The Best Easy Baked Chicken Kabobs

These oven chicken kabobs baked are a great way of having a flavorful dinner ready in little time, while also serving some tasty vegetables in a different, fun way without getting the grill out! The marinade is a rich blend of yogurt and spices, keeping the chicken cubes moist without skimping on flavor! Perfect to serve with wraps, couscous, or in salads, once cooked, this delightful dish is perfect for dinner parties, mid-week meals or the lunch box!

Forget soggy fries, chicken pieces drowned in sauce, and fizzy drinks: this baked chicken kabobs recipe is not only ridiculously healthy, filling, and nutritious, it is also juicy, tasty and so, so versatile!

This recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken cubes to be marinated in a yogurt marinade flavored with colorful spices, and then grilled in the oven using skewers, with the option of adding vegetables of choice on the skewers as preferred... the preparation takes only 5 minutes and the rest is up to the spices and the oven!

Baked Chicken Kabobs Overview [Infographics]

Baked Chicken Kabobs Ingredients

• Chicken: boneless skinless chicken breast is the best option, as they cook wonderfully in the oven while being low in calories and fat.
• Oil, yogurt, and lime juice: are the main wet ingredients in the marinade, all bringing freshness, richness, and flavor to the dish.
• Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala: the spices that flavor and color the dish!
• Salt and pepper: seasoning to unlock the flavors.
• Ginger garlic paste: two key ingredients that offer flavor and heat.
• Fresh cilantro (coriander): for color and flavor.

How to make baked chicken kabobs?

1. To prepare the shish kabob marinade, mix together yogurt, oil, Kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, black pepper, lemon juice (or lime juice), ginger garlic paste, and thinly sliced fresh cilantro (coriander). 
2. Dice the skinless boneless skinless chicken breasts and then toss them in the marinade, ensuring each cube is completely covered and allow to soak in the flavors.

3. After the meat has marinated sufficiently, skew the pieces of chicken on skewers (together with the desired vegetables)  and bake in the oven on the middle shelf at 180 degrees Celsius, Gas 4 or 350 Fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until cooked thoroughly. Serve and enjoy your chicken kabobs!
4. Note: Feel free to add your vegetables of choice to the skewers, however, keep in mind baking time, as some may over or undercook with the meat. Bell peppers, sweet pepper, onions, zucchini, and mushrooms are great!

People also ask [FAQs]

What vegetables to put on a kabob skewer?

There are many vegetables that work well with these baked chicken skewers, however, as you can see from the pictures, I like to use red onions, sweet peppers, and bell peppers; other great options for these chicken kebabs are sliced tomatoes (will work well with keeping the meat moist) or eggplant.

The vegetables do not need marinating, however, should you prefer you could season them with a bit of salt, black pepper, and perhaps a bit of garlic powder, onion powder, and a few red pepper flakes.

What to serve with kabobs?

The baked chicken kabobs can be served in wraps (fancy making your own? Try this spectacular Lebanese Mountain Bread Recipe!), with some pita bread, with rice and crunchy vegetables, or used to dress some couscous or bulgur wheat for a healthy dinner idea.

A great way of using this chicken is to have it as a base for meal prep and then use it to bulk up salads for a healthy meal made with crunchy leaves, some grated carrots, fresh peppers, fresh herbs, and a different dressing every day, like a tzatziki-like light delicious sauce, a honey mustard dressing or a honey soy sauce.

For an easy meal, the next day, a fun way of eating leftover chicken is to chop it in small dice and fill a panini or sandwich with it or a nice jacket potato.

Can I cook chicken kabobs on a grill pan? 

Absolutely yes! When using a grilling pan, ensure this is warmed up on medium-high heat before putting the chicken skewers to cook; allow each of the four sides to cook against the pan in order to ensure the best flavors come out (yes, char-grilled chicken!) and to keep moist you can sprinkle a few drops of olive oil and lemon juice along the way. No matter what, always ensure the chicken is fully cooked before serving.

My favorite way of cooking these kebabs is on the barbeque, although we know it is (unfortunately) not always grilling season! Before cooking, ensure you have a hot grill and a sheet pan where to put your meat once ready; to keep it hot, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil.

How to store chicken kabobs?

These kabobs can be stored at different stages:

• Raw with marination: if the meat was not frozen before, it can be frozen for use next time, alternatively store it in the fridge (if the meat is fresh) in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Cooked: the meat can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days once cooked, or it can be frozen and used within 3 months.

Tips and tricks

There are a few tricks I learned while preparing these homemade chicken kabobs in the oven and I am sure sharing them will make your experience easier!

• Wooden or metal skewers: I like to use metal skewers, as I have purchased my set of 8 many years ago (I think 6 or 7?) and they are still perfect; they are longer than the wooden skewers, easy to wash, and have a hook on the end, so they are easy to hang and handle.
• Should you use this type of skewer, it does not need any preparation before use. Wooden or bamboo skewers may burn while cooking in the oven (or on the barbecue) so it is recommended to soak them in water for between 10 and 30 minutes; it is important not to oversoak the skewers as the wood may then give splinters while being overly moist.
• Chicken: A great alternative choice to the chicken breast is chicken thighs as they can remain very moist, but they have more calories and fat compared to breast. I would not say for this recipe chicken legs are the right chicken, as they are normally sold with bone, but these could be marinated and cooked whole.
• Vegetable kabobs: it is very easy to turn these into a vegetarian option! Swap chicken for zucchini, large onion slices, green peppers, and eggplant for great Mediterranean veggie kabobs, although many other fresh veggies will be suitable too. If it is the first time you are cooking these, check on them so as not to overcook them, although most of these veggies will be tasty also al dente (although eggplant needs to be fully cooked to be nice!).
• Alternative oil: if you'd like to try different oils for your chicken kabob marinade, great options are rice bran, peanut, or avocado oil. Traditionally, mustard oil is used for this recipe, however, this is not licensed for food consumption in many places around the world, such as the USA, EU, and Canada. If looking for a fresh and flavorsome alternative olive oil is a great option; when choosing the one to use, make sure you not only taste them but also smell them, as extra virgin olive oil can be quite overpowering and may not be the right choice for this chicken skewers recipe that uses Indian spices.
• Dry rub: this recipe does not require an initial dry rub like many other kebab recipes may, as it is a one-coating-only recipe.

What makes these baked chicken kabobs different?

These are more Indian chicken kebabs as they use a mix of Indian spices, rich yogurt, and fresh lemon or lime juice, compared to more traditional Greek chicken kabobs, which are flavored with traditional Mediterranean herbs (like rosemary) and lemon, or Hawaiian chicken kabobs, which use pineapple. Oven chicken kabobs are very straightforward to prepare:

1. Marinate the chicken and soak wooden skewers (if using them) - do not forget to season with salt and pepper!
2. Preheat oven.
3. Place a baking sheet on a baking tray.
4. Add the marinated chicken and vegetables (think bell peppers and onions!) on the wooden skewers.
5. Bake! Your oven chicken kabobs are ready!

The perfect summer meal: picture yourself wearing a pair of flip flops, sitting by the beach, and enjoying this delicious meal, made of simple ingredients, yet absolutely glorious! (Why not accompany it with a glass of this delicious Minted Virgin Moscow Mule with Ginger Ale?)

Serve your baked chicken kabobs with a crunchy salad made of fresh produce, some creamy hummus, or tzatziki sauce and wrap it up in pita bread... seriously, what more can you want? Yes, a bit of tomato and pepper sauce!

🥗 If you liked this baked chicken kabobs recipe, have a look at these too and our high-protein meals section:

Recipe

Baked Chicken Kabobs Recipe | Chicken Shish Kebab

Elle

Indian style kabobs: quick to prepare, weight-loss friendly and full of flavor!

5 from 12 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Marinade Time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Mediterranean

Servings 8 skewers

Calories 171 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 1 kg Diced Chicken Breast Skinless and Boneless

For the marinade:

• 1 tablespoon Sunflower Oil or Vegetable, Rice Bran or Peanut
• 5 tablespoon Full-Fat Natural Set Yogurt
• 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
• ½ teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
• 2 teaspoon Lime Juice or Lemon Juice
• 3 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 handful Finely Chopped Fresh Cilantro Coriander

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl, add the yogurt with all the other ingredients for the marinade and mix until uniform.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken and the marinade on top, and mix until every piece of chicken is fully coated. Cover the bowl with a lid or cling film and leave to marinate for at least half an hour in the fridge.
• Once you are ready to start preparing and the meat is sufficiently marinated, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, Gas 4 or 350 Fahrenheit.
• Choose a baking tray that had lifted edges where you will be able to rest the skewers; divide the meat on the skewers so that each piece is next to each other, without leaving a gap, but without them being too close together that the meat will struggle to cook.
• Place the skewers on the baking tray so that the meat is almost floating (as in the picture in the description above), then put to cook on the middle tray in the oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until cooked.
• Once ready, allow to sit for a couple of minutes before serving and enjoying.

Notes

I prefer to use full fat yogurt as it is harder for it to split while cooking, plus it is thicker, so it will keep the spices together while coating the chicken (low fat yogurt sometimes has so many other additives it is not wort it going low fat - check the label!) . Should you not have full fat yogurt, you can drain out the excess water by hanging the low fat yogurt in a muslin cloth. 

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 27gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 160mgPotassium: 504mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 233IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg

Keyword chicken shish kebab, Easy Chicken Recipes, oven cooked chicken, weight loss recipe

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