Who says grilling has to be complicated? These weeknight-friendly Smoky Chicken Kabobs infuse lovely smokey (and slightly spicy) grilled flavor in just 20 minutes, using just 4 ingredients.
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Grilling recipes oftentimes include overnight marinades, low-and-slow-cooked proteins, and pre-soaking hickory chips for smoky flavor. But what about on the nights when you don’t have the time, energy, or the inclination to make grilling out a big production, complete with advance preparation?
This 20-minute, 4-ingredient recipe proves how simple grilling can be – even on busy weeknights. Just grab some chicken tenders (or thighs or breasts), cut them into cubes, and place them in a bowl. Add a few glugs of olive oil and a GENEROUS amount of a smoky seasoning blend. Toss with your hands so that each piece is well-coated and then pierce them on a skewer. Pop them on the grill (or you could cook them in the oven) until they’re perfectly charred.
Serve them with an easy side like our kale side salad, Creamy Green Apple Coleslaw, Mexican Street Corn Salad, or Southwestern Quinoa Salad, and dinner is done!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 4 ingredients
- On the table in 20 minutes flat
- Swap in different cuts of chicken and the spice blend of your choosing
Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe Ingredients
These easy chicken kabobs on the grill come together with just 4 ingredients! Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Chicken – the star of this show is 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast tenders (although, feel free to swap in breasts or thighs instead).
- Smoky Spice Blend – we call for 3 tablespoons of a smoky spice blend.
- Avocado or Olive Oil – you’ll toss the chicken in 2 tablespoons of oil combined with the spice mix.
- Ghee spray – to keep the chicken from sticking to your grill, you’ll spray the grates with a ghee or avocado oil-based spray.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
Here are some easy ways to make this recipe your own:.
- Chicken – if you don’t have chicken tenders on hand, feel free to swap in breasts or thighs instead.
- Grill method – no outdoor grill? Feel free to use a grill pan on your stovetop instead.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Kabobs
Fire up the grill and you’ll have these easy grilled chicken kabobs on the table in no time!
Step 1: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Cut the chicken tenders into 1 1/2-2 inch pieces, then place in a medium-sized bowl.
Step 2: Add the smoky spice blend and olive oil to the bowl with the chicken, then toss to coat.
Step 3: Divide the chicken pieces evenly and place onto four skewers.
Step 4: Spray the grill with ghee spray or avocado oil spray, then place the skewers on the grill.
Cook for 7-8 minutes, then flip the skewers and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes, until the chicken is browned and fully cooked through. If the chicken starts to stick at any point, spray more oil onto the grill and skewers.
Remove the skewers from the grill, let cool for 3-4 minutes, then serve!
Recipe Tips
- Garnish – while these easy grilled chicken kabobs are perfect on their own, feel free to garnish them with some chopped fresh parsley or cilantro.
- Citrus – for a hit of citrus flavor, place half of a lemon or lime cut-side-down on the grill with the chicken. Remove it from the grill with some fresh tongs, and – using the middle part of the tongs to squeeze it – release the warm, caramelized juices overtop the kabobs before serving.
How to Serve
After you take the kabobs off the grill, let them sit for 3-4 minutes to let the juices redistribute – which will help keep the chicken from drying out. Then serve with a green salad, grilled veggies, or potato salad.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, cook the chicken in a microwave until just heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
As with all meats and all cooking methods, you should measure doneness with a meat thermometer rather than specific times listed in a recipe, which are just meant to be general guidelines.
The USDA recommends cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, but you can pull the meat off the grill when it reads 160 since it will increase at least 5 additional degrees off the heat due to residual cooking.
There’s nothing sadder than dried-out, overcooked chicken! Especially because it can be especially hard to tell if chicken is cooked to temperature on a grill, it’s more important than ever to keep a few easy tips in mind when using this cooking method.
First, you can swap in chicken thighs for breasts: since thighs contain more fat than white meat, they’re less likely to dry out. Second, you can brine the meat, which plumps the cells and helps them retain more moisture. And lastly, use your meat thermometer to make sure you cook – but don’t overcook – the meat so it stays tender and juicy.
More Favorite Grilling Recipes
If you tried this recipe for Smoky Chicken Kabobs, or any other recipe on the Fed & Fit website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Smoky Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast tenders, (or breasts or thighs)
- 3 tablespoons smoky spice blend
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- Ghee spray or avocado oil spray, for grilling
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
- Cut the chicken tenders into 1 1/2-2 inch pieces, then place in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the smoky spice blend and olive oil to the bowl with the chicken, then toss to coat.
- Divide the chicken pieces evenly and place onto four skewers.
- Spray the grill with ghee spray or avocado oil spray, then place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 7-8 minutes, then flip the skewers and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes, until the chicken is browned and fully cooked through. If the chicken starts to stick at any point, spray more oil onto the grill and skewers.
- Remove the skewers from the grill, let cool for 3-4 minutes, then serve!
Nutrition
You have to spend a large amount on Balanced Bites to get the free shipping. Could you post the ingredients you would use for spices if you didn’t own this brand of spice blend?
Can you make a print-friendly version of this please?
whoops nevermind…it was it in a different place than the other recipes i’ve found. Love all of your recipes so far and can’t wait to try this one!
Glad you found it, Melinda!! Thanks for sharing that with us…we hope you love this one too!
WHOOP!!! ’98
The link to the spices doesn’t work.
WHHOOOOOPPPP!!!!!!