Lemon Garlic Chicken Kebabs – Easy Chicken Skewers

These lemon garlic chicken kebabs are one of my favourite sorts of summer dinner: lots of flavour, very little fuss and easy to serve with whatever everyone fancies. The chicken is marinated with lemon, garlic, oregano, sumac and fresh herbs before being threaded onto skewers and cooked until lightly charred on the outside and thoroughly cooked through.

They’re lovely cooked on the BBQ, but you definitely don’t need to wait for one of the approximately three days of reliable barbecue weather we seem to get in Britain! You can cook the chicken indoors on a grill or griddle instead.

Give the chicken at least an hour in the marinade if you can. You can also prepare it earlier in the day and leave it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.

Ingredients for lemon garlic chicken kebabs

For four portions you’ll need:

• 500g chicken breast
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp sumac
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt, optional

You can use freshly squeezed lemon juice or bottled lemon juice depending on what you have available.

The sumac is particularly lovely in this recipe because it adds another slightly tangy, citrusy flavour alongside the lemon. It’s one of those ingredients you might buy for one recipe and then wonder what else to do with it, but once you start using it you’ll find it works in all sorts of marinades, salads and roasted vegetables.

How to make the lemon garlic marinade

Add the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, sumac, parsley and basil to a large bowl and mix everything together.

If you’re using the yoghurt, mix that in too.

Cut the chicken breast into roughly 1-inch pieces, trying to keep them fairly similar in size so that they cook at roughly the same rate.

Add the chicken to the marinade and turn the pieces until they’re well coated.

Cover the bowl and put it into the fridge for at least an hour. You can leave the chicken marinating for up to 24 hours if you want to prepare it well in advance.

Making the chicken skewers

When you’re ready to cook, thread the marinated chicken pieces onto skewers.

Try not to squash as much chicken as physically possible onto each one. Leaving a little room between the pieces helps the heat reach the chicken more evenly.

If you’re using bamboo skewers, check whether they need soaking before using them, particularly if you’re cooking over a BBQ or under a hot grill.

How many skewers you’ll make will depend on their size, so I wouldn’t worry about trying to make a particular number. Divide the chicken reasonably evenly between them.

Cooking chicken kebabs on the BBQ

Chicken skewers are perfect for a BBQ because the smaller pieces cook relatively quickly and you get those lovely charred edges.

The important bit is making sure that the chicken is cooked in the middle as well as looking beautifully browned on the outside.

Cook the kebabs over a suitable heat, turning them so the chicken cooks evenly. Check the thickest pieces before serving and make sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

The Food Standards Agency recommends keeping raw and cooked foods separate when barbecuing and not reusing marinade that has been in contact with raw meat unless it has been thoroughly cooked.

My BBQ guide has plenty more ideas if you’re planning a bigger spread, and my homemade chicken rubs are worth a look if you want some different chicken flavours.

Cooking chicken kebabs under the grill

You can cook these under the grill too, which makes them much easier to enjoy all year round.

Arrange the skewers so they’re not packed tightly together and turn them during cooking so that the chicken colours on different sides.

The recipe takes around 20 minutes to cook, but don’t rely on the clock alone. Chicken pieces won’t all be identical in size, and different grills cook at different rates.

The chicken needs to be thoroughly cooked and steaming hot through the middle before serving. The FSA advises checking the thickest part, with no pink meat remaining and clear juices.

Can I cook chicken kebabs in the air fryer?

You can cook chicken pieces in an air fryer, but the size of your air fryer will determine whether using skewers is practical.

Check that the skewers actually fit comfortably in the basket before threading all your chicken onto them. Yes, this sounds ridiculously obvious. It’s also exactly the sort of thing I’d realise after I’d already made six enormous skewers!

If they don’t fit, cook the marinated chicken pieces without the skewers instead.

Air fryers vary, as do the size of the chicken pieces, so follow the guidance for your particular appliance and check the chicken is thoroughly cooked before serving.

You can find more ideas in my air fryer recipes collection.

What to serve with lemon garlic chicken kebabs

For a summer meal or BBQ, I’d serve these with plenty of salad, pittas or wraps and a couple of dips so everyone can help themselves.

They’re also lovely with rice, couscous or homemade chips if you want something more substantial.

You could take the chicken off the skewers and stuff it into a pitta with lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes, then add yoghurt or your favourite dip.

If you’re making several dishes for a BBQ, don’t feel you need another complicated side. A good salad, some bread and a couple of dips are usually more useful than making six different things and spending the whole afternoon in the kitchen.

Are these healthy chicken kebabs?

Chicken breast provides plenty of protein, while the marinade gives it lots of flavour without needing a heavy sauce or breadcrumb coating.

There are four tablespoons of olive oil in the marinade, although not necessarily every drop of marinade will end up being eaten.

Rather than worrying about whether an individual chicken kebab is officially “healthy”, I’d concentrate on what you’re serving alongside it. Add salad, vegetables, rice, potatoes, pittas or whatever makes it into a satisfying meal for you.

Slimming World chicken skewers

If you’re looking for a Slimming World chicken skewers recipe, the main ingredient to check here is the olive oil.

The marinade uses four tablespoons across four portions. If you’re currently following Slimming World, check the current allowance or value for the oil you’re using rather than relying on an old Syn or Swip calculation.

I wouldn’t automatically remove all the oil just to reduce the value because it’s part of the marinade and contributes to the finished recipe.

If you want more meal ideas, my Slimming World chicken recipes collection has curries, traybakes, fakeaways and plenty of other chicken dinners.

Can I add vegetables to the skewers?

Absolutely. Peppers, red onion and courgette would all work well with the lemon and garlic flavours.

Cut the vegetables into chunks that will sit comfortably on the skewers without falling apart.

You can alternate chicken and vegetables or make separate vegetable skewers. Separate skewers can actually make life easier because you can cook each for as long as it needs rather than worrying about whether the chicken and vegetables are ready at exactly the same moment.

Can I make the kebabs ahead?

Yes. Preparing them ahead is one of the things that makes these particularly useful for a BBQ.

The chicken can sit covered in the marinade in the fridge for up to 24 hours, so you can do most of the preparation well before everyone arrives.

Keep raw marinated chicken refrigerated until you’re ready to cook it, and use separate plates and utensils for raw and cooked chicken.

If you’re freezing chicken in the marinade, make sure it’s properly contained and labelled, then defrost it safely in the fridge before cooking.

My guide to defrosting chicken safely has more information if you’re starting with frozen chicken.

More easy chicken recipes

If you like chicken with fresh, punchy flavours, try my chicken lime tacos or piri piri chicken next.

My Cajun chicken is another easy option when you want something with a little more heat, while my healthy chicken recipes collection is the place to start when you have chicken in the fridge and absolutely no idea what to make with it.

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