved this recipe, i would love it if you came back here and gave me a 5 star rating or tell me how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #alenashomecooking. I love seeing your creations.
The BEST Grilled Chicken Shish Kabobs (Easy)
The easiest 5 ingredient shish kabob recipe and the only one you need. It turns out juicy and delicious with minimal prep work.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Chicken Thighs (trimmed and cleaned)
- 1 large Onion
- 2-3 cloves fresh Garlic (pressed)
- 2.5 tsp Johnny's Seasoning Salt
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
Instructions
-
Wash and paper towel dry the chicken thighs and trim off any excess fat and/or membranes.
Cut the chicken into 1.5-2 inch pieces.
-
Cut the onion into slices and add it to the chicken together with pressed garlic, and Johnny's seasoning salt. At this time squeeze the onion slices very hard in your hands to release as much onion juice as possible, repeat as many times as needed until the onion is broken up and most of the juices have been released. (The onion should be somewhat wilted)
-
Mix everything very well to combine, cover the chicken with plastic wrap and leave it out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to an hour before transferring to the fridge overnight.
This recipe is best marinated overnight or up to 2 nights in the fridge.
-
Before grilling, take the meat out of the fridge to come up to room temperature or close to room temperature if possible. This will help the meat cook evenly and prevent overcooking making a juicy kabob instead of a dry one.
-
Preheat your grill to about 400F and plan on grilling it for about 10-15 minutes turning the skewers a few times throughout so that they brown nicely on all sides.The kabobs are ready when the juices from the chicken run clear or when the internal temp reaches 165F on an instant read thermometer.
Recipe Notes
If you are using Wooden skewers, be sure to soak the skewers in water for at least 15-20 minutes. This will help the sticks not burn on the grill.
You can add vegetables such as onions or bell peppers on the skewers between the meat. For best results, I like to cut the vegetables in about same size pieces as the meat and season them with salt, pepper and oil and toss them around in a bowl. Add pressed garlic for an extra boost of flavor.
One other thing i like to do to switch things up a little bit is brushing your favorite BBQ sauce over the chicken skewers minutes before they’re ready to come off the grill. Totally optional for this recipe but when you just want to mix things up, give this a try.
Hi Alena! This was the best recipe Thank you for sharing it. My husband said this is “restaurant quality”.
This recipe is a keeper.
God bless your beautiful family!!!
That salad looks yummy too!. How did you make it? Thanks