Dinner · From Adam's kitchen
Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs
Juicy chicken marinated in lemon, garlic, smoked paprika, and cardamom, grilled with onions and peppers. A charcoal grill adds a smoky flavor you cannot get indoors.
- Serves
- 4
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
Method
Marinate the chicken (2 hr to overnight)
Mix all the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken cubes, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
WhyThe lemon and salt season the meat all the way through and keep it juicy on the grill.
Prep the vegetables (10 min)
Peel the onions, cut them in half, and cut each half into 4-6 large wedges. Cut the peppers into 1-inch pieces.
Build the skewers (10 min)
Thread the skewers, alternating chunks of onion, pepper, and chicken until full. Leave a little space between pieces so they cook evenly.
Grill (10-15 min)
Grill over medium-high heat, turning every few minutes. Safety: throw out the used marinade, since it touched raw chicken, and use a clean plate for the cooked skewers.
Ready whenThe chicken reaches 165°F inside and the vegetables are charred at the edges. If the vegetables blacken too fast, move the skewers to a cooler part of the grill.
Garnish and serve (1 min)
Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve over rice or couscous, or in warm pita, with tahini sauce and honey-lemon slaw.
Make it cheffy
Make a two-zone fire
How
On a charcoal grill, pile the coals on one side. On a gas grill, turn one side to high and the other to low. Char the skewers over the hot side, then move them to the cooler side to finish cooking.
Why
You get a great char without burning the outside before the chicken is cooked through.
Swaps
- Chicken breast → chicken thighs. They are juicier and more forgiving, and are also done at 165°F.
Make ahead & storage
Make ahead
Marinate the chicken the night before.
Storage
Keep cooked kabobs in the fridge. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes, until hot all the way through.
Macros per serving
Estimate- Calories
- about 400
- Protein
- about 29 g
- Carbs
- about 24 g
- Fat
- about 22 g
Per serving, a best estimate based on 4 servings (the whole batch is about 1,600 calories, 115 g protein, 95 g carbs, 86 g fat). Includes all the marinade oil; some of it stays behind in the bag, so the real numbers are a little lower.