Our healthy, tasty oven-baked chicken kabobs are easy to make at home or on your barbecue. Skip takeout and try our simple recipe to create flavorful chicken kebabs that match those from your favorite Middle Eastern restaurant, kitchen, or out back on your barbecue.
It couldn't be easier. Forget the takeout and use our simple recipe to make flavorful chicken kebabs that rival your favorite Middle Eastern restaurant.
Made with simple ingredients, our Indian-inspired seasonings add depth of flavor to oven-baked chicken kabobs, tantalizing your taste buds.
Our homemade Riata sauce is the perfect accompaniment for our delightfully seasoned, juicy chicken kabobs. The Greek yogurt in the sauce, along with the cucumbers, has a cooling effect that complements the seasonings.
Our flavorful chicken kabobs are guaranteed to become a family favorite. It's one of my favorite easy chicken recipes that I never get tired of making or eating.
We like to prepare the skewers the night before for those busy weeknight dinners that happen more often than not, and with the foil-lined pan, cleanup is a breeze!
If you enjoyed our oven-baked chicken skewers, make sure to try our beef kofta kabobs and shrimp and pineapple skewers!
Ingredients to make Chicken Kabobs
Get set before you start! One of my favorite sayings is that an ounce of preparation equals a pound of cure. A few minutes spent prepping and measuring your ingredients makes cooking smoother, faster, and way more fun.
How to make Chicken Kabobs
Follow my easy step-by-step instructions on how to make baked chicken kabobs in your home kitchen.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes before preparing to let it begin to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a sheet pan (or rimmed baking sheet) with aluminum foil (or parchment paper), place a wire rack on top, then spray with cooking spray. Set aside until needed.
*The foil will make for an easy cleanup.
- Add the smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, coriander, black pepper, and sea salt to a small bowl.
- Mix the seasonings together until well blended.
- Slice the peppers into 1 ½ - 2” wide pieces and slice the red onion in half and then half again, cutting it into quarters.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then slice it into 1” – 1 ½” pieces.
- Add the prepared chicken, onion, and bell pepper into a large bowl
- Drizzle olive oil over the fresh veggies and raw chicken pieces. Toss to get a good coating on them. Then, sprinkle half of the dry seasoning blend over the pieces of chicken and vegetables and toss to combine.
- Add the remaining seasoning mixture and toss again to get a good coating on them.
*Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes before cooking to marinate in the seasonings. If you have time, let them sit for 4 -8 hours before cooking. - To assemble the chicken kabobs, start with a piece of bell pepper, then a piece of chicken, followed by a piece of red onion. Continue the process until the skewer is complete.
*The chicken kebabs should have about 5-6 pieces of chicken on each skewer. - Place the finished skewers on the wire rack and repeat the process until completed.
*If you have leftover onions and peppers, put them on the baking sheet and cook them along with the kabobs. - Place the baking sheet on the top rack of your preheated 400-degree oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
*If you don't use a wire rack, turn the skewers over halfway through the cooking process. - Remove the chicken kebabs from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve our delicious chicken kabobs with our homemade Riata sauce, pita bread, or nann bread, along with your favorite rice or grain.
Chef Tips
- We used metal skewers for the chicken kabobs, but you can also use wooden or bamboo skewers.
- Try to keep the pieces of chicken similar in size so they cook evenly.
- Alternate the groupings of chicken and vegetables so the flavors can cook together.
Recipe Adjustments & Variations
- If Indian seasonings aren't your favorite, or you want to change up the recipe, you can use any of your favorite seasonings.
- For the less adventurous palate, keep it simple with onion powder, garlic powder, sweet paprika, salt, and black pepper. For a touch of heat, add a little cayenne pepper.
- You can also use premade seasonings. Lemon pepper, Cajun, Italian, jerk, and taco seasonings are great options.
- You can also make a chicken kabob marinade to suit your taste preference. Ingredients like soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs can make great marinade ingredients.
- We used boneless skinless chicken breasts to make the recipe, but you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. The dark meat will actually be juicier and more flavorful. This recipe will also work with beef, pork, and seafood.
- For the vegetable kabobs recipe, omit the protein and add additional vegetables. Cherry tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, and mushrooms would make good additions.
Storage and Reheating
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 300 degrees for 5 minutes, or separate them and heat in a sautee pan with some olive oil.
Recipe FAQ's
Absolutely. When grilling, it's advised to soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes beforehand. At higher temperatures like 425°F-450°F, skewers burn faster and should be soaked to prevent burning.
Yes, you can. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
Place the skewers in the preheated air fryer and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through, until seared on the outside and tender on the inside.
The internal temperature of the chicken needs to be at least 165 degrees before serving.
Absolutely. The kabobs can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Keep them well covered until ready to cook. Remove them from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
Yes, the chicken kabobs work great on a gas or charcoal grill. Cooking time will vary depending on your grill's temperature. Traditionally, they will be ready in about 15-20 minutes. Check to ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
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Baked Chicken Kabobs Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes before preparing to let it begin to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a sheet pan (or rimmed baking sheet) with aluminum foil (or parchment paper), place a wire rack on top, then spray with cooking spray. Set aside until needed.
- *The foil will make for an easy cleanup.
- Add the smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, coriander, black pepper, and sea salt to a small bowl.
- Mix the seasonings until well blended.
- Slice the peppers into 1 ½ - 2” wide pieces and slice the red onion in half and then half again, cutting it into quarters.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then slice it into 1” – 1 ½” pieces.
- Add the prepared chicken, onion, and bell pepper to a large bowl
- Drizzle olive oil over the fresh veggies and raw chicken pieces. Toss to ensure a good coating. Then sprinkle half of the dry seasoning blend over the chicken and vegetables and toss to combine.
- Add the remaining seasoning mixture and toss again to ensure a good coating.
- *Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes before cooking to marinate in the seasonings. If you have time, let them sit for 4 -8 hours before cooking.
- To assemble the chicken kabobs, start with a piece of bell pepper, then a piece of chicken, followed by a piece of red onion. Continue the process until the skewer is complete.
- *The chicken kebabs should have about 5-6 pieces of chicken on each skewer.
- Place the finished skewers on the wire rack and repeat the process until all skewers are complete.
- *If you have leftover onions and peppers, put them on the baking sheet and cook them along with the kabobs.
- Place the baking sheet on the top rack of your preheated 400-degree oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
- *If you don't use a wire rack, turn the skewers over halfway through the cooking process.
- Remove the chicken kebabs from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- We used metal skewers for the chicken kabobs, but you can also use wooden or bamboo skewers.
- Try to keep the pieces of chicken similar in size so they cook evenly.
- Alternate the groupings of chicken and vegetables so the flavors can mingle as they cook.
- If Indian seasonings aren't your favorite, or you want to change up the recipe, you can use any of your favorite seasonings.
- For the less adventurous palate, keep it simple with onion powder, garlic powder, sweet paprika, salt, and black pepper. For a touch of heat, add a little cayenne pepper.
- You can also use premade seasonings. Lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning, jerk seasoning, and taco seasoning are great options.
- You can also make a chicken kabob marinade to suit your taste preference. Soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs can be used as marinade ingredients.
- We used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the recipe, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The dark meat will be juicier and more flavorful. This recipe will also work with beef, pork, and seafood.
- For the vegetable kabobs recipe, omit the protein and add additional vegetables. Cherry tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, and mushrooms would make good additions.
- Leftovers should be stored refrigerated in an airtight container or well covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil for 2-3 days. They can be frozen, but it's not recommended.
- Reheat in the oven at 300 degrees for 5 minutes or separate them and heat in a sauté pan with some olive oil.
Henry T says
Great recipe! I like the seasonings a lot for this recipe. We made them on the grill but followed the recipe and it was soooo good! I love some kabobs! Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley says
They were oh-so-delicious! thanks for letting me know you enjoyed them.