Grilled Chicken Kebab

You can make grilled chicken kebab at home, giving you an authentic taste of your local kebab place without the cost of takeout! The secret is in the marinade and that smoky taste of the grill. Grab a warm pita, load it up with tzatziki and vegetables, and enjoy the taste of summer!

For more summer recipes, take a look at our Grilling Category. 

I adore summer cooking as we grill so often, which usually falls on my husband’s shoulders and gives me time off. All I have to do is marinate the meat and prepare a couple of salads. Easy, light and delicious. 

This recipe for shish kebabs is so simple but you could be fooled into thinking the chicken came from a real kebab shop. That amazing taste is all down to a clever mix of spices in the marinade.

There are quite a few of them but you should have no problems finding them in your local supermarket. Have no fear as I will walk you through the process. 

Shish Kebab 

Turkish kebabs, Greek souvlaki, shashlik from the Caucasus, and Indonesian satay might present differently because of the vast variety of flavours but the core idea is essentially the same. They are all dishes of cubed meat threaded on a skewer, then grilled. And they are loved the world over. 

Today I am sharing my recipe for chicken shish kebab, not to be confused with doner kebab, which is a Turkish version of Greek gyros. 

While shish kebab consists of bite-sized pieces of meat threaded on a wooden or metal skewer, doner kebab is meat cooked on a large rotating spit and later shaved thinly and served in a pita or other flatbread. 

I love doner kebab but it’s not something easily replicated at home. You will need special equipment, patience and skill! Shish kebab on the other hand is extremely easy! It is also leaner, and therefore a better for you!

I am using chicken breasts but skinless, boneless chicken thighs would be also tasty and more authentic. You can also use pork or lamb for this recipe, or try out my shrimp kebab. 

The Marinade

There are obviously numerous recipes for the marinade. I tried to simplify mine as much as possible while still leaving the essentials in for the authentic taste. 

Marinating is a clever technique invented centuries ago, which accomplishes two main goals; to tenderise the meat and to impart flavour. 

This is especially important for grilling, which happens much quicker than stewing. Since there is no advantage from slow cooking, the meat has to be tender from the start.

The meat we eat nowadays and choose for grilling is of such high quality, it doesn’t need tenderisation in the same way it did a hundred years ago. But imparting flavour is another matter entirely.  We are always after more FLAVOUR!

The marinade recipe is a standard mix of acid, fat and spices. I use lemon juice for the acid, olive oil for the fat and an array of dried spices to flavour my chicken. 

Among the spices you will find the usual suspects we often see in meat marinades like garlic, oregano, thyme, paprika. To me, what gives this marinade its specific kebab taste is cinnamon and ground cloves. Do not skip them!

The chicken will need to spend at least 2 hours in the marinade. Make it in a large bowl that can hold the chicken as well, or transfer both to a large plastic bag and let it sit in the fridge.

Serving suggestions

It’s no secret that kebabs taste best when decked out with all kinds of extras. My personal favourite is to eat them wrapped in a homemade flatbread or good quality pita bread. 

Inside I love adding a dollop of my homemade hummus, tzatziki, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce. Greek yogurt can be used if you don’t want to make tzatziki.

Thinly sliced red onions are optional but highly recommended, especially if cut very thinly with a This is an affiliate link.mandoline. Feel free to experiment with other veggies as well, such as cucumbers, cherry tomatoes or bell peppers.

More delicious things you can add to your chicken kebab wrap are baba ganoush, fried or grilled halloumi cheese and fries. I know it sounds over the top but local kebab shop deliveries always come with fries! 

To make it a complete meal, serve it with a fresh, summery salad. A few options I love with chicken kebabs are:

• Tomato Salad with Herb Vinaigrette and Feta
• Summer Picnic Couscous Salad with Feta
• Mediterranean Farro Salad with Zucchini

Storage and leftovers

Grilled chicken is going to keep in a fridge for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container.

When it comes to reheating, I would avoid the microwave, which will only dry out the chicken. An oven will be a better bet. Heat it to 180C/350F, place the chicken on a baking tray loosely covered in aluminum foil, with a couple of tablespoons of water added. It should take about 15 minutes.

More grilled chicken recipes

• Chicken Souvlaki
• Chicken Satay with Easy Peanut Sauce
• Thai Grilled Chicken Salad
• Greek Chicken Burger with Feta